How to Highlight Text in Canva (2025 Guide & Tips)
Introduction
Most people mess this up—and I did too—until I figured out the right way to highlight text in Canva. If you’ve ever tried to make your text stand out in a Canva design, you know it’s not as simple as clicking a “highlight” button. There’s no native highlighter tool (yet), and what seems like a basic task can quickly become a design headache.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how to highlight text in Canva—even if you’re on your phone, tablet, or using Canva’s Android or iOS app. We’ll explore real techniques, Canva workarounds, pro-level tips, and even how text highlighting works in Canva videos.
If you’re a freelancer, student, digital creator, or anyone using Canva for personal or professional projects, this article is designed to save you hours of trial-and-error. Let’s make your words pop.
What Is Text Highlighting in Canva & Why It Matters in 2025?
In simple terms, text highlighting in Canva means adding a background effect, color block, or animation behind your text to make it stand out. Unlike Google Docs or HTML, Canva doesn’t offer a one-click highlighter. Instead, you have to get creative using shapes, effects, or pre-built templates.
Why It Matters in 2025
- Visual storytelling is booming. Social posts, YouTube thumbnails, and Instagram Reels all rely on text that grabs attention fast.
- Canva users are more design-savvy than ever. If your text doesn’t pop, your design won’t either.
- New AI features like Magic Design and AI Text Effects mean better tools, but the basics—like highlighting—still need manual control.
Over the years, I’ve used Canva for everything from client presentations to social content, and I still find myself coming back to a few reliable tricks for text highlighting.
Pros and Cons (Real Talk)
Pros:
- Makes important text more readable and scannable
- Adds visual structure and hierarchy
- Easy to do once you learn the steps
- Works across mobile and desktop
Cons:
- No dedicated “highlight” tool
- Can be tricky to align background shapes precisely
- Time-consuming if you’re working with lots of text
Best for: Marketers, freelancers, content creators, teachers, students, and anyone creating visual content that needs fast attention.
Avoid if: You’re only looking for plain-text documents. In that case, use Google Docs or a word processor instead.
How to Highlight Text in Canva: Step-by-Step Guide
Let’s break this into beginner-friendly steps for desktop and mobile.
Method 1 – Add a Rectangle Behind Your Text
- Add your text using the “Text” tool.
- Click Elements > Shapes > Square or Rectangle.
- Drag the shape behind your text and resize it.
- Adjust the shape color (e.g., yellow, pink, or on-brand highlight).
- Reduce transparency if needed for a subtle effect.
✅ Tip: Lock the background shape once positioned to avoid accidental movement.
Method 2 – Use Text Background Effect (Beta or Pro-Only)
- Select your text box.
- Click on Effects > Background.
- Choose your padding, roundness, and background color.
- Fine-tune spacing using letter spacing and line height.
✅ This method is faster and more consistent but may be limited on the free plan.
Method 3 – Highlight with Text Animation
- Select your text.
- Go to Animate > Text Animations.
- Use options like “Background,” “Rise,” or “Burst.”
- Preview and adjust timing for videos or reels.
✅ Great for Canva video, Instagram Stories, and TikTok content.
Method 4 – On Canva Mobile (iPhone & Android)
- Add text via the Text button.
- Tap Elements > Shapes and insert a square.
- Resize it and place behind your text.
- Use Position > Backward to layer it correctly.
- Change shape color as your highlight.
✅ This works in both the Canva app on Android and iPhone.
Pricing, Plans & Alternatives
Canva offers a free plan, but to unlock features like Magic Write, AI text effects, and background removal, you’ll need Canva Pro.
| Plan | Highlight Features | Cost (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Manual shape method only | $0 |
| Canva Pro | Background text effect | ~$12.99 |
| Canva for Teams | Same as Pro + Collab Tools | Varies |
Alternatives:
- Figma: Great for UI design, but overkill for quick social graphics
- Adobe Express: Text effects available, but interface less intuitive
- Google Slides/Docs: Native highlight, but limited design flexibility
Expert Tips from My Own Use
- Use Canva brand kits to make highlight colors match your identity.
- Lock your background shapes after aligning—this prevents misalignment during edits.
- Duplicate highlight styles by grouping and copying across pages.
- Use transparency for softer highlights. I often set opacity to 75% for subtle impact.
- For video, use “Highlight” animation only on key phrases. Keeps viewer focus.
What’s New in 2025?
Canva has rolled out several updates relevant to text highlighting:
- AI-Powered Layout Suggestions now offer text emphasis options
- Magic Design auto-generates highlighted text when prompted
- Mobile app UI updated, making shape layering smoother
- Team templates now support pre-designed highlight styles
For 2025, highlighting isn’t just about color—it’s about contrast, timing (for video), and accessibility. Make sure your highlights help your audience read better, not just look prettier.
FAQs: Highlighting Text in Canva (2025 Edition)
Q1: Can I highlight text in Canva for free?
Yes, but only with manual methods like placing a shape behind the text. Free users don’t get access to the background effect or animation options available in Canva Pro.
Q2: Does Canva have a built-in highlight text tool?
Not exactly. While Canva doesn’t have a dedicated highlight button, you can simulate it using shapes, text effects, or animation.
Q3: How do I highlight text in Canva on mobile?
Use the Canva app on iPhone or Android, insert a shape behind your text, and adjust layering via the Position option.
Q4: Is Canva better than Google Docs for highlighting?
If your goal is design, Canva wins. For quick document markup, Google Docs is faster because it has a built-in highlighter.
Q5: Can I use highlight text animations in Canva videos?
Absolutely. Just select your text, go to Animate > Text Effects, and pick an option like “Background” to add dynamic highlights.
Q6: Can I highlight only part of a word or sentence in Canva?
No, Canva currently applies effects to entire text boxes—not individual letters or words.
If you want to highlight just part of a sentence, you’ll need to break the text into separate boxes and apply different effects or background shapes manually.
This takes a few extra steps but gives you precise control. I personally use this technique when I want just one word to pop in a longer sentence—especially for thumbnails or quotes.
Q7: What’s the easiest way to highlight multiple text blocks in Canva?
The best way is to group your text and shape together, then copy and paste the grouped block across your design.
You can also use Canva’s “Duplicate” function for speed. On mobile, use the “+” icon > Duplicate Group.
I often save a pre-highlighted text block in a Brand Template for reusability across projects.
Q8: Why is my highlight not aligning properly in Canva?
This usually happens when shapes and text aren’t grouped or layered correctly.
Make sure to use Position > Send to Back for your shape, and Group it with the text once aligned. Also, enable Snap to Grid for better precision on desktop.
Tip: Lock the shape after placing it so it doesn’t shift accidentally during edits.
Q9: Is there a way to automate highlighting with Canva AI?
Partially. Canva’s Magic Design and AI Text Generator tools suggest layout and style options, and sometimes include highlighted text. But they’re not fully customizable yet.
For now, you’ll get the best results by manually applying highlights—but you can speed things up using templates or saved components in your Brand Hub.
Conclusion
If you’ve made it this far, you now know exactly how to highlight text in Canva using multiple methods—manual shapes, effects, animation, and mobile tweaks. While Canva doesn’t offer a one-click highlighter yet, the workarounds are surprisingly powerful when used right.
Try it out in your next post or reel, and you’ll see what a difference a simple text highlight can make.