Using the Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams

Corporations have now shifted to a work-from-home environment where all meetings are held online. One of the main features of an in-person meeting is the ability to sketch out ideas together. The Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams helps you provide a digital canvas that can be used to brainstorm ideas in an online meeting. It is stored in the cloud and can be accessed by anyone who was part of the meeting.

Key Takeaways

• Built-In Digital Canvas – The Whiteboard in Teams offers a collaborative space for drawing, writing, and visual brainstorming during meetings.

• Real-Time Collaboration – Multiple participants can interact with the Whiteboard simultaneously, allowing live contributions and annotations.

• Useful Drawing Tools – Tools include pens, highlighters, sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, and erasers—great for both planning and creative sessions.

• Integrated with Microsoft Whiteboard App – The Teams Whiteboard is synced with the standalone Whiteboard app, so boards are accessible even after the meeting.

• Great for Remote Teams – Especially useful for virtual team exercises like mind mapping, teaching, or project planning.

Accessing the Whiteboard in Microsoft Teams

Once the teams meeting starts, you go to the share button and click on Microsoft Whiteboard to open it.

If you are using the free version of Microsoft Teams, this feature may not be available to you. To start using whiteboard using your online meeting, you have to subscribe to Microsoft 365.

 

Whiteboard Functionality

Microsoft Teams is very versatile in providing various whiteboard objects, tools, and functionalities for everyone else in the meeting to see and collaborate with. Let’s explore these functionalities –

Pen Tool

You can use your tablet pen to write, and graphically explain in the meeting. To use this tool :

• Click on the Pen icon on the top
  
• Start writing on the screen and everyone else in the meeting will be able to see it
  

 

Post-it

You can use the post-it and use this tool to put up small notes on the whiteboard. Follow these steps to know how to use post it –

• Click on the notes icon in the create menu on the left.
  
• You’ll be able to see a variety of options and colors available for the post-it notes.
  
• Drag and drop post-it anywhere in the blank area of the whiteboard
  
• You can start typing in your note on the post-it note
  
• To move it anywhere else on the screen, just click off it, then click and drag it anywhere you desire.
• You can resize the post-it using the double arrow cursor after placing the arrow on the corner.
  

 

Text Box

Use a textbox to place text on the whiteboard –

• Click on the Text from the create menu on the left
  
• Drag and drop the text box on the whiteboard and you can start typing in the textbox
  
• Click on the color icon and choose any color to change the color of the text
  
• Click on the pencil icon to edit the text
  

 

Shapes

Insert any shape like a rectangle, circle, square, etc to enhance the whiteboard presentation graphically. Follow these simple steps to achieve it –

• Click on the Shape menu item on the left
  
• Drag and drop any preferable shape from the menu on the whiteboard
  
• Resize the shape using the double-arrow cursor on the corner of the object.
  
• Change the color of the object and the outline of the object by clicking on the color and outline color tool, a color picker will appear to choose a color from.
  
• You can rotate the shape by highlighting the mouse on the corner and waiting till the rotate cursor appears. Then hold our left mouse button and rotate it as per requirement.
  
• To change the placement of the shape, drag and drop the shape anywhere on the whiteboard.

 

Image

Insert images from a computer on the whiteboard easily by following these steps:

• Click on the Image icon on the create menu
  
• Click on My Device to insert an image from your computer.
  
• Browse and select the image from the device and click Open.
  
• You can resize the image using the double arrow cursor after placing the arrow in the corner.
• Drag and drop the image anywhere on the whiteboard.

You can also pick images from Bing search in near future. This feature is not ready yet.

You can copy-paste any object on the whiteboard by simply selecting the object and then

• Copy the Object by pressing Control + C (Windows) or CMD + C (MAC) or by clicking on the duplicate button on the object toolbar menu
  
• Click anywhere on the blank space of the whiteboard to paste the object.
• Paste the Object by pressing Control + V (Windows) or CMD + V (Mac).

To delete any object click on the delete icon on the object toolbar menu.

 

Clearing the Whiteboard

You can easily clear all the objects off the whiteboard with just two clicks –

• Right-click on the mouse anywhere on the whiteboard
• Click on Clear Canvas
  
  

 

Using a Whiteboard Template

This is a very handy tool for the whiteboard, which enables the user to insert premade templates of objects on the whiteboard.

• Click on the template item on the left menu
  
• Choose a template category from the list of categories
  
• Once the Problem Solving category is selected, different options will be available. Click an appropriate one.
  
• Drag and drop the selected template onto the whiteboard
• Resize it by using the double-arrow cursor

 

Freestyle Drawing on Whiteboard

The inking button on the left enables or disables the pen toolbar on the screen.

Copy any drawing using the lasso toolbar. Hold to shift and move the drawing anywhere on the screen.

 

Whiteboard Options in Microsoft Teams

You can easily export the whiteboard in an image format by clicking on the settings icon on the top left and clicking on the Export image option.

You can choose the standard or high resolution as per requirement and click on Export. The image will be downloaded to the downloads folder of your device.

Change the whiteboard background by clicking on the Format Background option on the settings menu on the top right.

You can put a grid on the background or choose any color or put a wide rule or any other option available.

Allow other participants to edit the whiteboard for collaboration by enabling the toggle Other participants can edit from the settings menu.

 

Viewing the Whiteboard Later in Microsoft Teams

After your Teams meeting has ended, you can still view the whiteboard –

• Download the whiteboard export by going to Files > Downloads in Microsoft teams.
  
• Open the Microsoft Whiteboard app, you’ll find all the previous whiteboards you were working on or an option to open a new whiteboard.
  

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open the Whiteboard during a Teams meeting?
Click on the Share icon in the meeting toolbar, then select Microsoft Whiteboard under the “Whiteboard” section.

Can everyone draw on the Whiteboard?
Yes, if participant editing is enabled. Organizers or presenters can control whether attendees can write on the board or just view it.

Is the Whiteboard saved after the meeting ends?
Yes, the Whiteboard is saved automatically and accessible through the Microsoft Whiteboard app or in the meeting chat.

Can I use the Whiteboard outside of meetings?
Absolutely! You can open the Microsoft Whiteboard app independently and use it for solo brainstorming or team collaboration.

Is the Teams Whiteboard available on mobile devices?
Yes, the Whiteboard is accessible through the Microsoft Whiteboard mobile app for iOS and Android, although drawing tools may be more limited.

In this article, we have covered how to access the Whiteboard directly from Microsoft Teams, different options for drawing on the Microsoft Teams whiteboard, saving the Microsoft Teams whiteboard for later, whiteboard settings, and more!