How to Draw / Annotate in a Zoom Meeting

Zoom is a video conferencing software that is full of a ton of useful features. From team chat and video conferencing to screen sharing and remote assistance, Zoom has something for everyone.

An often overlooked feature of Zoom is the ability to draw or annotate over presentations when screen sharing. Think of this as using a whiteboard for your visuals but the whiteboard is now your screen.

Oh and if you prefer a whiteboard, Zoom’s got your back because you can pull up a virtual one and use it like you would in person. In this article, we’ll show you how to draw / annotate in a Zoom meeting.

How to Draw / Annotate on your Screen in a Zoom Meeting

  1. While in a meeting, start screen sharing by clicking the Share icon in the Meeting controls and selecting a screen / program.
    Zoom Meeting Share Icon
    Zoom Meeting Select Screen for Sharing
  2. Move your mouse to the top of your screen so that the Meeting controls appear and then click Annotate.
    Zoom Annotate Button
  3. Use the Annotate toolbar to draw lines and shapes over your screen.
    Zoom Annotate Toolbar
    Zoom Drawings on Screen
  4. When finished sharing your screen, click the Stop Share button at the top of your screen.
    Zoom Stop Sharing Button

How to use the Zoom Whiteboard

  1. While in a meeting, click the green Share icon in the Meeting controls.
    Zoom Meeting Share Icon
  2. Select Whiteboard and then click the Share button.
    Zoom Share Whiteboard
  3. Start drawing! Use the Annotate toolbar to change lines, shapes, and colors.
    Zoom Annotate Toolbar
  4. When finished using the whiteboard, click the Stop Share button at the top of your screen.
    Zoom Stop Sharing Button

22 thoughts on “How to Draw / Annotate in a Zoom Meeting”

  1. Hi. I happily use the annotate function whilst sharing desktop screen or whiteboard. However the option to annotate is not available when I share the content of a second camera. Frustrating as this is a good way to alter students written work whilst they watch. Is there a way of doing this?

    Reply
    • Hey Alex, just a question, during a zoom class I played around with this annotate feature not knowing what it is, just trying it out. I scribbled all around my teacher’s slide and I think everyone saw my scribbled, I basicly filled his entire screen share with red lines. As soon as I knew, I left the zoom class. Was my scribble erased as I left the session or did it stay even while I was gone? I’d hate it if it stayed cause it was such an important time and my teacher is a good professor. 😭

      Reply
      • Hi Ken,

        If you weren’t the one presenting then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The annotations were likely only visible to you.

        Reply
  2. Okay. My Zoom account is attached to a reading program (to help kids with reading problems.) When I do an assessment on them, I open the program, open zoom, share, get the program that’s been opened, and we can test. But.. when I need to stop the test, and read the word to the student, and I don’t want the student to see the word, I would “stop share”. They would see my face only But then, I can’t see the words to read to the student. How can I keep seeing the information but not allow them to see?

    Reply
    • Hi Shauna,

      Once you stop sharing, you should be able to pull up the program on your screen without the students seeing it. It’s only when you’re sharing that they will see what’s one your screen.

      Reply
  3. Hello 🙂 how do you annotate without sharing the screen on Zoom. I have an image of a chalkboard as a backdrop and would like to “type” on the chalkboard with my video image along side. TIA 🙂

    Reply
    • Hi Nevs,

      If you click the `Share` button, I believe you can select your webcam. Once you’re “presenting” you should then be able to select `Annotate` in the controls at the top.

      Reply

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