Using Annotation Tools On A Shared Screen Or Whiteboard
Overview
Meeting participants can annotate on a shared screen as a viewer or the one that started sharing your screen. You can also use annotation tools when sharing or viewing a whiteboard.
This article covers:
Prerequisites
- Annotation enabled
- Zoom Desktop Client for Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Zoom Mobile App for Android and iOS
- Joined or started a meeting with screen sharing
Note: The meeting host can disable attendee annotation. If you do not have the annotation option, confirm that the host has not disabled annotation.
Enabling annotation for meetings
Before using annotation, make sure it’s enabled in the Zoom web portal.
Account
To enable annotation for all users in the account:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal
- Under Meeting (Basic), verify that Annotation is enabled.
Group
To enable annotation for a group of users:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- Under Meeting (Basic), verify that Annotation is enabled.
User
To enable annotation for your own use:
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
- Under Meeting (Basic), verify that Annotation is enabled.
Using annotation tools
Accessing annotation tools if you started screen sharing
Accessing annotation tools if you are viewing a shared screen
Annotation tools
You will see these annotation tools:
Note: The Select, Spotlight, and Save options are only available if you started the shared screen or whiteboard.
- Mouse: Deactivate annotation tools and switch to your mouse pointer. This button is blue if annotation tools are deactivated.
- Text: Insert text.
-
Draw: Insert lines, arrows, and shapes.
Note: To highlight an area of the shared screen or whiteboard, select following square or circle icon to insert a semi-transparent square or circle.
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- Stamp: Insert pdefined icons like a check mark or star.
-
Spotlight / Arrow: Turn your cursor into a spotlight or arrow.
- Spotlight (only available if you started the shared screen or whiteboard): 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 other participants.
- Format: Change the formatting options of annotations tools like color, line width, and font.
- Undo: Undo your latest annotation.
- Redo: Redo your latest annotation that you undid.
- Clear: Delete all annotations.
- PNG: Save as a PNG file. If there are multiple whiteboards, Zoom will save a PNG file for each whiteboard.
- PDF: Save as a PDF. If there are multiple whiteboards, Zoom will save a single PDF containing all whiteboards.
Annotation settings
- Allow/Disable participants annotation: Allow or pvent the participants from annotating on your shared screen.
-
Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants’ name when they are annotating. If set to show, the participant’s name will briefly display beside their annotation.
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Annotation shortcuts
Windows:
- Undo: Ctrl + Z
- Redo: Ctrl + Y
Mac:
- Undo: Command + Z
- Redo: Command + Shift + Z
Linux:
Annotating on a shared screen
- Start sharing your screen.
- Tap the pen icon on your screen.
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This will open the annotation tools.
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- Tap the pen icon again to close the annotation tools.
Annotation tools
The annotation tools available depend on whether you using a phone or tablet and if you are sharing your screen or sharing a document or web page.
If you’re sharing a document or photo, or viewing a shared screen:
Tablet 
Phone 
If you started sharing your screen:
Tablet 
Phone 
- Pencil icon: Show or hide annotation tools.
- Spotlight: Display a red dot on the shared screen at all times. Use this point out parts of the screen to other participants.
- Pen: Draw with a pen.
- Highlighter: Tap and drag to highlight parts of the screen.
- Line (only available on tablet): Tap and drag to draw a line.
- Arrow (only available on tablet when sharing a document or phone, or when viewing a shared screen): Tap and drag to draw an arrow.
- Rectangle (only available on tablet): Tap and drag to draw a rectangle.
- Oval (only available on tablet): Tap and drag to draw an oval.
- Text (only available on tablet when sharing a document or phone, or when viewing a shared screen): Type text on the shared screen.
- Color: Change the color and line width of your annotations.
- Eraser (only available on tablet when sharing a document or phone, or when viewing a shared screen): Tap on your annotations to remove them.
- Undo (only available on tablet): Remove your last changes.
- Redo (only available on tablet): Add the annotations you pviously removed.
- Clear: Clear your own annotations.
- More icon (…): Display the following options.
- Smart Recognition: Tap the toggle to enable or disable smart recognition drawing. If enabled, Zoom will smooth out your lines and auto-convert drawings to shapes immediately after you draw.
- Save to Album: Download an image of your whiteboard to your device.
