How to Use Zoom Whiteboard: A Step-by-Step Guide

Updated 14 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Zoom Whiteboard turns your screen into a shared, infinite canvas where you and your meeting participants can draw, type, add sticky notes, and collaborate in real time. This guide walks you through opening the whiteboard, using its main tools, and getting the most out of it during a meeting or on your own. You don’t need any special hardware—just a computer, tablet, or phone with the Zoom app installed.

What You’ll Need

A Zoom account (free or paid) and the Zoom desktop client or mobile app.
For real-time collaboration, an internet connection stable enough for video calls.
Optional: A stylus or touchscreen device for easier drawing and handwriting.

Step-by-Step

Start or join a Zoom meeting. Open the Zoom app and either start an instant meeting or join one you’ve scheduled. You can also access the whiteboard outside a meeting from the Zoom web portal or desktop app home screen.
Open the Whiteboard. In a meeting, look for the Share Screen button (green square with an arrow) on the meeting toolbar. Click it, then select Whiteboard from the list of sharing options. If you’re on the Zoom desktop app home screen, click the Whiteboard tab on the left sidebar to create a new board.
Familiarize yourself with the toolbar. Once the whiteboard opens, a vertical toolbar appears on the left (or bottom on mobile). It includes tools like Select, Text, Draw, Shapes, Sticky Note, Stamp, Eraser, and Clear. Hover over each icon to see its name and shortcut.
Add text. Click the Text tool (T icon), then click anywhere on the canvas and start typing. You can change the font size, color, and style using the formatting bar that appears at the top.
Draw or write. Select the Draw tool (pen icon). Choose a color and line thickness from the options that appear. Then drag your mouse or finger (on touchscreens) to draw freehand. Hold Shift while dragging to draw straight lines.
Insert shapes. Click the Shapes tool (square icon) and pick a rectangle, ellipse, arrow, or line. Drag on the canvas to place it. Use the selection tool to move or resize shapes after placing them.
Add sticky notes. Click the Sticky Note icon (square with a folded corner). Choose a color, click on the canvas, and type your note. These are great for brainstorming or grouping ideas.
Use stamps. The Stamp tool lets you add pre-made icons like stars, checkmarks, or smileys. Click it, pick a stamp, and click on the canvas to place it.
Edit and erase. Use the Select tool (arrow icon) to click on any element—text, shape, or note—to move, resize, or delete it. The Eraser tool removes freehand drawings; click and drag over the lines you want to erase.
Collaborate in real time. When you share the whiteboard in a meeting, participants can see it and, if you allow them, edit it. By default, participants can annotate. To control this, click the Share Screen button again, choose More (ellipsis), and adjust the annotation permissions under Annotation Settings.
Navigate the infinite canvas. The whiteboard is not limited to one screen. Use the scroll bars or the hand tool (click and drag with the middle mouse button or use the spacebar + drag) to pan around. Zoom in/out with the +/− buttons or Ctrl+scroll (Cmd+scroll on Mac).
Save your work. When you’re done, click the Save button (floppy disk icon) in the whiteboard toolbar. It saves as a PDF or image to your computer. You can also take a screenshot of the board. In the desktop app, the whiteboard is automatically saved to your Zoom account under the Whiteboard tab.
Stop sharing. To exit the whiteboard, click the red Stop Share button at the top of the meeting window. Your whiteboard content remains saved.

Common Mistakes

Not allowing participants to edit. If you share your screen but forget to enable annotation, others can only view. Check the annotation settings in the share options.
Drawing with the wrong tool. Using the draw tool when you meant to add text can lead to messy handwriting. Switch to the text tool for clean labels.
Losing track of content on a large canvas. It’s easy to scroll far away from your main content. Use the Fit to Window button (or Ctrl+0) to zoom out and see the whole board.
Forgetting to save. If you close the whiteboard without saving, you might lose your work. Always hit Save before stopping share.
Overlapping sticky notes. When many people add notes at once, they can pile up. Use the selection tool to organize them into sections.

Tips

Use keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+D (draw), Ctrl+T (text), Ctrl+E (eraser), Ctrl+S (save). On Mac, use Cmd instead of Ctrl.
For precise drawings, enable the Snap to Grid option (found in the whiteboard settings) to align shapes and text.
Use different colors to distinguish ideas or categories. Create a legend on the board.
If you have a touchscreen, use your finger or a stylus for natural handwriting. On a non-touch laptop, a mouse works fine for basic shapes.
To keep the whiteboard from getting cluttered, use sticky notes for short ideas and text boxes for longer explanations.
You can also open a whiteboard from the Zoom web portal (zoom.us) under Whiteboard to prepare content before a meeting.

Troubleshooting

Whiteboard button not visible in meeting? Make sure you’re using a recent version of Zoom. If you’re on a mobile device, the whiteboard option is under the Share menu. If you still can’t find it, the host may have restricted screen sharing. Ask the host to enable it.
Participants can’t edit the whiteboard. As the host, go to the Share Screen settings and ensure Annotation is turned on. Also check that you haven’t set the whiteboard to view-only.
Whiteboard is laggy or freezing. This is usually due to a poor internet connection. Close other bandwidth-heavy apps, or ask participants to turn off their video. Lowering the screen resolution can also help.
Can’t save the whiteboard. If the save button doesn’t work, try taking a screenshot instead. On Windows, use Win+Shift+S; on Mac, Cmd+Shift+4. You can also use the Export option if available.
Accidentally erased something. Use Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z on Mac) to undo your last action. This works for most whiteboard edits.
Whiteboard not syncing across devices. Make sure you’re logged into the same Zoom account on all devices. The whiteboard saves to the cloud, but syncing can take a few seconds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Zoom Whiteboard without a meeting?

Yes. Open the Zoom desktop app, click the Whiteboard tab in the left sidebar, and create a new board. You can work on it alone and share it later.

How do I let others edit my whiteboard?

When sharing your screen, click Share Screen → Whiteboard. Then, in the meeting controls, click More (ellipsis) → Annotation Settings and enable annotation for all participants. They can then draw and type on the board.

Can I save the whiteboard as a PDF?

Yes. Click the Save icon (floppy disk) in the whiteboard toolbar and choose Export as PDF or Save as Image. The PDF option is available on desktop.

Does Zoom Whiteboard work on mobile phones?

Yes. In the Zoom mobile app, start a meeting, tap Share (the green button), then choose Whiteboard. The tools are simplified but functional.

How do I delete a whiteboard I created?

In the Zoom web portal, go to Whiteboard in the left menu, find the board you want to delete, hover over it, and click the trash icon. Be careful—deletion is permanent.

Is there a limit to how many people can collaborate on a whiteboard?

Zoom doesn’t specify a hard limit for whiteboard collaboration, but performance may degrade with very large groups. In practice, up to a few dozen participants can annotate simultaneously without major issues.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.