You can sketch or jot a handwritten note with Apple Pencil (see compatibility) or your finger. You can edit and work with handwritten text just as you do with typed text, and you can solve handwritten math problems.

Your strokes are grouped when you draw in Freeform, and you can separate or merge them. Holding your finger or Apple Pencil still for a moment at the end can smooth or straighten a drawing’s shape.

Draw or handwrite

Drawing in the Freeform app groups your strokes. You can separate or merge your strokes to break a drawing apart, and delete, resize, or straighten parts of it.

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Tap the Drawing and Handwriting Tools button and then draw with your finger or Apple Pencil.

   If you’re using Apple Pencil and want to be able to switch to draw with your finger, tap the More button in the drawing tools, then turn on Draw with Finger.

   Tip: Hold your finger or Apple Pencil still for a moment when you finish the drawing to smooth or straighten its shape.

4. Do any of the following:
   • Switch tools: Tap a tool. Swipe to see other tools, such as Fill, Crayon, Fountain Pen, Reed Pen, or Watercolor Brush.
   • Change a tool’s qualities (such as angle, thickness, opacity): Tap any tool a second time.
   • Fill a shape with color: Tap the Fill tool (the paint tube) and tap within a closed shape.
   • Draw a straight line: Tap the Ruler tool. Rotate the ruler by placing two fingers on it and turning your hand.
   • Transform your handwriting to typed text as you write with Apple Pencil: Use Scribble (next to the pen). See Enter text with Scribble.
   • Select, edit, and straighten parts of your drawing: Tap the Lasso tool (between the Eraser and Ruler) in the drawing tools and tap or circle the part of the drawing you want to select. Tap an option or tap the More button to see other options.

     Tip: Choose Snap to Shapes to smooth or straighten hand-drawn lines.

     To clean up your handwriting without transforming it into type, see Work with handwritten text, below.

5. Tap the Done button when you’re finished drawing.

Note: In Freeform, Apple Pencil acts as a drawing and writing tool by default. If you’d also like to use it to select and scroll, you can change this setting.

Work with handwritten text

Handwriting in the Freeform app is recognized as words, so you can search it just like typed text. You can also select it, straighten it, translate it, or copy and paste it as text.

1. After you write on your Freeform board with the drawing tools, tap the Lasso tool (between the Eraser and Ruler) in the drawing tools.
2. To select text, tap, double-tap, or circle the words, tap the More button, and then do any of the following:
   • Make text more legible, smooth, and straight: Tap Refine.

     Tip: To automatically smooth and straighten text as you write, tap the More button in the tools, then turn on Auto-refine Handwriting.

   • Make your writing more level: Tap Straighten.
   • Correct spelling: Tap an underlined word and choose how you want to correct it. The fix appears in your own writing style.
   • Move handwritten text: Touch and hold the selected text and then drag it to a new position.
   • Drag and drop: Touch and hold the text.
   • Erase text: Strike through the writing and then hold down your finger on iPad. (Supported when using a markup tool such as Pen, Mono line, or Marker.)

When you tap a handwritten link, address, phone number, or date, it may open a menu or another related app.

Solve handwritten math problems

1. Open the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Tap the Actions Menu button, tap Math Results, and then choose how you want your iPad to respond to the math problems you enter:
   • If you want it to solve them: Choose Insert Results. (The answer appears in writing that matches your own.)
   • If you want suggestions to appear: Choose Suggest Results. (A Solve button appears that, when tapped, adds the answer in writing that matches your own.)
4. Tap the Drawing and Handwriting Tools button. Then start writing a math equation.
5. Write an equal sign or draw a horizontal line below a stack of numbers and then do one of the following:
   • In Insert Results mode: Tap the answer to open the equation. You can tap the Close button to delete the answer. Tap the expression to show the hint again, or draw the equal sign again.
   • In Suggest Results mode: Tap Solve to add the answer in writing that matches your own.

Decide which mode you’d like to use, or turn off math hints. For more, see our guide, Get math hints.

Just as in the Calculator app, you can use variables, edit equations, and update results. For more, read our article, Solve math with Math Notes.

You can also enter equations to be solved in any text in sticky notes, shapes, and text boxes.

See also

• Add images, scans, links, and other files to a Freeform board on iPad
• Add shapes, lines, and arrows to a Freeform board on iPad
• Position items on a Freeform board on iPad
• Draw and handwrite with Markup on iPad

You can add any photo or video to a Freeform board, generate an image, or take a new photo with your iPad camera. You can also add different types of files to your board by scanning, linking, or inserting them.

You can create original images with Image Playground and paste items from your Clipboard, too. Anyone can use premium Content Hub images. With a subscription to Apple Creator Studio, though, you’ll be able to remove their watermarks.

Available with subscription: Some features require a subscription to Apple Creator Studio.

