With iOS 16.2, your iPhone has a new app: Freeform. This is a digital whiteboard where you can brainstorm, sketch and design in real time. In this article you will get acquainted with the app.
Freeform App: Apple Digital Whiteboard
The Freeform app is available in iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1. The software is not out yet, but a beta (test version) has appeared, so we can get started with it now. We expect the official release sometime in December.
Freeform is a great app for brainstorming or designing together. You can see the changes made by other participants in real time. You can add all kinds of files in the flexible canvas. Those are:
- Photos and videos
- Sound
- PDFs
- Documents
- web links
You can also annotate, draw and add sticky notes, tables, text boxes and shapes. If you tap on such an element (for example a text box), a pop-up appears with editing options. For example, you can adjust the font of a text, or ensure that an arrow is shown as a dotted line with a shape.
Share Freeform Canvas
By tapping the Share icon at the top right (the square with the arrow) you add participants. When someone invites you, you collaborate on the canvas by tapping a link in the Messages app. Changes and additions made are tracked in a group chat in Messages.
When someone makes edits to the canvas, a name appears above the edit. you can also check where a person is working by tapping their name in the list. Several people can make changes or additions at the same time.
Export
When you have finished your digital brainstorming session, you can convert the canvas to a PDF. This is how you do it:
- Tap the arrow in the top center (next to the project name) to expand the options;
- Choose ‘Export as PDF’;
- Specify where you want to save the PDF, such as the Files app.
Is Freeform also available for Android?
Freeform is a great productivity app, which is completely free. Unfortunately, there is also a big disadvantage: the app is only available for Apple devices, so you may not be able to use it with (some) of your colleagues or friends. You need an iPhone, iPad or Mac. In that case, you can opt for one of the popular alternatives, such as the Miro, Mural and Whiteboard apps.
Freeform isn’t the only innovation in iOS 16.2. You can read about all the new features in an article about the iOS 16.2 beta.
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