How to Use the Freeform App on iPhone and iPad: The Complete Guide

Things to Know Before Using the Freeform App on iPhone and iPad

• You need to enable Freeform in iCloud settings.
• You must have iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2 or later.

The wait is finally over and the Freeform app is available on iOS 16. It’s Apple’s new flexible canvas collaboration board. You may have seen some of the features of this at the WWDC22 keynote in June 2022. This article will walk you through how to use the Freeform app on your iPhone or iPad.

• What is Apple Freeform?
• How to enable Freeform on iPhone and iPad
• How to use the Freeform app on iPhone or iPad

What is Apple Freeform?

Freeform is the new interactive whiteboard built into Apple devices. It’s a versatile canvas where you can collaborate with over 100 people on the same board. So, work together on real-time design sketches, create mood boards, and discuss ideas with your team. You can also FaceTime or send messages to other team members while collaborating on the whiteboard.

This digital whiteboard allows you to add images, videos, PDFs, documents, links, and more. In addition, you can use different colors, brush types, shapes, and drawing elements. I liked its features to add comments and scan documents right from the app. Plus, with unique cursors, you can see every collaborator’s activity on the board at a glance.

You can use the app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. But iPad users have the benefit of using it with an Apple Pencil. Let’s see how to use Freeform.

How to enable Freeform on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone → tap your name to open your Apple ID.
2. Select iCloud.
3. After that, click “Show All”under “Apps using iCloud”.
4. Finally, scroll down and enable Freeform.

How to use the Freeform app on iPhone or iPad

Freeform is only available on iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura or later. So, if you haven’t already, update your iPhone, iPad, and Mac to the latest version. Once the update is installed, the Freeform app will appear on the home screen. To open an app, tap it.

In addition, there is the possibility of sharing, editing and other possibilities for organizing your board. Don’t worry! I will discuss each feature step by step.

Home page navigation

I assure you, Freeform will look familiar to you. Because all of its navigation is similar to native Apple apps like Notes, Pages, Reminders or Files. You can view your boards on the home page, including All Boards, Recent, General, Favorites, and Recently Deleted.

You can interact with all your boards from All Boards. From “Recent”you can access recently created or edited boards. The Shared folder makes it easy to find shared boards. Also, if you delete a board by mistake, you can restore it from the Recently Deleted section within 30 days.

In addition, there is a search bar at the top, a button to create a new board, and editing options. If you tap the three-dot icon, you can organize your boards by sorting them and creating groups by date. Also, view your boards in list view. Because you’ve turned on iCloud sync, you can see your boards on all devices.

Create a board and use the Freeform toolbar

The first time you launch the app, a blank canvas with dots will open. So, you can start drawing. Instead, you can click “New Board”on the Freeform homepage. Or select the pen icon in the All Boards section. Once you’re done with the board, click Done to save everything. You can also select the pen icon on the board to create a new one.

Now that you’ve created a new board, let’s move on to its features. The board has a toolbar with five functions. You can customize all the elements and place them anywhere by dragging and dropping them.

• Note. When you click on it, a yellow note will appear on the board. You can edit it and move it to highlight a specific part of the board.
• Shapes: The Shapes icon reveals many predefined shapes and objects. You can find basic lines, circles, arrows, 3D objects, animals, food, people, etc. There are 16 different categories in total with 700 unique shapes. Also, use the “Search”button to quickly find a specific item. In addition, it allows you to change the shape’s color, size, location, etc.
• Text Box: Selecting this icon will add a text box with custom fonts, styles, colors, and sizes. Also, change the indentation, add bullets, duplicate the text field, or copy the style. So you can write headings or descriptions on the board as you like.
• Pen: A wide selection of Apple brushes and pens is displayed when you click on it. You can also change the brush type, color, stroke width, opacity, etc.
• Attachment: You can embed photos and videos from your iPhone or iCloud. Or directly scan a document with the built-in document scanner, or click a photo directly from the whiteboard. You can also annotate them however you want without leaving the application. The best part about Freeform is that you can add any link to the site.

You can also see four icons at the top of the board. These are the Undo, Share, Menu, and New Board options, respectively. If you tap on the three-dot Menu icon, you will have options to Rename, Duplicate, Favorites, Find, Hide Grid, Export to PDF, and Print.

How to share and collaborate on Freeform boards

Ease of collaboration is one of the best features that makes the Freeform app for iPhone and iPad stand out. In addition, you can export your whiteboard as a PDF to share a static copy with others or save it to Books. For this:

1. Tap the three-dot icon at the top of the board. Or hold the board on the All Boards page and tap Share.
2. Then select “Export as PDF”.
3. Finally, select Save to Files. Alternatively, you can send this via mail or messages. Or save the PDF in the Notes or Books app.

Steps to add people to a Freeform board:

1. Click the share button at the top of the board. The Share window will now appear. Here you can change the invitation settings. If you set up a shared sheet, you can change the default sharing permissions. In addition, you can prevent people from inviting anyone.
2. Then choose an app to send the link to your team.
3. If you set the invite options to “Everyone with a link”, you can swipe from left to right and select “Invite by link”.
4. Then click “Copy Link”in the “Actions”list.

Once you’ve shared a board, you’ll see a Collaborator icon next to the Share button. By clicking on it, you will be able to start a chat, audio call or FaceTime with your team. In addition, you can manage sharing permissions by selecting Manage Shared Board.

Zooming your board on Freeform

At first glance, you might think of it as “unlimited canvas”since there are no board borders. Although technically it is not unlimited. The scaling ranges from 10% to 400%. You can use the zoom tool at the bottom left of the whiteboard in Freeform on Mac or iPad. Or pinch two fingers to zoom in or out to resize the board. The default zoom level on a whiteboard is 100%.

Use Freeform in Dark Mode

As with the Notes app, you might think that using Freeform in dark mode will turn the canvas black. But no! When using dark mode, only the toolbar dims and the board stays white. Instead, all other pages in the app, such as the Folders page or All Boards page, will be in dark mode.

Enable Freeform Apple Pencil Support on iPad

The Apple Pencil is the perfect companion for using the Freeform app and drawing with it. So why not try? Get your iPad and follow the instructions:

1. Go to “Settings”and click on “Freeform”by scrolling down.
2. Turn on “Choice”and scroll under the “Apple Pencil”section.

So that’s all for today, friends!

Freeform will be the next definition of the digital whiteboard. You can brainstorm with your teammates by simply creating a board. What do you think of this new app for iOS 16? Let me know in the comments.