Add a photo, video, sticker, link, or other file

1. Go to the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Tap the Media button, tap an option, then tap the Done button when you’re finished.
   • Copy the item to your Clipboard, tap an empty space, then, when a menu appears, tap Paste.
   • To add premium images from the Content Hub to your board, tap the Content Hub button in the toolbar, tap an object category at the top of the dialog, then tap a premium image to add it to the board. Anyone can use premium Content Hub images, but you need to subscribe to Apple Creator Studio to remove their watermarks.

     Important: Premium images from Content Hub are subject to usage restrictions.

Double-tap any media item—photo, video, or other file—to preview it.

Note: You can insert files saved on your iPad or in iCloud Drive, and for most file types, Freeform inserts a copy. Links to a collaborative Keynote presentation, Numbers spreadsheet, or Pages document behave differently: Participants in your Freeform board can tap the card to open the shared file in iCloud. (For others to collaborate on the file, it has to be saved in iCloud.)

Create original images with Image Playground

Using Apple Intelligence, you can mix text descriptions, photos of people from your photo library, and more into one-of-a-kind illustrations.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iPadOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPad mini (A17 Pro) and iPad models with M1 or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Create a new image: Tap the Insert Media button in the toolbar, tap Image Playground, and then follow instructions to create an image.
   • Replace an existing image with an image created in Image Playground: Select an image and tap the Modify Image button. Tap Replace, tap Image Playground, and then follow instructions to create an image.
   • Use elements from your board: Select up to six images, drawings, text boxes, sticky notes, or shapes that you want to use, tap the More button in the formatting tools and tap Add to Playground. Follow the onscreen instructions to create an image.
4. Tap the Done button or Insert to add the image to your board.

Generate new images with Apple Creator Studio

With an Apple Creator Studio subscription, advanced tools let you create and edit high-quality images, or transform existing ones with generative models.

Note: This feature is not available in all countries and regions.

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Tap the Content Hub button in the toolbar.

   Note: If this is your first time using Image Generation in Freeform, follow the onscreen instructions to share your age range with the app. Image Generation is not available for all ages, so a parent or guardian must enable this feature for children and teens in their family group. See Set up Family Sharing.

4. Tap Generate Image, then follow the onscreen instructions.

   If you’re asked to send an image, select Allow Once or Always Allow. To reset this option, tap the More button, tap Intelligence Features, then tap Reset Permissions.

5. Tap Insert to add the image to your board.

Important: Image Generation is subject to usage limitations. To check your usage status, tap the More button, tap Intelligence Features, then tap Show Usage Status.

Scan and add a document

Scan a paper document, and you can add it to your board as a PDF right from Freeform.

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Tap the Insert button, then tap Scan Documents.
4. Position the iPad camera so the document appears on the screen.

   iPad automatically captures the page. To capture the scan manually, tap Auto (the label changes to Manual), tap the Take Picture button or press a volume button, drag the corners to select the area you want in the scanned document, then tap Keep.

5. Scan additional pages, then tap the Done button when you’re done.

Your board gets a card showing an image of the first page of your scan.

Quick tip: You can keep your scan in iCloud Drive or on your iPad. To do that, select the card, tap the Preview button, and tap the Share button, then tap Save to Files.

Format a photo or video

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board with a photo or video in it.
3. Tap a photo or video to open its formatting tools and then do any of the following:
   • Crop or mask the photo: Tap the Crop Mask button.
   • Remove the photo’s background: Tap the Modify Image button and then tap Remove Background. If the background of the photo can’t be made transparent, Remove Background isn’t available.

     Tip: You can also paste an image without a background. See Lift a subject from the photo background.

   • Add a shadow, round the corners, add a description, and more: Tap the More button and then choose an option.
   • Replace the photo or video: Select the photo or video, tap the Modify Image button or the Modify Movie button, tap Replace, and then select a replacement.
   • Preview the photo or video: Tap the Preview button, or double-tap the photo or video.

     To preview a movie in full screen, double-tap it.

Auto Crop a photo

Auto Crop, available with an Apple Creator Studio subscription, can intelligently generate suggestions that improve image composition.

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board with an image, double-tap the image to view the mask controls. Tap Auto Crop to preview cropping suggestions.
3. Tap a suggestion to update your image and tap Done.

Increase resolution with Super Resolution

If you’re an Apple Creator Studio subscriber, you can increase the resolution of photos with Super Resolution, making them clearer.

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board with an image, tap the image, and tap the Image Inspector button.
3. Tap Super Resolution.

Put an image inside a shape

Want your photo inside a circle? Use a shape as a mask or frame for an image.

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Add a photo or other image to the board.
4. Tap the Add Shape button, then choose a shape.
5. Position the shape over the image, then select both it and the image.
6. Tap the More button in the formatting tools and tap Mask with Shape.

Or drag an image onto a shape to use it as a frame.

To remove it from the shape, select the masked image, tap the More button, then tap Reset Mask.

Quick tip: From supported apps like Notes, Photos, and Safari, you can send a photo, video, file, or link to a Freeform board. Select it and tap the Share button in the other app, then tap the Freeform app icon, and finally tap New Board or the name of an existing board. (Others can add items to your board only if you save it in iCloud.)

