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Zoom boasts a ton of fantastic options for presentations, such as drawing on a whiteboard. It’s incredibly useful for teachers using Zoom to illustrate lessons or for office coworkers to draw graphics or charts for meetings. However, not many people know how to use the drawing function.
So, if you’ve struggled to enable this option in Zoom, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, you’ll finally find out where the function is located. As a bonus, you’ll learn how to draw on both a computer and a smartphone. Keep reading to find out more.
How to Draw in a Zoom Meeting on Windows and Mac
Drawing in a Zoom meeting is a handy function. Companies can use it when they have online brainstorming sessions, or perhaps draw a pie chart during a progress report. Universities and schools can also benefit from this function – it makes it easier for teachers to play drawing games, write formulas, etc.
If you use Zoom on Windows or Mac, you’re probably wondering where you can find this option. Before we dig in, the first thing you need to know is how to access a Zoom whiteboard. When you’re in a meeting, follow these steps:
- Click on “Share Screen” on “Zoom Control Panel.”
- You’ll see a new window. There will be “Basic,” “Advanced,” and “Files” in the upper part of the screen. Tap on “Basic.”
- Then, click on “Whiteboard.”
- Next, tap on “Share.”
That’s it. You and other people in the Zoom meeting can see your whiteboard. If you want to make use of this virtual board and draw something, you can do it easily using the drawing tool. When you open the Whiteboard, you’ll see the toolbar with various functions. To start drawing, here’s what you should do:
- Look for the “Draw” icon. It’s third from the left.
- Hover over it to see various options. You can choose a curvy line or a straight line. Moreover, it’s possible to select a square or a circle and draw them quickly.
- Select the shape you need and start drawing.
Note: You can also change the color of the lines. This is what you need to do:
- Click on “Format” from the menu.
- Choose the color you want. You can also choose the line width.
- Finally, start drawing on the Whiteboard.
How to Draw in a Zoom Meeting on iPhone
Some users prefer to attend Zoom meetings on their iPhones. Some of these folks may wonder if all functions available on a computer’s version of Zoom are also available on their iPhone. Although not all functions are available, drawing on iPhones is possible. Therefore, if you attend Zoom meetings on your iPhone and want to learn how to draw, follow the steps below:
- Attend the Zoom meeting by clicking on the link in your email or using the Zoom ID you’ve previously created.
- Then, tap on the “Share” icon at the bottom of the Zoom screen.
- Choose “Share Whiteboard.”
- You’ll see “Stylus” on the screen. Click on it.
- Choose the first tool. It’s a pencil that enables you to draw lines.
- Use a finger to draw on the whiteboard.
Note: If you want to close the whiteboard, look for the “X” in the upper left part of the screen. Doing so will take you back to the main menu.
How to Draw in a Zoom Meeting on Android
Can you draw in a Zoom meeting if you have an Android smartphone? Are the steps different across the platforms? The great news about Zoom is how user-friendly it is. Therefore, the steps are the same on both Android and iPhone. Let’s look at them:
- Open Zoom and attend the meeting.
- Click on the “Share” button you’ll see at the bottom of Zoom.
- Then, select “Share Whiteboard.” You’ll now be able to use the whiteboard.
- Tap on “Stylus.” It’s most likely in the bottom left corner of the screen.
- Then, select the first tool to start drawing.
- Using your fingers, draw or write something on the whiteboard.
How to Collaborate on a Whiteboard in Zoom
Not only can hosts write on the whiteboard in Zoom, but they can also collaborate with other Zoom attendees and draw or write something together. The key is the host has to enable annotations. If you’re the host, here’s how to do it:
- Open the Zoom website on your device.
- Sign in using your email and password.
- Once you sign in, tap on “My Account” in the top right part of the screen.
- Look for “Settings” on the left side of the screen.
- Scroll down until you see “Annotations.”
- Toggle the button to enable the option.
Now that you’ve enabled this option, other Zoom attendees can draw or write on the whiteboard once you share it.
Hosts can save the drawing for future reference or even clear the whiteboard. To save the image, do the following:
- Once everyone finishes drawing, click on the “Save” icon. It should be the last one in the toolbar.
- You can then tap on “Show in Folder” to see it later.
If you want to clear the whiteboard, here are the steps:
- Tap on the “Clear” button in the right part of the toolbar.
- Choose between the three options. You can clear your drawings, other viewers’ drawings, or all drawings.
Additional FAQs
In the next section, we’ll explore some of the most common Zoom questions.
Can You Draw on Zoom Screens?
Yes, it’s possible to draw on Zoom. However, to do it, you need to open the whiteboard first. To access it, follow these steps:
• Open Zoom and attend the meeting.
• Then, look for the “Share” icon at the bottom of the screen.
• Tap on “Share Whiteboard.”
• Select “Draw” to start drawing.
How Can You Tell Who Is Drawing in Zoom?
Zoom hosts can enable the “Annotation” option so that other meeting attendees can draw or write something on the whiteboard. While this is a useful function, it can become a problem if all attendees are writing all at the same time. If you want to find out who is drawing in Zoom, you need to enable the option to see their names.
How Do You Enable Annotations in Zoom Meetings?
The steps for enabling annotations in Zoom meetings are slightly different on a computer than on a smartphone. Check the next section to find out how to enable annotations on a computer and on a smartphone.
Enabling Names of Annotators on a Computer
To enable the names of annotators on a computer, follow these steps:
• Open Zoom and start the meeting.
• Share the whiteboard following the steps we provided in the sections above.
• If you don’t see the toolbar, hover over “You are screen sharing.”
• Tap on the three-dot menu and click on “Show Names of Annotators.”
Once you enable the option, it’ll be possible to see the names of people drawing on the whiteboard.
To disable the option, this is what you should do:
• Tap on the toolbar.
• Click on the three-dot menu.
• Choose “Disable participants annotations.”
Enabling Names of Annotators on a Smartphone
To enable the names of annotators on a smartphone, here’s what you need to do:
• Attend the Zoom meeting and share the whiteboard following the steps we provided in this guide.
• Click on the three-dot menu in the bottom right part of the screen.
• Then, tap on “Meetings Settings.”
• Under “Content Share,” find “Show Names of Annotators.”
• Toggle the button to enable the option.
If you want to disable annotations, this is what you need to do:
• Go to the main menu of Zoom and click on the three-dot menu.
• Then, choose “Meetings Settings.”
• Under “Content Share,” look for “Annotate.”
• Toggle it to disable the option.
What Are Zoom Breakout Rooms?
Breakout Rooms are separate meeting areas where attendees can meet and discuss something in smaller groups while the main meeting is still going on. Keep in mind you can only create a breakout room if you’re using Zoom on your computer.
On the other hand, if you’re using a smartphone, you can only join the breakout room, but you can’t create it. To create a breakout room on your computer, here’s what you need to do:
• Click on the Zoom website to sign in using your password and username.
• Then, tap on “My Account” in the upper right part of the screen.
• Click on “Settings.”
• Look for “Meetings.”
• Scroll down to “In Meeting (Advanced).”
• Toggle the button to enable the “Breakout Room” option.
Make Use of Zoom Whiteboard
The whiteboard function on Zoom is incredibly useful. Whether you use Zoom to teach or have meetings, sharing your Whiteboard allows you to draw shapes, lines, charts, etc. It’s also possible to enable other attendees to be able to draw on the same Whiteboard.
Why do you primarily use Zoom? How are you going to use the “Draw” function now that you know the steps? What is your experience with Zoom? Let us know your experience in the comments section below.