Microsoft Whiteboard is an application that allows you to 'free form' ideas on a digital canvas – removing the need for flip chart paper or physical white boards. It has built-in collaboration features, so you and your team can work together, whether in the same room, or from multiple remote locations.
You can sketch ideas using your mouse, or with a stylus if you have a touch-screen device. Being a cloud-based application, you'll have access to your boards from any web connected devices by sharing, editing, and saving them digital to refer to a later date.
For those that have used a third-party app 'Miro Board', this application has the same features. Microsoft Whiteboard can be accessed from my applications window My Apps (microsoft.com) by the following icon:
Make real-time collaboration easier
Collaboration that just works is core to the new Whiteboard experience, and Microsoft have introduced several new features to make this a reality. 'Collaboration Cursors' help you be remote, but feel together, by showing where and what other collaborators are doing on the whiteboard.
Get other people’s attention as you share your best ideas with the new 'Laser Pointer'. And finally, easily get started with the most common scenarios like problem-solving, planning, and workshops, with our wide array of new Templates. Together, these features improve collaboration, engage all participants, and reduce hybrid work barriers — no matter where you are.
Boost creativity with rich and interactive content
Collaboration powered by rich content is a key part of the new Whiteboard experience. This allows everyone to contribute in the way that best suits their idea, device type, or personal preference. You can:
- combine shapes, lines, text, and ink to create collaborative diagrams
- make connections, annotate, and iterate together across multiple types of content with the new insert image and document capabilities
- organise related thoughts, ideas, or solutions in an auto-layout grid with notes grid
- provide lightweight, contextual feedback via a range of engaging and fun reaction stickers
- collaborate across apps by bringing in fluid components like tables or task list
All these new capabilities transform Whiteboard into a rich visual collaboration workspace that lets you and your team be more creative together.
Maximise creativity with ink for everyone
Digital ink is an important part of whiteboarding, whether used to express your own ideas or to comment and annotate on others’ ideas. The new Whiteboard is empowering everyone, no matter if you have a pen or not, to leverage the unique visual expression capabilities that ink can offer.
With improved mouse inking, it makes it easier than ever for those with a mouse or trackpad to visually communicate ideas that are hard to write in words. The Pen Support for Whiteboard in Teams allows you to ink automatically or get the unique benefits of using a pen, such as the tail eraser. You can also quickly draw shapes and watch them automatically straighten with Shape Recognition.
Integrated seamlessly across Microsoft 365
Whiteboard is now integrated into even more areas across Microsoft 365 to fit into your existing workflows more seamlessly. Whiteboard is now available in Teams Channels & Chats. The new Share Content experience in Teams Meetings allows you to easily start a collaborative whiteboard for everyone in the meeting with just one click. Pre-prep or reuse whiteboards across multiple Teams Meetings with the new Open Existing Board functionality.
For more information, please see the following short video:
