How to Use Annotations in Zoom Meetings

To use annotations in Zoom, start or join a meeting, then tap the View Options button on the meeting toolbar (on desktop) or the Share icon followed by Annotate (on mobile) to open the annotation toolbar. From there you can draw, type, highlight, or stamp on the shared screen, and all participants who are allowed to annotate will see your marks in real time.

What Are Zoom Annotations?

Annotations are digital marks you can place on top of a shared screen during a Zoom meeting. They are a built-in collaboration tool that lets participants draw freehand, add text, insert shapes, use a laser pointer, or apply a spotlight to emphasize a specific area of the screen. Annotations are not permanent edits to the underlying document or application; they exist only as an overlay during the meeting and disappear when the sharing session ends.

This feature is especially useful for remote teaching, design reviews, brainstorming, and any situation where visual feedback is more effective than verbal descriptions. For example, a teacher can circle a key sentence in a shared PDF, or a client can draw a line to indicate where they want a logo moved.

How to Access the Annotation Toolbar

The exact steps depend on your device and whether you are the one sharing your screen or just viewing someone else’s shared screen.

On Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)

1. Start or join a Zoom meeting.
2. If you are sharing your screen, the annotation toolbar appears automatically at the top of the shared screen (unless the host has disabled it).
3. If you are viewing someone else’s shared screen, move your mouse to the top of the screen to reveal the floating meeting controls. Click View Options and then select Annotate.
4. The annotation toolbar will appear at the top of the screen, with tools like Select, Draw, Stamp, Text, Spotlight, and Eraser.

On Mobile (iOS, Android)

1. Join a meeting and view a shared screen.
2. Tap the screen to bring up the meeting controls.
3. Tap the Share icon (the arrow pointing up) and then tap Annotate.
4. The annotation tools appear at the bottom of the screen.

Note: The host can restrict who can annotate. If the annotation option is greyed out, the host has disabled it for you.

Understanding the Annotation Tools

Each tool serves a different purpose. Here is a quick rundown of what you will find on the toolbar:

• Select – Lets you move, resize, or delete existing annotations.
• Draw – Freehand drawing with adjustable line width and color.
• Stamp – Pre-made icons like a checkmark, star, or question mark. You can also create your own custom stamps.
• Text – Click anywhere on the screen and type a text box.
• Spotlight – A mouse-following spotlight that highlights a circular area. It is not a permanent annotation; it disappears when you move the mouse.
• Laser Pointer – A red dot that follows your mouse, useful for pointing without leaving marks.
• Eraser – Removes annotations. You can erase all annotations at once by clicking the trash icon.
• Undo/Redo – Reverses or restores your last annotation action.
• Format – Adjusts line width, color, and font size for the selected tool.

Who Can Annotate and How to Control It

By default, the host and all participants can annotate on a shared screen. However, the host can change this at any time. To control annotation permissions:

1. During a meeting, click the Security button in the meeting controls (desktop).
2. In the dropdown menu, you will see an option for Annotate. Uncheck it to disable annotations for everyone except the host.
3. Alternatively, go to your Zoom web settings at zoom.us/profile/setting and toggle the “Annotation” option under the “In Meeting (Basic)” section. This affects all meetings you host.

When annotations are disabled, the annotation toolbar will not appear for participants, and any existing annotations will be hidden until the feature is re-enabled.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

Here are the most frequent issues people encounter with Zoom annotations and their solutions:

• Annotation toolbar not showing: Make sure you are in a meeting with screen sharing active. If you are viewing a shared screen, click View Options and then Annotate. If the option is greyed out, the host has disabled annotations.
• Annotations disappear: Annotations are only visible while the screen is being shared. If the presenter stops sharing, all annotations are cleared. They cannot be saved unless you take a screenshot.
• Can’t see others’ annotations: Check that you are not in “Hide Self View” mode, which only hides your own video, not annotations. Also, ensure that you are viewing the shared screen and not a different participant’s video.
• Stamps or text look blurry: Annotations are rendered based on the screen resolution. If the presenter shares a low-resolution screen, annotations may appear pixelated. This is a display issue, not a problem with the annotation itself.
• Accidentally erased something: Use the Undo button on the toolbar to bring it back. If you used the “Erase All” option, you cannot undo it.

Tips for Effective Collaboration

To get the most out of annotations, keep these practical tips in mind:

• Use the Laser Pointer for quick, temporary emphasis instead of drawing permanent marks.
• Use the Spotlight to focus attention on a specific area without obscuring the content.
• When multiple people are annotating, assign each person a different color to avoid confusion.
• If you are the presenter, periodically ask if everyone can see the annotations. Some participants might have annotations disabled on their end.
• For complex feedback, consider using the Text tool to type comments rather than drawing freehand, which can be messy.
• Take a screenshot of the annotated screen if you need to save the feedback. Zoom does not have a built-in save feature for annotations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I annotate on a shared screen if I am not the host?

Yes, unless the host has disabled annotations for participants. By default, all participants can annotate. If you don’t see the annotation option, the host may have turned it off, or you might be on a mobile device where the option is hidden under the Share menu.

Can I save my annotations after the meeting?

No, Zoom does not have a built-in feature to save annotations. You can take a screenshot of the shared screen while annotations are visible, or use a third-party screen recording tool. The annotations themselves are temporary and will be cleared when screen sharing ends.

Why can’t I see the annotation toolbar on my iPad?

On iOS devices, the annotation toolbar appears after you tap the screen and then tap the Share icon (arrow pointing up) and select Annotate. If you don’t see the Share icon, make sure you are viewing a shared screen and that the host has not disabled annotations.

Can I use annotations on a whiteboard?

Yes, Zoom has a built-in whiteboard feature. When you share a whiteboard, the annotation toolbar appears automatically, and you can draw on the whiteboard just like you would on any other shared screen. The whiteboard is essentially a blank canvas for annotations.

Do annotations work on all plans?

Yes, annotation is available on the free Basic plan as well as all paid plans. There is no additional cost for this feature. However, some advanced features like custom stamps may require the desktop client to be updated.

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