# How to lock an element in Canva on Mac: steps for the desktop app > Learn how to lock an element in Canva on Mac: select it, click the lock icon in the toolbar, and turn the lock off when you need to edit. URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/lock-an-element-in-canva Updated: 2026-11-08 To lock an element in Canva on Mac, select the element and click the padlock icon in the top toolbar. The element stays locked while you edit the rest of the design, and you turn the lock off the same way. ## Quick answer - Select the element, then click the padlock icon in the top toolbar to lock it. - To lock several elements, hold Shift, click each one, then click the padlock once. - Lock position only stops movement but still lets you resize, recolor and change fonts. - To turn the lock off, click the locked element and use the padlock control in the top toolbar. - Mac shortcuts conflict across sources, so test each one on a copy before you rely on it. Applies to: Canva desktop app and Canva in a browser on macOS. Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy. ## What you need - Canva desktop app for Mac, or Canva in a browser - A design open with the element you want to lock visible on the canvas - A Mac on a macOS version that the current Canva build supports. Sources give conflicting minimums of 10.13 and 11.0. - Canva build 1.128.0 or later, the latest Mac build FileHorse lists ## How to Lock an element in Canva on Mac in Canva on a Mac 1. **Open the design on your Mac.** Open the design in the Canva desktop app for Mac, or in Canva in your browser. Lilach Bullock's guide says the desktop app has the same features as the browser version. Find the element you want to lock on the canvas. 2. **Select the element.** Click the element once. Canva draws a purple outline around it, so you can see what is selected. If the outline sits around a different object, click the right one before you go on. Tip: Zoom in first if the element is small or sits under another one. 3. **Click the lock icon in the top toolbar.** (Top toolbar > Padlock icon) With the element selected, look for the padlock icon in the top toolbar. Click it once to lock the element. The Munro guide describes this as the way to lock an element. Tip: A 2022 guide places the Lock button at the top right of the right-hand panel. Check there if the toolbar does not show it. 4. **Confirm the lock holds.** Try to drag the element a short distance. A locked element should stay put. If it moves, reapply the lock or restart Canva, as Graphic Design Resource suggests. 5. **Lock several elements at once.** Select the first element. Hold Shift and click each other element you want locked. When every one has the purple outline, click the padlock icon once. The Munro guide says the lock then applies to all of them. 6. **Choose Lock position only, if you need resizing.** (Right-click element > Lock position only) Right-click the element and choose Lock position only. You can also reach the option from the lock icon options in the top toolbar. The element stays where it is, but you can still resize it, recolor it and change its fonts. 7. **Turn the lock off.** (Top toolbar > Padlock control) Click the locked element to select it. Then use the padlock control in the top toolbar to turn the lock off. Once the lock is off, the element moves and edits like any other element. Tip: If the element will not respond, select it again carefully, or refresh the design. ## What a lock does in Canva Canva's lock works like a switch. You turn it on from the top toolbar, and you turn it off the same way. Locked elements stay locked after you move on. The Munro Agency guide says you do not need a separate save step for the lock to hold. Locking helps with anything that must not shift while you work. A logo, a background photo or a price tag are common examples. Lock them first, then build the rest of the layout around them. ![Designer at a laptop arranging a layout, the kind of work where you lock an element in Canva on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/lock-an-element-in-canva/how-to-lock-an-element-in-canva-1-810a20.jpg) ## Lock position only versus a full lock Canva offers a narrower second option. Lock position only fixes where an element sits. You can still resize it, recolor it and change its fonts. The element cannot be moved until the lock is turned off. Graphic Design Resource describes it this way. That guide says you can reach Lock position only from the lock icon options in the top toolbar, or by right-clicking the element. It also says the option is for Pro and Team accounts, not free accounts. No source I could open confirmed that plan rule, because Canva's pricing page was not reachable. Check the pricing page yourself before you plan around it. | Option | What it stops | What still works | Source | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Lock position only | Moving the element | Resizing, recoloring, font changes | Graphic Design Resource | | Plain lock from the top toolbar | Not stated | Not stated | The Munro Agency | | Partial lock, one click (2022 guide) | Described as partial, with a pencil icon. The wording is unclear. | Not stated | Blogging Guide | _What each guide says the lock blocks. Blank cells mean the guide does not say._ The 2022 guide from Blogging Guide describes older behavior. One click on the editor toolbar lock gives a partial lock with a pencil icon. Two clicks give a full lock. The same guide says the full-lock behavior is confusing and should be checked in Canva. If your toolbar shows a pencil or asks for two clicks, follow what your screen shows. That guide may predate your version. ## Lock several elements at once Select the first element, then hold Shift and click each element you want to lock. Each selected element gets the purple outline. When the set is complete, click the padlock once. The Munro guide describes this method and says the lock applies to every selected element. Check the selection before you lock. A stray click can add the wrong object, and that object locks too. Fixing the selection takes seconds. Finding a locked object you did not mean to lock takes longer. ## Turn the lock off Click the locked element to select it. Then use the padlock control in the top toolbar to turn the lock off. The Munro guide describes this control as the one to use. Once the lock is off, you can move, resize and edit the element as usual. > **Check your screen first:** Canva's own help pages could not be opened when this page was checked on 9 November 2026. Menu names, lock types and plan rules come from third-party guides. Compare them with what you see before you rely on them. ## Mac shortcuts: the sources disagree Many people want a key combination for locking. The sources I checked do not agree on one. Digital Hygge lists ⌥⇧L for Mac in an article from April 2023. Graphic Design Resource lists ⌘L for Mac, which toggles the lock on the selected element. keyshortcuts.net lists Ctrl+Shift+L for Windows to lock the selected element. It gives no Mac equivalent for locking, and the same combination appears there for Align Left. Test each option on a copy of your design. Select an element, press the keys, and watch the toolbar. A wrong key can trigger another command. > **Do not trust one shortcut list:** Three sources name different keys, and the Windows listing gives no Mac equivalent. Treat any shortcut as unconfirmed until your own copy of Canva confirms it. ## Versions and minimum macOS Canva's desktop app for Mac uses one download that supports both Apple and Intel processors, according to Lilach Bullock's desktop app guide. The desktop app offers the same features as the browser version. Its extras are tabs, pop-out windows and system notifications. FileHorse lists version 1.128.0 as the latest Mac build. Its page also gives two minimum macOS versions, 10.13 High Sierra and 11.0 Big Sur, which do not match. Check the requirements before you install on an older Mac. Canva may disable desktop app versions older than 6 months. It may also disable a version sooner if a critical bug or vulnerability turns up. Update before you troubleshoot anything else. The steps are in [the download and install guide](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/download-and-install-canva-in-canva). ## Common mistakes that look like a broken lock - Selecting the wrong object. The purple outline shows what is selected, so check it before you click the padlock. - Mixing up the two lock types. Lock position only still allows resizing and font changes, so an element can look changed and still be locked. - Following an old guide. The 2022 guide describes a pencil icon and two clicks for a full lock. Your toolbar may not match it. - Trusting one shortcut. The Mac key differs from source to source. - Skipping updates. Canva may disable versions older than 6 months, so an old build can behave differently. ![Person at a MacBook editing a design, the setting where you might lock an element in Canva on Mac](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/lock-an-element-in-canva/how-to-lock-an-element-in-canva-2-6cfddf.jpg) ## A worked example: a logo on a flyer Say you are making a flyer for a shop opening. The logo sits in the top corner. The headline and date change every week. Select the logo, then click the padlock in the top toolbar. Now you can edit the text without catching the logo by accident. Suppose the logo must stay put, but you still need to resize it for a second format. Use Lock position only instead. Right-click the logo and choose Lock position only. You can resize it for the new format, but you cannot drag it until the lock is turned off. Before you change a template that a team shares, duplicate the design and test the lock on the copy. [Duplicate a design in Canva on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/duplicate-a-design-in-canva) shows two ways to do it. Test first, then apply the lock to the original. ## When the lock still will not work Start with the simplest fixes. Reapply the lock if the icon changes but the element still moves. Restart