-
New Whiteboard (displays on the main toolbar if using a tablet in landscape mode): Add a new whiteboard page. After adding a page, tap View all Whiteboards or the pages icon
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to see view and delete pages.
- To save the shared screen or whiteboard with annotations:
- Press on the screen using the select or eraser tool until the Save to Photos Album option appears.
- Tap Save to Photos Album.
to see view and delete pages.Tap the pencil icon to hide annotation tools, then tap More in the screen share controls for these annotation settings:
- Allow/Disable participants annotation: Allow or pvent the participants from annotating on your shared screen.
-
Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants’ name when they are annotating on a screen share. If set to show, the participant’s name will briefly display beside their annotation.
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Annotation tools (whiteboard)
If you started sharing a whiteboard, you will see the following annotation tools:
Tablet 
Phone 
- Close icon: Hide the annotation tools. Tap the blue pencil icon to display annotation tools again.
- Undo icon: Remove your last changes.
- Redo icon: Add the annotations you pviously removed.
- Pen icon: Draw with a pen.
- Eraser icon: Tap on your annotations to remove them.
- Color icon: Change the color and line width of your annotations.
- Spotlight icon (tap the arrow to display this tool on tablet): Display a red dot on the shared screen at all times. Use this point out parts of the screen to other participants.
- Trash bin icon: Display options to clear annotations.
- More icon (…): Display the following options.
- Smart Recognition: Tap the toggle to enable or disable smart recognition drawing. If enabled, Zoom will smooth out your lines and auto-convert drawings to shapes immediately after you draw.
- Save to Album: Download an image of your whiteboard to your device.
-
New Whiteboard (displays on the main toolbar if using a tablet in landscape mode): Add a new whiteboard page. After adding a page, tap View all Whiteboards or the pages icon
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to see view and delete pages.
Annotating on a shared screen
Note: You cannot annotate when sharing your entire screen into the meeting via iOS device. If you need to annotate when sharing an entire iOS screen, see sharing iOS Applications.
- Start sharing your screen.
- Tap the pen icon on your screen.
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This will open the annotation tools.
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- Tap the pen icon again to close the annotation tools.
Annotation tools
The annotation tools available are dependent on whether you are on an iPad or iPhone.
iPad 
iPhone 
- Pencil icon: Show or hide annotation tools.
- Spotlight: Display a red dot on the shared screen at all times. Use this point out parts of the screen to other participants.
- Pen: Draw with a pen.
- Highlighter: Tap and drag to highlight parts of the screen.
- Line (iPad only): Tap and drag to draw a line.
- Arrow (iPad only): Tap and drag to draw an arrow.
- Rectangle (iPad only): Tap and drag to draw a rectangle.
- Oval (iPad only): Tap and drag to draw an oval.
- Text (iPad only): Type text on the shared screen.
- Color: Change the color and line width of your annotations.
- Eraser: Tap on your annotations to remove them.
- Undo (iPad only): Remove your last changes.
- Redo (iPad only): Add the annotations you pviously removed.
- Clear: Clear your own annotations.
Tap the pencil icon to hide annotation tools, then tap More in the screen share controls for these annotation settings:
- Allow/Disable participants annotation: Allow or pvent the participants from annotating on your shared screen.
-
Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants’ name when they are annotating on a screen share. If set to show, the participant’s name will briefly display beside their annotation.
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Annotation tools (whiteboard)
If you started sharing a whiteboard, you will see the following annotation tools:
Tablet Phone
- Close icon: Hide the annotation tools. Tap the blue pencil icon to display annotation tools again.
- Undo icon: Remove your last changes.
- Redo icon: Add the annotations you pviously removed.
- Pen icon: Draw with a pen.
- Eraser icon: Tap on your annotations to remove them.
- Color icon: Change the color and line width of your annotations.
- Spotlight icon (tap the arrow to display this tool on tablet): Display a red dot on the shared screen at all times. Use this point out parts of the screen to other participants.
- Trash bin icon: Display options to clear annotations.
- More icon (…): Display the following options.
- Smart Recognition: Tap the toggle to enable or disable smart recognition drawing. If enabled, Zoom will smooth out your lines and auto-convert drawings to shapes immediately after you draw.
- Save to Album: Download an image of your whiteboard to your device.
-
New Whiteboard (displays on the main toolbar if using a tablet in landscape mode): Add a new whiteboard page. After adding a page, tap View all Whiteboards or the pages icon
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to see view and delete pages.
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