Discover the power of annotation in Zoom! Whether you’re a facilitator, resource person, or participant, knowing how to effectively annotate on the screen can enhance collaboration and engagement during virtual meetings.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of annotation. Learn how to draw, type text, or insert graphics onto the screen with ease, whether it’s on a shared whiteboard or a presentation.

Shortcut Keys for Annotation on iOS, Windows, and Mac

Shortcut Keys on iOS

When using annotation tools on your iOS device, you can utilize the following shortcut keys:

• Undo: Command + Z
• Redo: Command + Shift + Z
• Mouse Mode: Right-click anywhere

Note: There are currently no commonly used shortcuts for actions like “clear all annotations.” For such functions, you will need to manually access the annotation tools.

Shortcut Keys on Windows and Mac

Enhance your annotation experience on Windows and Mac with these shortcuts:

Windows:

• Restore: Ctrl + Z
• Repeat: Ctrl + Y
• Mouse Mode: Right mouse click

Mac:

• Restore: Command + Z
• Repeat: Command + Shift + Z
• Mouse Mode: Right mouse click

For more detailed information on additional shortcuts while using Zoom, refer to the “Shortcuts for Annotation” section in the Zoom help center.

When someone shares their screen or a whiteboard, simply navigate to the “View Options” menu and select “Annotate” to unleash your creativity and communicate ideas visually.

Join us as we explore the endless possibilities of annotation in Zoom and take your virtual collaboration to the next level!

Unleash your creativity and captivate your audience with annotations in Zoom! Whether you’re leading a presentation, teaching a class, or sharing your ideas, annotation adds an interactive dimension to your screen sharing experience.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to seamlessly integrate annotation into your Zoom sessions. When sharing your screen, simply look for the toolbar that pops up when you move your cursor to the top of the screen. Click on the pencil icon or “Annotate” to access a suite of annotation tools.

From drawing diagrams to highlighting key points, you’ll have the power to engage your audience like never before. With just a few clicks, you can enrich your presentations and make information come alive on the screen.

The annotation toolbar in Zoom is equipped with additional functionalities to streamline your virtual collaboration:

• Eraser: Effortlessly remove parts of your annotations by clicking and dragging, providing flexibility and precision in your annotation process.
• Format: Customize the appearance of your annotations with options like color, line width, and font, ensuring your annotations align with your presentation style and preferences.
• Undo: Quickly revert your most recent annotation action with the undo feature, allowing for easy correction of mistakes or changes in direction.
• Redo: Restore annotations that were previously undone, providing a seamless editing experience and ensuring no detail is lost during your annotation process.
• Clear: Instantly delete all annotations from the shared screen or whiteboard, providing a clean slate for further collaboration or presentation.
• Save: Preserve the shared screen or whiteboard, along with annotations, as a PNG or PDF file. These files are saved to the local recording location, facilitating documentation and sharing of collaborative work. Please note that this option is only accessible to viewers if the host has permitted others to save.

To modify the file format, simply click the downward arrow next to “Save” and select one of the following options:

• PNG: Save as individual PNG files, with each whiteboard generating a separate PNG file.
• PDF: Consolidate multiple whiteboards into a single PDF file, providing a comprehensive record of your collaborative session.

How to Annotate on a Shared Screen or Whiteboard in Android

Annotating on a Shared Screen or Whiteboard

1. Start sharing your screen.
2. Tap the pencil icon on your screen. This will open the annotation tools.
3. Tap the pencil icon again to close the annotation tools.

The following annotation tools’ availability depends on whether you are using a phone or tablet:

• Annotation icon: Show or hide annotation tools.
• Pen / Highlighter: Tap to switch between these tools.
  • Pen: Tap and drag to draw with a pen in the selected color.
  • Highlighter: Tap and drag to highlight parts of the screen in the selected color.
• Arrow: Tap and drag to draw an arrow in the selected color.
• Shape (Tablet only): Tap to select from the following shapes.
  • Line: Tap and drag to draw a line in the selected color.
  • Rectangle: Tap and drag to draw a rectangle in the selected color.
  • Oval: Tap and drag to draw an oval in the selected color.
• Text (Tablet only): Type text in the selected color on the shared screen.
• Color: Change the color and line width of your annotations.
• Erase: Tap on your annotations to remove them.
• Undo (Tablet only): Remove your last changes.
• Redo (Tablet only): Add the annotations you previously removed.
• Clear (Tablet only): Clear your own annotations.
• Save: Save the current shared screen or whiteboard with current annotations.

Annotation Tools (Whiteboard)

If you started sharing a whiteboard, you will see the following annotation tools:

• Close icon (X): Hide the annotation tools. Tap the annotate icon to display annotation tools again.
• Undo icon: Remove your last changes.
• Redo icon: Add the annotations you previously removed.
• Pen icon: Draw with a pen.
• Eraser icon: Tap on your annotations to remove them.
• Shape icon: Tap and drag to draw a line, rectangle, or oval in the selected color.
• Color icon: Change the color of your annotations.
• Text icon (Tablet only): Tap to enter text on the whiteboard. Tap the system back icon to hide the keyboard to see options to bold, italicize, adjust font size, and text color. Tap anywhere else on the whiteboard to finish this text box.
• Line width icon: Tap to adjust the line width of your lines and shapes.
• Highlighter icon (Tablet only): Tap and drag to highlight parts of the screen in the selected color.
• Spotlight icon: Display a red dot on the shared screen at all times. Use this to point out parts of the screen to other participants. This is only available for the user sharing their whiteboard or screen.
• 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 to view and delete pages. Up to 12 whiteboards can be used in a session.

How to Annotate on a Shared Screen (iOS)

Important: You cannot annotate when sharing your full screen during a meeting via an iOS device. Annotation is only available when sharing a specific portion of your screen.

Steps to Annotate on iOS

1. Begin sharing your screen.
2. Tap the pencil icon to access annotation tools.
3. Tap the pencil icon again to close the annotation tools.

Available Annotation Tools

The tools you can use depend on whether you’re using an iPad or iPhone.

• Annotate icon: Display or hide the annotation toolbar.
• Spotlight: Show a red dot on the screen to highlight areas for other participants.
• Pen/Highlighter: Use the pen to draw or the highlighter to emphasize parts of the screen.
• Arrow (iPad only): Tap and drag to create an arrow.
• Shape (iPad only): Tap and hold to select from various shapes:
  • Line: Drag to draw a line.
  • Rectangle: Drag to draw a rectangle.
  • Oval: Drag to draw an oval.
• Text (iPad only): Enter text on the shared screen.
• Color: Adjust the color and line width of your drawings.
• Eraser: Erase your annotations by tapping on them.
• Undo (iPad only): Revert the last change you made.
• Redo (iPad only): Restore the annotations you undid.
• Clear (iPad only): Remove all your annotations.
• Save: Save the annotated screen as a photo on your device.

By following these steps, you can effectively use the annotation tools on your iOS device to enhance your screen sharing experience during meetings.

	Windows	Mac
Restore	Ctrl + Z	Command + Z
Repeat	Ctrl + Y	Command + Shift + Z
Mouse mode	Right mouse click	Right mouse click

Reference: Other, shortcut keys while using Zoom

See Shortcuts for Annotation for more information on this article.