Zoom News: Whiteboards New Features

Zoom News

Zoom has recently redesigned their virtual whiteboard experience to bring you an all-new Zoom Whiteboard. NSU users can now create whiteboards before, during, or after a meeting, save whiteboards for future use, and share whiteboards outside of a meeting with anyone in our organization. Zoom has also enhanced the whiteboard with new templates, new shapes for organizational charts and diagrams, and new tools. An expanded set of tools is available when creating or editing a whiteboard outside a meeting. Some of these expanded tools include the ability to upload an image, insert tables, and use sticky notes.

Users will now access the Whiteboard from their meeting controls, the desktop app, or the web portal. Previously, the Whiteboard was found through the “share” button. The ability to save and share whiteboards are the biggest new benefits. This allows an instructor to create a whiteboard before a class meeting allowing them to design more complex presentations. It also would allow an instructor to re-use a whiteboard for different sessions without having to recreate the whiteboard each time. Whiteboards can be shared by adding an email address or through a provided link.  The ability to share the whiteboard allows for students to view the whiteboard after a meeting and to collaborate on a whiteboard before or after a session (users who access the Whiteboard on the Zoom app on their phone will only be able view the Whiteboard but not edit on that device). When sharing, you will have the option for which permissions you give to the people you are sharing with (viewer, editor, etc.). The whiteboard can also be shared with people who didn’t attend a meeting at all. In order to use these features, it is important to first update Zoom to the latest version and instruct your students to also do so.

Whiteboard Instructions:

Creating and editing whiteboards from the desktop client

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Click the Whiteboards button Zoom Whiteboard button icon, that looks like a screen with a pencil at the bottom right at the top right.
  3. Click New A New icon, which is a box with a plus in the top right corner to create a new whiteboard.

To edit an existing whiteboard, choose a whiteboard from your dashboard. The whiteboards are categorized using the following filters:

      • All Whiteboards: Displays all whiteboards visible to the user from the filters below.
      • My Whiteboards: Displays all whiteboards that the user has created.
      • Shared with Me: Displays all whiteboards others have shared with the user.
      • Starred: Displays whiteboards that have been starred by the user.
      • Trash: Displays all whiteboards that have been moved to the trash.

4. (Optional) Click the whiteboard icon you would like to open.

5. (Optional) Click Share to invite other users to collaborate on the whiteboard.

Enter the contact names, zoom chat channel, or email addresses of the users you would like to share the whiteboard with and set their permissions with the arrow to the right of the entry box. Click Share to finish.

To create a shareable link: Click the arrow to the right of the Copy Link button A link icon, which looks like a paperclip at the bottom of the  window to set the permissions for users you are going to send the link to. Click Copy Link and then paste the link in a message or email to send to others.

Creating a whiteboard in a desktop client meeting

  1. Start a meeting from the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Click the Whiteboard button Zoom Whiteboard button icon, that looks like a screen with a pencil at the bottom right on thee in-meeting controls.
  3. Click New Whiteboard or click an existing whiteboard you would like to edit.
  4. Click the arrow A down arrow icon next to All Participants can edit to choose what permissions you would like participants to have.
  5. Click Open and Collaborate.
    1. The whiteboard will open in your meeting window.
  6. (Optional) Click Share to send the whiteboard to other users outside the meeting.

Enter the contact names, zoom chat channel, or email addresses of the users you would like to share the whiteboard with and set their permissions with the arrow to the right of the entry box. Click Share to finish.

Click the arrow to the right of the Copy Link button A link icon, which looks like a paperclip at the bottom of the window to set the permissions for users you are going to send the link to. Click Copy Link and then paste the link in a message or email to send to others.

For more information on how to use Zoom Whiteboard including editing, sharing, and Whiteboard controls, visit the Zoom Whiteboard User Guide – Zoom Support