Learning how to annotate on Zoom is one way teams, and business leaders can take their collaborative sessions to the next level.

Annotations might seem a relatively simple feature, particularly as Zoom continues enhancing its offering with exciting new tools. However, with annotations in your Zoom meetings (and recordings), you can bring extra value and context to every business conversation.

While there are plenty of add-ons and apps available for Zoom that can help boost the quality of meetings and screen-sharing sessions with annotations, Zoom also offers its own built-in annotation capabilities. Here’s everything you need to know about enabling annotations on Zoom.

Can You Annotate on Free Zoom? Zoom Annotations

Zoom’s annotation features are built into every version of the Zoom client. You don’t necessarily need to be using a premium Zoom subscription to get started. The annotation capabilities are included in Zoom’s vast collection of “screen sharing features.”

These capabilities allow users to share their screen, desktop, and other content with meeting participants and webinar attendees. Zoom participants can use annotations to brainstorm, collaborate, and add information to whiteboarding sessions.

However, while anyone can learn how to annotate on Zoom, it’s worth noting there are some prerequisites. Users will need to ensure they have annotations enabled on Zoom and the latest version of the client available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or iOS.

How to Enable Annotations on Zoom

The first step in learning how to annotate on Zoom is making sure annotations are enabled. Meeting hosts can disable or enable attendee annotation using the Zoom web portal.

To enable annotation for all the Zoom client users, hosts must sign into the Zoom web portal and click “Account Management” in the navigation panel, followed by “Account Settings.”

From here, click on the “Meeting” tab, and scroll to “In Meeting (Basic).” If annotation is switched off, click the toggle to enable it. A verification window might appear, asking users to confirm they want to turn annotation on.

Zoom users can also click a check box to allow meeting attendees to save shared screens with annotations or restrict annotations to only the user sharing content. It’s also possible to use the “lock” icon on Zoom to make annotations mandatory for all account users.

Enabling Annotations for Individual Users or Groups

Depending on the needs of the business, admins can also enable annotation for a specific group of users. To do this, head to the Zoom web portal, and click “User Management” then “Group Management.” Choose the group you want to enable annotation for, and click on “Settings”.

Select “Meetings,” then scroll to “In Meeting Basic” to verify annotation is enabled.

Users can also choose to enable annotation for their own use. To enable annotation for individual use, you’ll need to visit the “Settings” section in the Zoom web portal and scroll to “In Meeting (Basic),” just as you would for the client-wide activation.

If the option to enable annotation is greyed out, you may need to contact your Zoom admin.

How to Annotate on Zoom for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Once you’re sure annotation is enabled for your Zoom client, the next step is simply using annotation during meetings or webinars. The process varies slightly depending on the device you’re using.

If you’re on a Windows, MacOS, or Linux device, annotation controls should appear automatically when you launch a meeting or a whiteboard or start sharing your screen. Click the “annotate” button if you’re sharing your screen or the “whiteboard” button if you’re using a whiteboard to get started.

Zoom Annotation for Shared Content

If you’re viewing shared content on Zoom and want to add annotations, click “View Options” and then “Annotate” on the meeting screen.

You should see a bar appear with several annotation tools. These include:

  • Select: Select, resize, or move your annotations using your cursor. If you want to select several annotations simultaneously, click and drag your mouse over the area.
  • Mouse: Deactivate annotation tools and switch to using your mouse pointer.
  • Text: Insert text annotations into a meeting.
  • Draw: Insert arrows, shapes, and lines into a whiteboard or screen. You can use a square or circle icon here to select an entire area of a screen or whiteboard.
  • Stamp: Insert icons like a star, diamond, or check mark.
  • Eraser: Click and drag to remove parts of your annotation.
  • Format: Change options like line width, font, and color.
  • Undo/Redo: Clear or redo your last annotation.
  • Clear: Delete all of your annotations
  • Save: Save your shared whiteboard or screen and annotations as a PDF or PNG. Your files will save to the “local recording” folder.

Zoom also offers spotlight, arrow, and vanishing pen features. The vanishing pen causes annotations to fade away in a couple of seconds naturally. The arrow helps to point to specific parts of a screen instead of your mouse pointer. Finally, the spotlight displays your mouse pointer to all participants.

Annotation Settings

Hosts who start a screen sharing or whiteboarding session on Zoom can click the “More” button on their screen to adjust settings during a conversation. This allows users to turn annotations for others on/off and show or hide the names of other annotators.

How to Annotate on Zoom for Android/ iOS

Like annotating on Zoom for Windows, Mac, or Linux, learning how to annotate on Zoom for Android or IOS is relatively straightforward. Hosts still have access to settings that allow them to disable or enable annotations for other participants and show the names of annotators.

Additionally, you’ll need to share your screen first to start annotating. Once you’ve done this, tap the icon shaped like a pencil on your screen to open the annotation toolbar. You might see different tools depending on whether you’re using a phone or tablet.

On a smartphone, users can access the following:

  • Pen or highlighter: Draw with a pen on your screen or highlight specific areas in your chosen color.
  • Arrows and shapes: Tap and drag to draw an arrow, line, rectangle, or oval.
  • Text: Insert text in your chosen color on the shared screen.
  • Color: Change the color and line width of annotations.
  • Erase: Tap on an annotation to remove it.
  • Undo/Redo: Remove or redo your recent changes.
  • Clear: Clear all of your annotations.
  • Save: Save the current screen or whiteboard with its annotations.

Whiteboard Annotation Tools

If you’re sharing a whiteboard, you’ll have slightly different annotation tools and features on Zoom. There’s a “close” icon available to hide your annotation tools. Other specific features for whiteboard users include:

  • Line width icon: Change the line width of your shapes and lines
  • Spotlight icon: Display a red dot on the shared screen to point out parts of the screen or whiteboard to other participants.
  • Trash icon: Display options to clear annotations
  • Smart recognition: Disable or enable smart recognition drawing. This feature will automatically smooth lines and convert drawings into shapes when enabled.
  • Save to album: Save an image of the whiteboard to your device.
  • New whiteboard: Add a new whiteboard page (up to 12 maximum in one session).

Keep in mind iOS users cannot annotate when sharing a screen to a meeting via an iOS device. Currently, Zoom only allows annotation for iOS users sharing a portion of their screen.

Why Use Zoom Annotation Features?

Learning how to annotate on Zoom is an excellent way to improve productivity and clarity in meetings, whiteboards, and screen-sharing sessions.

One of the reasons Zoom and similar solutions are such popular collaboration tools is they help people share ideas efficiently. The real-time on-screen annotations available for Zoom make it easier to enhance collaboration and webinar sessions.

With these tools, you can ensure your viewers fully understand whatever you’re talking about with additional text and drawings. Plus, the annotation features make it easier to capture and hold the attention of collaborators and attendees during a meeting.

With annotations, you can present using both verbal and visual cues, making interactions feel more natural and engaging.



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