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How to Use The Built-In Whiteboard in Zoom Meetings

Zoom’s built-in whiteboard feature allows meeting hosts and participants to collaborate in real-time by drawing, writing, and annotating on a shared digital canvas. As a professional working remotely, mastering Zoom’s whiteboard can greatly enhance online meetings, teaching sessions, brainstorming sessions, and more.

Enabling the Whiteboard Feature

Before you can use Zoom’s whiteboard, you need to make sure the feature is enabled:

  • If you’re the account admin, sign into the Zoom web portal and go to Account Management > Account Settings. Under the Meeting tab, find Whiteboard and enable it.
  • If you’re not the account admin, ask them to enable Whiteboard for your account.
  • Update your Zoom desktop client to the latest version (5.10.3+) to access the new whiteboard features.

Starting a Whiteboard from a Meeting

Once Whiteboard is enabled, starting a session is simple:

  • Start or join a Zoom Meeting as usual from your desktop client or mobile app.
  • Click on the “Share Screen” button and select “Whiteboard”.
  • A blank whiteboard will appear that all participants can now draw on.

Pro Tip: Give all participants annotation privileges so anyone can use the tools, not just the host.

Using Whiteboard Tools and Features

Zoom’s whiteboard offers a variety of tools to annotate, draw, write, and collaborate:

Text Tool

  • Add text boxes for titles, labels, comments, etc.
  • Change font, size, color.
  • Bold, italicize, underline.

Draw Tool

  • Freehand drawing.
  • Lines, arrows, shapes.
  • Change color and line width.

Stamps

  • Quick icons like stars, ticks, hearts, etc.

Spotlight

  • Focus attention on parts of the whiteboard.

Undo/Redo

  • Fix mistakes or revert changes.

Clear

  • Clear all annotations or just your own.

Insert Images

  • Add images from your computer for annotations.

Multiple Pages

  • Add more pages to extend your canvas.

Save

  • Save your whiteboard anytime as a PDF.

Collaborating Across Devices

A major advantage of Zoom’s whiteboard over traditional physical whiteboards is that multiple people can collaborate from their own devices, whether together in-person or spread out remotely:

  • In Meeting: Annotate directly on the shared whiteboard.
  • Across Devices: Join from a second computer or mobile device to add drawings and notes.
  • Zoom Rooms: Use the touch display for an interactive experience.

This flexibility supercharges your ability to visualize ideas together as a team.

Using Whiteboards Outside of Meetings

Zoom whiteboards are persistent, meaning you can start a whiteboard anytime without needing to be in a live meeting.

To start a new whiteboard:

  • Open the Zoom desktop client and click “Whiteboards” on the top menu.
  • Click the “+” icon to create a new board.
  • Share the link with others to collaborate asynchronously.

Storing whiteboards on Zoom’s cloud allows you to pick up where you left off without losing work.

Best Practices for Using Zoom Whiteboards

Follow these tips and tricks to get the most out of Zoom’s whiteboard feature:

Prepare in Advance

Set up relevant templates, images, and documents before your session starts so you can dive right into active brainstorming and collaboration.

Designate a Facilitator

Appoint someone to guide the discussion so your session stays focused and on track.

Use as a Visual Aid

Explain concepts visually by drawing diagrams, graphs, and sketches as you speak.

Break into Small Groups

Create separate whiteboards for breakout rooms to encourage more participation.

Save Your Work

Export the final whiteboards as PDFs and share with stakeholders after your meeting.

Practice Active Listening

Pay full attention to understand different perspectives and ideas.

Conclusion

Zoom’s built-in whiteboard provides teams with an intuitive yet powerful visual collaboration toolkit right inside Zoom meetings. With options to annotate, draw, and work together across multiple devices, Zoom’s whiteboard feature supercharges engagement, creativity, and understanding amongst meeting participants. Follow the best practices outlined here to maximize the impact of your next online whiteboarding session.

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