Using the Zoom Whiteboard

Zoom provides it’s own Whiteboard tool. It’s very easy to find and use. Here are instructions on using it.

Directions

  1. Zoom comes with a built in whiteboard. To access it, use the Share Screen button at the bottom of the Zoom screen.
Zoom screen with arrow pointing to Share Screen button.
  1. A screen will pop up that shows all of the screens on your computer (I have three screens on my computer). It will also show any programs you have open. To access the Whiteboard, you just need to find that option and click it and choose the Share button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
This image depicts the available screens and programs available to share in Zoom. Click the Whiteboard button and then click the share button.
  1. When the Whiteboard opens, you will see the main Zoom toolbar at the top of the screen and the Whiteboard toolbar appears underneath. In the lower right corner, there’s a page control button, which allows you to add more whiteboard screens to your session, and you can move back and forth through them. This way, you don’t have to erase anything during a session!
  1. Let’s meet the tools!
This is the toolbar for the whiteboard.
  • Select: Select, move, or resize your annotations. To select several annotations at once, click and drag your mouse to display a selection area.
  • Text: Insert text.
  • Draw: Insert lines, arrows, and shapes. To highlight an area of the shared screen or whiteboard, select the highlighted square or circle icon to create a semi-transparent square or circle. This semi-transparent tool can function as a highlighter tool if you change the color to yellow under Format.
There are many options in the Whiteboard drawing tools. the two that are highlighted allow you to create semi-transparent square or circle.
  • Stamp: Insert predefined icons like a check mark or star.
  • Spotlight / Arrow: Click on the Spotlight button to see the two options for turning your cursor into a spotlight or an arrow.
    • Spotlight: Displays your mouse pointer to all participants when your mouse is within the area being shared. Use this to point out parts of the screen to students, like an online laser pointer.
    • Arrow: Displays a small arrow instead of your mouse pointer. Click to insert an arrow that displays your name. Each subsequent click will remove the previous arrow placed. You can use this feature to point out your annotations to students.
The arrow displays your name, this lets the users know
  • Eraser: Click and drag to erase parts of your annotation.
  • Format: Change the formatting options of annotations tools like color, line width, and font.
  • Clear: Delete all annotations. You can choose to delete your annotations or students’ annotations. In order to delete only one annotation, select it and hit delete on your keyboard or use the eraser tool.
  • Save: Save all annotations on the screen as a screenshot. The screenshot is saved to the local recording location.

That’s all there is to using the Whiteboard in Zoom.

~eSS