How to collaborate in Freeform boards and folders on iPhone

You can invite people to collaborate in Freeform boards and folders in iCloud, and everyone sees the latest changes when they’re online and signed in to their Apple Account. To make sure the board is accessible to all, you can add descriptions for visual items.

Boards are stored only in the owner’s iCloud, so the iCloud storage of the other participants isn’t affected. And as you work, you can see edits as others make them.

Here’s how to collaborate in Freeform boards and folders on iPhone.

Invite others to collaborate on a board

As you collaborate with others on a shared Freeform board, their edits show up as they make them. Since changes are saved in iCloud, the latest version is there for everyone with access to the board whenever they open it.

Note: A board is stored only in the owner’s iCloud, so items in it don’t affect the iCloud storage of participants.

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
2. Do one of the following:
   • While browsing All Boards: Touch and hold the board you want to share and tap Share.
   • From inside a board: Open the board you want to share (or tap the New Board button to start a new one). Tap the Share Board button.
3. The current sharing setting is described below the name of the board, such as People you choose can edit. Tap the setting to change it.
4. Choose how you want to share the board—such as in Messages or Mail—or tap the icon of anyone you communicated with recently to share with them.

You can add people after you start sharing a board. Tap the Collaborate button, tap Manage Shared Board, then tap Share With More People. When you share with others in Messages, the Collaborate button may change to reflect who shares the board with you.

Note: To view or edit the board, the people you share it with need iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, or later, and they must be signed in to their Apple Account. If you’re collaborating in Messages, you and anyone you invite must also turn on iMessage.

Share a folder

To work with others on a folder of Freeform boards, share it.

Note: You can only share a top-level folder.

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
2. Create a folder.
3. Touch and hold the folder, then tap Share.
4. In the share sheet, choose how to send the invitation, set permissions and then send. Anyone you invite gets access to all the boards and subfolders in the folder, including ones added later.
5. To set permissions, do any of the following:
   • Let others add and edit boards in the folder: Choose Can Make Changes.
   • Let others open boards without editing or adding new ones: Choose View Only.
6. To add participants, touch and hold the shared folder, tap Manage Shared Folder, and then tap Add People.

You won’t see Manage Shared Folder unless you’re the owner of the folder.

View others in a board

In real time, you can see where others are working on your board, or follow along as another participant moves in a board. Say someone is presenting their design proposal on a Freeform board: if you’re following them, you can see where they are on the board and what’s in their view.

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
2. Open the shared board where you want to see others at work. Tap the Collaborate button.
3. Turn on Participant Cursors if the setting is off.
4. Do any of the following:
   • Jump to where they’re working: Tap the name of a participant.

     The color next to the participant’s name matches the color marking their place on the board.

   • Follow their board view as they work or present: Tap the More button next to the name of a participant. Tap Follow Along. Or you can just tap the person’s avatar wherever they are on the board. Tap Follow.

Entering the mode deselects anything you’d selected before, and a border frames what they see on the board, in a color matching the cursor of the person you’re following.

You and the presenter you’re following both need to be online.

While following along, you can’t select anything on the board, and your zoom level matches the other person’s view.

To stop following along, tap Stop in the top-right corner—or just scroll, zoom, or edit.

Note: People working with you on a board can undo and redo only their own changes, and only while the board is open. On your iPhone, the Undo button steps back through the changes you made. To redo, touch and hold Undo, then tap Redo.

Add accessibility descriptions

You can add a description of your visual content to any item on your board. That way, people who use assistive technology such as VoiceOver can hear the visual content described aloud. (Descriptions aren’t visible on the board itself.)

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
2. Open the board where you want to add accessibility descriptions.
3. Tap to select the item you want to describe and tap the More button in the formatting tools at the bottom. Then tap Description.
4. Enter a description of the visual content, then tap the Close button.
5. To hear the description, turn on VoiceOver and then tap the item.

Stop sharing or collaborating

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPhone.
2. Touch and hold the shared board or folder. Then tap Manage Shared Folder.

   If you’re already in a board, tap the Collaborate button, then tap Manage Shared Board.

3. Do any of the following:
   • Remove individuals: Tap the name of the participant you want to remove. Then tap Remove Access.
   • Remove yourself from someone else’s board or folder: Tap your name, then tap Remove Me.
   • Stop sharing with everyone: Tap Stop Sharing and then tap Stop Sharing.

     When you choose this option, the board no longer appears on the devices of the other participants, even though you still have access to it.

     When you stop sharing a folder, the people you shared with lose access to all the boards and subfolders inside it.

After you start sharing a board, you can change access and permissions for individuals or for everyone.

For the collaboration features to work fully, all participants must be online and signed in to their Apple Account. They also need Freeform turned on in iCloud and must have set up two-factor authentication.