Freeform is Apple’s whiteboard app, offering an endless digital canvas that’s perfect for brainstorming, planning, and collaborating. It acts like a mega corkboard that never runs out of space, allowing creativity to flow without boundaries. The app is designed with an easy-to-navigate interface, making it suitable for both beginners and tech-savvy users.
The foundation of Freeform is its infinite canvas. This feature truly sets it apart, as you can create a board where everything is possible—drawings, text, sticky notes, colour palette, images, PDFs, and even videos. You can zoom in and out to focus on specifics or get an overview, with no worries about running out of space. This flexibility makes it great for projects of any scale, from small personal plans to large collaborative endeavors.
When it comes to its main features, Freeform provides a toolkit that’s both accessible and versatile. Drawing tools like pens, markers, highlighters, and erasers can be easily accessed whether you’re using a finger on your iPhone, a mouse on your Mac, or an Apple Pencil on an iPad. It also offers a lasso tool to select and move anything you draw, which helps in staying organized no matter how complex your board gets.
But Freeform isn’t just about working individually. You can share a board with up to 100 people, making it simple to work together and see others’ changes in real time. Invitations are a breeze through Messages, Mail, or a simple link. On top of that, if you happen to be on a FaceTime call, you can open Freeform and start collaborating with team members or classmates live, which makes remote teamwork feel almost effortless.
Keeping your creativity accessible across all your Apple devices is easy with iCloud sync. Whether you’re on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, your boards update automatically, so you always have the latest version on hand. No need to hit save—your work is safe and sound across your devices.
Once your board feels just right, sharing it with others or exporting it for different purposes is straightforward. You can export to a PDF, create a shared link, or save it as an image. Whether you’re saving it for later or showcasing your work, Freeform ensures your projects are well-packaged and ready to go.
Getting Started with Freeform: A Beginner-Friendly Step-by-Step Guide
Kicking off your journey with Freeform begins by opening the app and setting up your first board. Tapping the New Board icon gives you a blank canvas ready for your ideas, sketches, or project plans. Let your imagination take over and start populating the space with whatever comes to mind.
The app makes adding text straightforward. Whether noting down a quick thought or drafting a comprehensive idea, tapping the Text icon and typing away is smooth and simple. You can reposition, resize, or tweak the style of your text to match your board’s vibe.
Sticky notes are great for those quick ideas that need a bit of pop. By hitting the + icon and picking the Sticky Note option, adding a colored note becomes a snap. Type away, choose your color, and shift things around as needed.
Shapes play a big role in organizing and illustrating ideas. You can add them by selecting +, then Shapes, and browsing through categories to find what fits your project. Whether it’s icons, diagrams, or arrows, each shape can be resized, rotated, and styled to suit your needs.
There is also a pen that will translate your handwriting into text. Very handy if you feel that no one will be able to read your handwriting.
To express yourself artistically, using the drawing tools is a must. Selecting the drawing tool, picking your pen type, and letting your finger or Apple Pencil do the work is as fun as it sounds. Doodles, sketches, or intricate designs—it’s all possible.
The paint tube symbol is your fill tool. Simply tap in the middle of your large image and it automatically fills it with colour.
Visuals bring boards to life, and adding them is effortless. Snag a photo, scan a document, or pull files directly onto your board with a tap of the + icon. The images or files you insert can be moved or resized to fit perfectly.
Also you can remove the background from your photo with one click.
Keeping your board organized is key to clarity. The select tool helps in moving and grouping multiple items, nifty for rearranging. Layering things bring them forward or send back, so everything appears just the way you want.
Sharing is caring, and it doesn’t get easier than tapping Share, picking Add People, and inviting collaborators. Whether sending out an invite via Messages or Mail, your team can join in and edit in real time. Everyone gets to see changes as they happen, making teamwork efficient and interactive.