How to Type Text on Microsoft Teams Whiteboard

Microsoft Whiteboard in Teams lets you add typed text next to ink, sticky notes and shapes. This guide shows how to open a whiteboard, place a text box, edit it, and confirm that other participants can see it.

Before you start

Whiteboard in Teams is an online service, not a local drawing tool. Content syncs through your Microsoft 365 account, so you need a network connection and an account that your organization allows to use Whiteboard. Do not assume where the board is stored or who can open it later. Check your organization's storage and sharing settings before you add sensitive information.

• Teams desktop or web app, signed in with a work or school account.
• A meeting where whiteboard sharing is available, or a chat or channel where you can add a whiteboard.
• Edit access. Meeting settings or organization policies may limit who can edit, and guests or external participants may only be able to view.
• A physical keyboard or an on-screen keyboard on touch devices.

Button names and toolbar layouts differ between Teams versions, and between the in-meeting board and the standalone Whiteboard app. The steps below describe the general process. If a label does not match what you see, look for the equivalent control.

Step-by-step instructions

Open a whiteboard

During a meeting, open the share content panel and choose Microsoft Whiteboard. Then create a new board or pick an existing one. Outside a meeting, you can add a whiteboard as a tab in a chat or channel, if your organization allows it. Opening the same board in the Whiteboard app or in a browser usually gives you the full toolbar.

Add a text box

• Open the create or add panel on the whiteboard toolbar. It is often shown as a plus sign or labeled Create.
• Choose Text.
• Click or tap where you want the text on the canvas. A text box with a cursor appears.
• Type your text. Press Enter to start a new line inside the same box.
• Click an empty area of the canvas to finish editing.

A sticky note also holds typed text, inside a colored card. Use a text box for headings and free-standing labels, and a sticky note for short items that people will rearrange or group.

Edit, format and move text

To change existing text, select the box and click inside it again to return to editing. While the box is selected, a small contextual menu usually appears. Depending on your version, it may let you change text color or size, or delete the box. Drag the box to move it, and use its handles to resize it. Undo (Ctrl+Z on Windows, Command+Z on Mac) usually reverses an accidental change.

The pen tool creates ink, not typed text. If you wrote something by hand and need it to be editable, retype it in a text box and delete the ink.

Check the output

• Click away from the box and confirm that the text stays visible. Empty boxes can be left behind if you click the canvas without typing.
• Ask a participant to confirm they can see the text, or open the same board on another device. Changes sync over the network, so a short delay is possible.
• Zoom out to the view others are likely to use. Small text can be hard to read on shared screens or low-resolution displays, so increase the text size instead of asking people to zoom.
• After a meeting, find out where the board can be reopened, for example from the meeting chat or the Whiteboard app. Check who has access before you share it further.

If your version can export the board as an image, the text becomes part of that image and is no longer editable. Keep the original board if you may need to change the text later.

Common problems and next steps

There is no text option on the toolbar

You may have view-only access, or you may be using a limited view, such as some mobile layouts. Check whether the board shows that it is view-only, and ask the meeting organizer or presenter to allow editing. Opening the board in the Whiteboard app or in a browser can also show tools that the meeting view hides.

Clicking the canvas draws instead of adding text

A pen or other inking tool is still active. Select the Text tool again before clicking the canvas, or switch to the selection tool to work with existing boxes.

Typing does not appear in the box

Click inside the box until a blinking cursor appears, then type. If keystrokes still go somewhere else, another window or Teams control may have keyboard focus. Click the board once and try again.

Others cannot see the text

Make sure everyone has the same board open, because a meeting or chat can contain more than one. If the text still does not show up, reload the board and check that each device has a working connection.

Guests or external participants cannot type

Your organization's settings may give guests or external participants view-only access. Only a Microsoft 365 administrator can confirm or change this. Until then, a participant with edit access can type the text for them.

If none of these fixes work, ask your Microsoft 365 administrator whether Whiteboard and its sharing options are enabled for your account.