How to Use Zoom Whiteboard in a Meeting

Zoom Whiteboard is a shared digital canvas built into Zoom. Everyone in a meeting can draw, type, add sticky notes, place shapes and start from templates. It is used for brainstorming, explaining a process during a lesson, sketching a diagram, or running a retrospective. The current version saves boards to your Zoom account, so you can open them again after the call. Some app versions or accounts still offer an older classic whiteboard through screen sharing, and it behaves differently. Both are covered below.

Before you start

• Use the Zoom desktop or mobile app, signed in with your Zoom account. A laptop or desktop gives you the full toolbar and the easiest navigation.
• Update the app to a recent version. The location of the whiteboard button and the available tools have changed between releases, and older clients may only offer the classic whiteboard or view-only access.
• Check that whiteboards are enabled for your account. On company or school accounts, an administrator controls this setting, and the meeting host can limit who may share.
• Know where your content goes. The current whiteboard is a cloud feature tied to your Zoom account, not a local file. Before you put sensitive information on a board, check your organization's rules on storage, retention and sharing.
• A mouse or trackpad works fine. A touchscreen or pen tablet makes handwriting and freehand drawing easier.

Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Start or join the meeting in the Zoom app.
• 2. Find the Whiteboards button in the meeting controls. If the window is narrow, it may be hidden under More.
• 3. Create a new board, or open one you saved earlier. If templates are offered, you can pick one or start blank.
• 4. Share the board with the meeting. Review the access options: depending on your version and settings, you can allow participants to edit or limit them to viewing.
• 5. Work on the board with the toolbar tools described below. Participants with edit access can add content at the same time.
• 6. When you are finished, stop sharing or close the board. The current whiteboard keeps the board in your account, so stopping the share does not delete it.

Classic whiteboard: if your version still offers it, open Share Screen and select Whiteboard instead of a window or screen. It uses the annotation tools, such as pen, text, shapes and eraser. Its content is not saved automatically, so use its save option before you stop sharing if you need a copy.

Whiteboard toolbar and tools

The toolbar usually sits along the edge of the canvas. Typical tools are select, pen or drawing, text, sticky notes, shapes, lines or connectors, eraser, comments and templates. The exact set and order depend on your version, so hover over an icon to see its name. Undo and redo are available if a stroke or object goes wrong. After you select an object, a small menu usually appears with color, size and arrangement options.

Navigating the canvas and using shortcuts on a laptop

The board is larger than your screen, so you move around it instead of turning pages. On a laptop, trackpad scrolling and pinch gestures generally pan and zoom the view. On-screen zoom controls are also available if gestures feel imprecise. Standard editing shortcuts such as copy, paste and undo follow your operating system's conventions. For whiteboard-specific shortcuts, look for a keyboard shortcuts or help entry inside the whiteboard, because the list can change between versions.

Check the output

• Ask a participant to confirm they can see the board. If they should be editing, ask them to add a sticky note to confirm their access.
• After the meeting, open the Whiteboards section of the Zoom app with the same account and confirm the board is listed with its latest changes.
• If you need a copy outside Zoom, look for an export or download option in the board's menu. Available formats depend on your version and account, so check the exported file before sharing it.
• Zoom out to check the full board for legibility. Small handwriting or thin lines can be hard to read in an exported image or on a participant's smaller screen.
• If you used the classic whiteboard, open the saved file to confirm it contains every page you need.

Common problems and next steps

The Whiteboards button is missing: update the app, confirm you are signed in, and check the More menu. If it is still absent, the feature may be disabled for your account or limited by the host's sharing settings. Ask the host or your administrator. Browser-based meeting clients may also offer fewer whiteboard functions than the desktop app.

Participants can see the board but cannot edit: change the access option to allow editing, and ask them to update and sign in to their Zoom app. Older or signed-out clients may be limited to viewing.

You cannot find a board after the meeting: boards are stored with the account that created them, so check the Whiteboards section of that account or ask the owner to share it. Classic whiteboard content that was never saved is not recoverable from Zoom.

Lost on the canvas or drawing feels laggy: use the zoom controls or a fit-to-screen option to see all content again. Slow updates usually point to an unstable network connection or a very busy board, so closing other bandwidth-heavy apps can help.

Tips for smoother sessions: start from a template for recurring activities, give each participant a sticky note color, and use comments for feedback instead of drawing over other people's work.