Teams are increasingly holding online meetings with video conferencing software and other tools. However, one of the ...
Teams are increasingly holding online meetings with video conferencing software and other tools. However, one of the aspects of in-person meetings that many people miss is the ability to draw and sketch out ideas. Whiteboards have long been a valuable tool for meetings. If your team has remote meetings, you should consider using the whiteboard in Microsoft Teams. This powerful feature makes remote meetings more productive than ever.
Microsoft Whiteboard is an app that does more or less exactly what the name suggests: it provides a digital version of a whiteboard for:
While you can access it through a standalone app, many teams primarily use the whiteboard in Microsoft Teams during meetings. This is a great way to replicate the creativity, communication, brainstorming and presentation potential of a physical whiteboard even when you are meeting over the internet.
The first step in using the whiteboard is to simply open it. It is available during Teams meetings. So, you will need to open the Teams app and navigate to the “Calendar” tab. Either create a new meeting by clicking the New Meeting button on the upper right or select an existing meeting that is ongoing or about to start.
In the Teams meeting screen, you can select the “Share Tray” icon. Then, a window will appear that has a “Microsoft Whiteboard” button. Select this button to start the whiteboarding session.
Everyone in the meeting will be able to see the whiteboard. The person who initiates the whiteboard can choose between presenting (the only person who can edit it) and collaborating (everyone can edit it).
It functions almost exactly like a whiteboard in a meeting room, except that it is all online!
Drawing on the whiteboard is relatively easy. You have a selection of writing utensils available in the toolbar. You can choose from different drawing implements such as a pen, pencil, highlighter and eraser. For each utensil, you can also set a line thickness and color.
To draw, simply click and move on the whiteboard space with your cursor. If you have a touchscreen device, you can draw with your finger or with a stylus. Even if your primary work device does not have a touchscreen you can always join the meeting from an iPad, iPhone, or Android device and use the touchscreen features of that device.
The whiteboard allows for almost unlimited drawing creativity, so you can sketch out anything you like.
Additionally, you can add other elements such as sticky notes and text. There are undo and redo buttons for each user (that's quite smart!). This makes it even easier than a regular whiteboard to get rid of something that didn’t come out quite right.
Since the whiteboard in Microsoft Teams is built into the meeting functionality, it is automatically shared with all participants. To access the whiteboard, team members just need to be in the meeting. If you select collaborate, the meeting participants will also be able to edit the whiteboard live while in the meeting.
Of course, the whiteboard isn’t just there for the duration of your meeting. You may want to come back to review the ideas sketched out on it later. This is a very easy process. Just click on the Whiteboard tab or go to the Board Gallery view in your Microsoft Whiteboard app. From there, you can view the whiteboard, continue editing it or export the final results.
While working on a whiteboard, you can adjust the settings to suit your needs by tapping the cog icon in the upper right. From this menu, you have the option to change the sharing settings (whether others can edit or not), get help, send feedback and learn more about Microsoft Whiteboard.
Additionally, you have the option to export an image from the whiteboard. This is a great way to capture a copy of the whiteboard either before you erase it or if you want to view it more easily outside of the meeting. Select the “Export Image (PNG)” option to start the download process.
The whiteboard in Microsoft Teams is one of many examples of how Microsoft 365 can help your team become more productive. Between Teams and the other productivity and communication apps, you can manage a large number of common business needs from a single ecosystem. To get more from your Microsoft experience, consider migrating to the 365 cloud. Cloudficient makes this easier with our cloud onboarding solutions. Contact us today to learn more.
With unmatched next generation migration technology, Cloudficient is revolutionizing the way businesses retire legacy systems and transform their organization into the cloud. Our business constantly remains focused on client needs and creating product offerings that match them. We provide affordable services that are scalable, fast and seamless.
If you would like to learn more about how to bring Cloudficiency to your migration project, visit our website, or contact us.
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