Use a screen reader with the Whiteboard app in Microsoft Teams
Applies ToMicrosoft Teams Whiteboard

This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.

Use Microsoft Whiteboard in a Microsoft Teams meeting with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to share a whiteboard and type collaboratively on a whiteboard. You'll also learn how to select and deselect whiteboard objects in the Microsoft Whiteboard app.

Notes: 

  • New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.

  • This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.

In this topic

Share a whiteboard in a Microsoft Teams meeting

You can share a whiteboard to make it available to all participants in a Microsoft Teams meeting. That same whiteboard is simultaneously available across the Microsoft Whiteboard applications on Windows, iOS, and on the web.

  1. Join the Microsoft Teams meeting using your phone or tablet.

  2. In the Microsoft Teams meeting, swipe right until you hear "More calling options, button," and then double-tap the screen. The calling options menu opens.

  3. Swipe right until you hear "Share button," and then double-tap the screen.

  4. Swipe right until you hear "Share whiteboard button," and then double-tap the screen. The whiteboard canvas is started, and the meeting attendees can now collaborate on the whiteboard. For instructions on how to work together on a whiteboard, refer to Add text to a whiteboard in a Microsoft Teams meeting.

    Note: If this is your first time sharing a whiteboard, you might have to swipe left until you hear "Create new whiteboard," and then double-tap the screen to display the canvas.

  5. To stop sharing the whiteboard in the meeting, do one of the following:

    • On the whiteboard canvas, swipe right until you hear "Stop sharing button," and then double-tap the screen.

    • Tap with four fingers near the bottom of the screen. You hear: "Hang up call." Swipe left until you hear "More calling options," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Share button," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear "Stop sharing whiteboard," and then double-tap the screen.

Add text to a whiteboard in a Microsoft Teams meeting

As soon as the whiteboard canvas has been started, the meeting attendees can start typing collaboratively. The meeting attendees can open the whiteboard they’re editing also in the full-featured Microsoft Whiteboard apps for Windows or iOS to add other content types and use additional features. These changes will appear in the whiteboard being edited in the Microsoft Teams meeting.

You can add text as a sticky note or as a text box directly to the whiteboard you're editing. 

  1. When the whiteboard has been shared in the meeting, swipe right or left until you hear "Create button, browse and select content you can insert to the whiteboard," and then double-tap the screen.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • To insert a sticky note with text, swipe left or right until you hear "Note," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Empty yellow note."

    • To insert a text box directly to the whiteboard, swipe right until you hear "Add text," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Empty text."

  3. Double-tap the screen, and then use the on-screen keyboard to type your text. When you're done, swipe left until you hear "Toolbar done," and then double-tap the screen.

  4. To save your note or text box and add it to the whiteboard, swipe left until you hear "Save button," and then double-tap the screen.

Select and deselect whiteboard objects 

Select and deselect objects with an iPhone

  1. While working with your whiteboard on an iPhone, to select an object, swipe right or left until the focus is on the object, and then double-tap the screen.

  2. To deselect an object, swipe left until you hear "Create button," and then double-tap the screen.

Note: You can't deselect an object using the standard (two-finger Z) escape gesture. We plan to add this in a future update.

Select and deselect objects with an iPad

  1. While working with your whiteboard on an iPad, to select an object, swipe right or left until the focus is on the object, and then double-tap the screen.

  2. To deselect an object, swipe left until you hear "Select button," and then double-tap the screen.

Note: You can't deselect an object using the standard (two-finger Z) escape gesture. We plan to add this in a future update.

See also

Use a screen reader to join a meeting in Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to share your screen in Microsoft Teams

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Microsoft Teams

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Microsoft Teams

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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