How to Use Whiteboards in Microsoft Teams

There are many ways Microsoft Teams can help your team or company work more efficiently. You can use channels for quick file-sharing and chat, and you can also hold online meetings.

But when you need to emphasize something visually, you can use Microsoft Whiteboard. You don’t have to install it; it’s readily available in Teams when you start a meeting.

But how do you use the Whiteboard and how to make the most of it? In this article, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about Whiteboard in Teams.

Microsoft Whiteboard in Teams

Microsoft Whiteboard is a fantastic tool that gives you an endless digital canvas where you can create and store your ideas.

The Whiteboard app is available in Microsoft Store and the App Store, and it comes with a plethora of features. There’s also the web version, which is also a part of Microsoft Teams. In Teams, you can use the Whiteboard to sketch, write, and share anything you want.

So, how do you get started with Whiteboard in a meeting? You can easily share it with all the participants in a meeting. It doesn’t matter which platform the participants use, and it will be available on mobile devices, Windows app, and on the web.

However, not everyone can start a new Whiteboard. This feature is only available on Windows 10, macOS, and the web. Microsoft Teams Android and iOS apps still don’t have this option.

How to Share a Whiteboard in Teams

Here’s how you start a Whiteboard in Teams:

1. When you join a Teams Meeting, select the “Share” button (from the share section of the meeting).
2. Select “Microsoft Whiteboard” from the “Whiteboard” panel.
   

You can use Microsoft Whiteboard any time you want, not just during the Teams meeting. When you’re first scheduling a meeting, you can activate the Whiteboard option and perhaps try out some sketches before the meeting. You can even use it after the meeting.

Sometimes during a meeting, you might need a visual aid. You can get stuck with the verbal explanation, and it’s good to have the option to draw what you wanted to say.

That’s why the Teams app has a very accessible way of sharing the Whiteboard during the meeting. All you have to do is open the Share-tray in your meeting window and click on the Whiteboard. Now every participant will see it.

Every invited participant can open the Whiteboard at any time. Also, everyone can add to the same Whiteboard, and it’s an entirely collaborative tool.

You can even export the image you’ve created on the Whiteboard later in SVG format. And you can also create a link to share it with people who weren’t in the meeting. That can be useful for people who have attended the meeting as well.

That’s because even when you record the meeting, the Whiteboard won’t show in the recording. Microsoft is still working on this feature.

Whiteboard Teams Tools

Compared to the Microsoft Whiteboard app, the web version has quite limited features. It has a small selection of pens and erasers. Still, that can be plenty compared to an actual physical whiteboard.

The Whiteboard app also supports text, undo/redo feature, ruler, highlighter, and many others. However, one of the most amazing things about the Whiteboard is that it’s infinite.

You also have the mandatory zoom feature when you need to bring closer the details of your sketch.

When in Doubt Put It on the Whiteboard

Many people use visual tools to help with the thinking process or to convey a message more concisely. When you’re in a large conference call, things can get noisy and messy. That’s why spelling something out or drawing it on a whiteboard can make all the difference. All you need is a pen, an eraser, and an endless digital whiteboard.

Have you ever used the Whiteboard in a Teams Meeting? Do you know some other features we omitted? Let us know in the comments section below.