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions. Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts. Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

See also

• Draw or handwrite on a Freeform board on iPad
• Position items on a Freeform board on iPad
• Add accessibility descriptions
• Apply consistent styles and formatting in Freeform on iPad

Freeform contains hundreds of shapes in a variety of categories, like animals, food, symbols, and ornaments. After you add shapes to a board, you can customize them in a number of ways, including combining them, splitting them, or changing their size or the way they look.

To change the size or proportions, you drag a blue dot, and green dots adjust the form or curve. You can even change the type of shape after you add it.

Add and format shapes, lines, and arrows

1. Go to the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Tap the Add Shape button. Select a shape from the suggestions, or tap Browse Content Hub to see more shapes.

   Tip: To clear your recently inserted shapes from the suggestions, tap Browse Content Hub, then tap Reset Suggestions.

4. To change your object’s properties, tap to select the object. Then do any of the following:
   • Change the size or proportions: Drag a blue dot.
   • Adjust the form, curve, number of points, and other aspects particular to your object: Drag any green dot. If it’s part of a diagram, you can also change its connection points.
   • Change the type of shape: Tap the More button in the formatting tools, tap Change Shape, and then choose another shape.

You can also add shapes and lines by drawing them on your board, then smoothing or straightening the strokes. See our article, Draw or handwrite on a Freeform board.

Combine or split shapes

Combine one shape with another, remove the overlapping area between two shapes, and more to make a new shape. Multipart shapes on a Freeform board can also be split into their parts, so you can edit each part individually. You could split the map of the United States (in the Places category), for instance, and give each state its own color.

With shapes on your Freeform board, do one of the following:

• Combine shapes: Select multiple items, tap the Arrange button, then below Combine Shapes, tap an option to unite, intersect, subtract, or exclude.
• Split a multipart shape apart: Tap the More button in the formatting tools, then tap Break Apart.

See also

• Draw or handwrite on a Freeform board on iPad
• Position items on a Freeform board on iPad
• Add accessibility descriptions
• Apply consistent styles and formatting in Freeform on iPad

You can easily create a connected diagram, such as a flowchart, by using connectors and the shape picker in Freeform. Depending on the type of item, you can attach lines to an item or near it.

You can connect two items with a line and change connection points. You can quickly add equally spaced, aligned shapes with connectors, too.

Here’s how to add diagrams to a Freeform board on iPad.

Create a diagram

1. Go to the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.
3. Do one of the following:
   • In full-screen view: Tap the Show Connectors button in the lower-right corner.
   • In smaller windows: Tap the More button and tap View Options. Tap Show Connectors. See Work with multiple windows at once.
4. To begin your diagram, add an item by tapping the Add Text Box button, the Add Shape button, the Add Sticky Note button, or the Insert button.
5. Drag a connector arrow to where you want the next part of your diagram. When you let go, a small menu of shapes opens. Tap to select the next shape you want to add.

   (Tap the Other button to browse other shapes.)

6. Tap the Done button when you’re finished diagramming.

You don’t see connector arrows when you select a line or multiple items.

Quick tip: Equally spaced, aligned shapes with connectors are quick to add. Tap a shape to select it, then touch and hold a connector arrow. A preview of the shape and line shows up while you hold, and letting go adds them to the board.

Connect two items with a line

1. Start the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board with items on it.
3. Touch and hold an item on your board, then, with another finger, tap another item to select it too. See Select, align, and group multiple items on a board.
4. Tap the More button in the formatting tools, then tap Add Connection Line.

Change connection points

Once a connection line is on a diagram on a Freeform board, you can still change how it connects.

1. Tap to select a connection line, then drag one of its endpoints (the blue dots).
2. Attach the endpoint to another item on the board at a new connection point.

   Connection points appear at the center, top, bottom, and sides of your item. A filled circle appears when a connection is possible elsewhere—either in or near the item.

See also

• Draw or handwrite on a Freeform board on iPad
• Position items on a Freeform board on iPad
• Apply consistent styles and formatting in Freeform on iPad

You can add text to a Freeform board using a sticky note or text box, or you can add text within a shape. With a keyboard connected, typing starts as soon as the item appears. You can also change the font, alignment, and more.

1. Go to the Freeform app on your iPad.
2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one and then do one of the following:
   • Add a text box: Tap the Add Text Box button.
   • Add text inside a shape: Tap the Content Hub button. Then tap the Add Shape button.
   • Add a sticky note: Tap the Add Sticky Note button.
3. Double-tap the text box, shape, or sticky note. Enter text. (If you have a keyboard connected, you can start typing as soon as the item appears.)
4. To change the font, alignment, and more, select the object and then tap the Modify Text button in the formatting tools.

See also

• Draw or handwrite on a Freeform board on iPad
• Position items on a Freeform board on iPad
• Apply consistent styles and formatting in Freeform on iPad