Canva if the lock still does not apply. If an element will not respond, select it carefully or refresh the design. If the problem continues after an update, reset the desktop app. The guide says to try the feature in a browser first, then update the app, update macOS, and reset. On a Mac, the reset removes Canva-related folders in ~/Library and keeps the app itself. [Reset the desktop app in Canva](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/reset-the-desktop-app-in-canva) walks through it. Force quit only as a last resort. The guide warns that unsaved changes may be lost. Before you delete any folder in ~/Library, move it somewhere safe instead. That way you can put it back if you need it. ## What to do next Once the lock holds, move on to the rest of the layout. A lock keeps one element in place. It does not check spacing, alignment or colors across the page, so review those yourself. For shared templates, keep a short checklist. Lock the fixed parts, test a copy, and note which lock type you used. A teammate can then see what is fixed and what can change. ## Shortcuts - Lock selected element (Digital Hygge, 2023): ⌥⇧L - Toggle lock on selected element (Graphic Design Resource): ⌘L ## If it does not work - **Lock icon appears but the lock does not apply** Reapply the lock. If it still fails, restart Canva, as Graphic Design Resource suggests. - **Locked element will not respond or turn off** Select the element carefully, or refresh the design, then try again. - **Element still moves after you chose Lock position only** Check that you chose Lock position only and not another option. Reapply it, then restart Canva if needed. - **The feature is missing or the app looks out of date** Update the app first. Canva may disable versions older than 6 months, so an old build can behave differently. - **Still broken after an update** Reset the desktop app. On a Mac, remove Canva-related folders in ~/Library and keep the app itself. Force quit only as a last resort, because unsaved changes may be lost. - **Shortcut does nothing or triggers another command** The sources disagree on Mac keys. Test on a copy, and check the app's own shortcut panel if your version has one. ## With Lazur Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download - “Where is the lock button in Canva?”: Lazur draws a circle and a label around the padlock icon in the top toolbar, so you can find it on your own screen. (Points at it) ## FAQ ### Does locking work the same in the browser version of Canva? The desktop app for Mac has the same features as the browser version, according to Lilach Bullock's guide. Its extras are tabs, pop-out windows and system notifications. The lock steps should match, but confirm on your own screen. ### Where is the lock icon if I cannot see it? Look in the top toolbar after you select the element. A 2022 guide places the Lock button at the top right of the right-hand panel. If neither spot shows it, update the app and check that the element is selected. ### Is Lock position only available on the free plan? One guide says Lock position only is for Pro and Team users, not free accounts. No source I could open confirmed that. Check Canva's pricing page before you plan around it. ### What is the Mac shortcut to lock an element in Canva? The sources disagree. Digital Hygge lists Option Shift L, and Graphic Design Resource lists Command L. Test each one on a copy first, because a wrong key may trigger another command. ### Do locked elements stay locked after I close Canva? The Munro Agency guide says locked elements stay locked automatically, with no separate save needed. Still, check the design after you reopen it, especially if you used Lock position only. ### Can I lock an entire page at once? The sources I could open describe locking elements one at a time or with Shift-click selection. None describe a single page-wide lock. Check the menus on your version before you assume one exists. ## Sources 1. [How to lock elements in Canva - The Munro Agency](https://www.munro.agency/marketing-guides/how-to-lock-elements-in-canva/), The Munro Agency, checked 2026-11-09 2. [How to Use Canva Lock Position Only - Graphic Design Resource](https://graphicdesignresource.com/how-to-use-canva-lock-position-only/), Graphic Design Resource, checked 2026-11-09 3. [Canva element lock guide (2022) - Blogging Guide](https://bloggingguide.com/how-to-lock-and-unlock-elements-in-canva/), Blogging Guide, checked 2026-11-09 4. [60+ Canva Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac and Windows Users](https://digitalhygge.com/canva-keyboard-shortcuts-for-mac-windows/), Digital Hygge, checked 2026-11-09 5. [Canva Keyboard Shortcuts - Printable Cheat Sheet (2026)](https://keyshortcuts.net/canva-shortcuts), keyshortcuts.net, checked 2026-11-09 6. [Canva Desktop App: Download, Updates, Tabs and Fixes](https://www.lilachbullock.com/canva-desktop-app/), Lilach Bullock, checked 2026-11-09 7. [Canva for Mac - Download (macOS) - FileHorse](https://mac.filehorse.com/download-canva/), FileHorse, checked 2026-11-09