Zoom: Whiteboard and Annotation Tools

The whiteboard tool in Zoom allows you to share a whiteboard that you and other participants can annotate on. This page summarizes the steps for effectively using the whiteboard and annotation features during Zoom meetings.

Whiteboard

Zoom has a feature which allows the host and participants to annotate on a virtual whiteboard. To start using this feature, follow the steps below:

  1. Click the Share button in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom window.

    Screenshot of Zoom controls on bottom of main screen

  2. Click Whiteboard.

    Whiteboard icon located on the main page if no one is screen sharing or sharing video

  3. Click Share.

  4. Click the Whiteboard option in the meeting controls to show and hide the annotation tools.

    Screenshot of Zoom controls on bottom of main screen with whiteboard option highlighted

  5. Use the page controls in the bottom-right corner to create new pages and switch between pages.

    Screenshot of page controls at bottom right of whiteboard

  6. Click the red Stop Share button (just below the floating meeting controls) when you are done.

Screenshot of Zoom controls during screen share

To learn more about Zoom's whiteboard feature, visit the Sharing a Classic Whiteboard page at Zoom Support.

Annotation

You can annotate in Zoom on both a shared screen and a whiteboard. Annotation tools should display automatically, but if you don’t see them, click Annotate (if you are sharing your screen) or Whiteboard (if you are sharing a whiteboard). The image below shows what will appear if you are sharing a whiteboard.

Screenshot of Zoom controls on bottom of main screen

Participants who want to annotate should click View Options > Annotate at the top of the Zoom window.

Screenshot of view options menu where annotation tools are located

You will see Annotation Tools in a toolbar:

Screenshot of Zoom Annotation Tools

SelectSpotlight, and Save are only available if you are the person who started the screen share or whiteboard. The available annotation tools are as follows:

  • Select: Select, move, or resize your annotations
  • Text: Insert text
  • Draw: Insert lines, arrows, and shapes
  • Stamp: Insert predefined icons, like a check mark or a star
  • Spotlight: Turn your cursor into a spotlight
  • Eraser: Click and drag to erase parts of your annotation
  • Format: Change the formatting options of annotation tools like color, line width, and font
  • Undo
  • Redo
  • Clear
  • Save: If you started the shared screen/whiteboard, you can save all annotations on the screen as a screenshot. This is saved to the local recording location.

Annotation Settings

If you’re sharing your screen or a whiteboard, click More in the controls for these settings. These settings include:

  1. Enable/Disable Attendee Annotation: Allow or prevent the participants from annotating on your shared screen
  2. Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants’ name when they are annotating

Screenshot of "More" dropdown menu with "Disable Attendee Annotation" option highlighted

Annotation Shortcuts

Windows:

  • Undo: Ctrl + Z
  • Redo: Ctrl + Y
  • Mouse Mode: right-click anywhere

Mac:

  • Undo: Command + Z
  • Redo: Command + Shift + Z
  • Mouse Mode: right-click anywhere

For more information on using Zoom annotation tools, visit the Using annotation tools for collaboration page at Zoom Support.



Keywords:
Zoom, "Zoom tools", whiteboard, instruction, accessibility, annotation, collaboration
Doc ID:
124856
Owned by:
iSchool U. in School of Information Sciences
Created:
2023-03-15
Updated:
2024-07-03
Sites:
University of Illinois School of Information Sciences