How to Use the Whiteboard in Zoom

Regardless of how big or small, most companies depend on technology to make everything run as smoothly as possible. Many services, like the video conferencing platform, Zoom, help facilitate the process.

How to Use the Whiteboard in Zoom

However, Zoom does so much more than simply making work meetings more efficient; it’s also an excellent tool for online learning. Many universities use Zoom, and it’s the best way to organize a webinar of any kind. This benefit is due (in no small measure) to the Whiteboard feature. But what is a Zoom Whiteboard, and how exactly do you use it? This article shows you what you can do with a Zoom whiteboard and how to use it.

How to Access the Zoom Whiteboard

One of the best things about Zoom is how easy it is to share your screen with all attendees or participants. One of the things you can share is the Whiteboard. It’s the same as a traditional whiteboard found in any classroom or conference hall; only it’s virtual.

If during your meeting, you need to write or draw something on the Whiteboard, all you need to do is:

  1. Select “Share Screen” on the Zoom control panel.
  2. You will see the Basic, Advanced, and Files tab. Select the “Basic” tab.
  3. Click on the “Whiteboard” window and choose “Share.”
  4. When you’re done, click on “Stop Sharing.”

When you open the Whiteboard, you’ll see the annotation tools immediately. You can hide them or reveal them again if you press the Whiteboard option on the Zoom meeting controls. You’ll also see the page controls in the right bottom corner of the screen. These options mean you can create new pages and switch between existing ones.

Zoom Use Whiteboard

And here’s the thing, if you have the dual monitors feature enabled, you can have more than one screen sharing Whiteboard simultaneously. So, as in many conference halls and classrooms, there are two Whiteboards side by side. The Basic sharing feature includes the Whiteboard, but you can also share PowerPoint presentations or your desktop screen.

Whiteboard Annotation Tools

You can use the annotation tools when you share a screen like Whiteboard with other Zoom room participants. Note that if you’re the host, you can disable this feature. Annotation tools include inserting text, drawings, notes, select, stamp, spotlight, arrow, clear, and other valuable features. You can also change the color of the Whiteboard.

Furthermore, you can use “Save,” which means you’ll get a screenshot of a current Whiteboard screen, which gets downloaded to the designated location. But it’s essential to keep in mind that you must enable them in the Zoom web portal before using the annotations.

Enabling the Zoom Web Portal

  1. Go to the Zoom web portal and log into your account.
  2. Select “Settings” and then “In Meeting (Basic).”
  3. Verify that “Annotations” are “enabled” under “Meeting”.

Now you’re free to start a Whiteboard session with all the annotation tools at your disposal.

Pro Tip: You can use the Smart Recognition Drawing feature on the Zoom Whiteboard. Draw a circle, for example, and Zoom will recognize the shape and smooth out the lines.

How to Use Whiteboard

Advanced Sharing Features

Whiteboard is one of the most popular sharing screen features in Zoom. But several other sharing options are hiding under the “Advanced” tab when you click on the “Share Screen” icon on the Zoom meeting panel. Here’s what else you can share with Zoom.

Portion of Screen

It does what it says. It lets you share only a portion of your screen on Zoom. When you select this option, you’ll see a rectangle that you can then move around. In turn, you can precisely shape and stretch to choose how much of your screen you want other participants to see. This feature is handy when you’re in a hurry and not particularly keen on decluttering your desktop.

Computer Sound Only

There is another convenient feature known a “Computer sound only.” Sometimes there’s no need to share a video at all, as an audio clip will suffice. By selecting this option, you get to transmit audio from your computer while leaving out the visible part.

Use Whiteboard

Content from 2nd Camera

If you have an integrated webcam on your laptop, it can be tricky to manage the video. That’s why Zoom lets you effortlessly switch from one camera to another. So, apart from an integrated webcam, you can have other cameras displaying the image you want without having to move around the laptop.

zoom

Make the Most of the Zoom Whiteboard

There’s nothing quite like a blank canvas. It’s full of possibilities. And when someone shares their Whiteboard, they’re ready to help you visualize things better. Maybe it’s some math in a classroom, or perhaps how to draw the best comic book, or a hand-drawn graph you thought up in a moment of inspiration.

It’s good to have the Zoom Whiteboard when you need it. If you have the dual monitor system, you can have two Whiteboards, and things can be doubly interesting. Have you ever used the Whiteboard feature in Zoom?

15 thoughts on “How to Use the Whiteboard in Zoom”

Martha A. Kent says:
How do I make a graph with x and y lines on a whiteboard?
Oswaldo Monagas says:
Would you include here information about available (or not available) features of copy and paste?
(for text, images, etc.)
Jennifer says:
I wanted to share some photos during a meeting. Is there a way to post those on the whiteboard? Or is whiteboard only for things you write or draw?
laura4n6rn says:
why is the text function so large
Laura4n6rn says:
how can I make the text on the white board smaller
Giselle says:
To edit text already written, I’ve found you have to click Select > click the text box you want to alter > double-click on it. That will give you access to the text already written. Then you can change it. You can also copy and paste text from an external document. Copy your text (Ctrl + C) > on whiteboard, click Text > paste your text (Ctrl + V). I haven’t found any way to copy and paste images.
Monaliza says:
Thank you Giselle. It worked for me however, pasting should be done through pressing the short cut key (Ctrl + V) as it doesn’t work if you are pasting using a mouse.
Joanne says:
Yes. Please give whiteboard the capability to edit text already written. I am a teacher using Zoom for distance learning and being able to edit would be very helpful.
Annie Van Overberghe says:
can all participants write on the same whiteboard ?
Nicole Hsu says:
I have a Chromebook, but it doesn’t seem that Zoom whiteboard or annotation tools are an option for my device. Am I wrong and just blind? Are the buttons somewhere that I just haven’t found? Please help–I can’t find an answer anywhere on the Internet. It seems Zoom just does not want Chromebook users to enjoy these functions. So sad 🙁
Bill says:
yes, I’ve found that when I use zoom whiteboard with my student who is using a chromebook… my student is unable to write on the whiteboard at all… I’m thinking that it’s just chromebooks that are not able to write or annotate on the whiteboard… I know it’s sad like you said…. so therefore I am going to use another online whiteboard called Ziteboard… during my zoom call with my student who has the chromebook… I this ziteboard will work great! hope this helps!
Alison Gonzalez says:
Is there a way to have a dark background instead of white? That would be really helpful to reduce eye strain.
ROHIT KUMAR says:
Whiteboard not working error 0 displayed every time
Alan says:
A Dark Background for the Whiteboard (like we have in zoom room screens) would be a big difference maker for those of us who spend so much time using the zoom whiteboard.
Oliver says:
Whiteboard is promising, but still in a very early stage as some basic features seem to be missing, for example:

– Re-editing text. Text written once seems not editable any more.
– Changing font size and color of existing text elements
– Copy/Pasting elements
– Deleting elements via DEL keystoke (without using the rubber)

Please improve this bc. whiteboard could indeed be a very valuable resource!

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