What is Apple Freeform?

Apple Freeform is a collaborative whiteboard experience designed for sketching, collaborating and bringing ideas together. You can use your Apple Pencil to sketch ideas using the wide range of sketch features, collaborate with others a-sync or using FaceTime or create your own space to design your own thoughts and share them.

Collaborating on FaceTime makes life easier for smaller teams, friends and families mocking up visual plans. This won't work as advanced as say tools like Miro but it will offer a unique way to sketch notes and see that in real-time with others with or without video call on.

Once you've completed a Freeform you can export that to PDF or share the Freeform whiteboard with others to help collaborate on and offline.

The Best Features of Apple Freeform

Let's dig a little bit deeper into the experience with Apple Freeform and how it works for collaborating on sketch notes together on iPad, macOS and iPhone too.

• Collaborate whilst on FaceTime with your team members or friends.
• Share projects for others to collaborate in their own time, all synced within iCloud.
• Draw using different brushes and colours.
• Add text in different fonts and styles.
• Add multimedia like images, videos and PDFs.
• Use the sticky note button to add notes to the whiteboard.
• Use the text box to type text and make notes to yourself for later.

Does Apple Freeform works with FaceTime?

FaceTime can be access through Apple Freeform for real-time collaboration with others on your sketches and ideas.

• Freeform was first launched as a way to collaborate live with your friends or teammates via FaceTime.
• You can open up the application and contribute to the whiteboard in real time.
• This means planning and organising an event, task or project can be done quickly and in an enjoyable way.

Difference Between Apple Freeform & Apple Notes

Apple Notes is more of a personal experience, whereas, Apple Freeform aims to be the Apple Notes but for collaborating in real-time and on FaceTime calls.

Getting Started with Apple Freeform

Want to get started with Apple Freeform? Here's a quick little guide to what you can do inside the Freeform app.

• The Drawing Tool: Once in Freeform mode, choose the drawing tool that suits your preference. You can typically find a selection of pens, pencils, highlighters, and erasers. Experiment with different styles and sizes to find the perfect tools for your creations.
• Start Drawing: With the drawing tool selected, you can now start drawing freely on the canvas. Use your finger or Apple Pencil (if supported) to sketch, write, or create any design you desire. Apple Freeform provides a natural and responsive drawing experience.
• Customize and Enhance: Apple Freeform offers various customization options to enhance your drawings. You can select different colours, adjust opacity, and even add shading or textures. Take advantage of these options to add depth and vibrancy to your creations.
• Edit and Refine: Apple Freeform allows you to edit and refine your drawings easily. You can select specific elements, move them around, resize them, or adjust their properties. Take your time to perfect your artwork until you are satisfied with the results.
• Save and Share: Once you have completed your drawing, save it within the app or export it as an image file. You can share your artwork directly from the app via email, messaging apps, or social media platforms to showcase your creativity and inspire others.

Here's a really great guide for getting started with Apple Freeform on iPhone and iPad.

Is Apple Freeform Best Suited For Me?

Apple Freeform is great for anyone looking to express their creativity to manage their projects, schoolwork, tasks, notes and more.

With the Freeform app, you can really create a space for anything you want, it doesn't need to be study or work-related, it can also be used just for fun. Freeform, the Apple sketch app is great for team collaboration if that's how you'd like to work together, it's also great for sharing projects quickly and keeping updates stored within iCloud.

This might not be suitable for enterprise management we'd recommend tools like Milanote, Miro and ConceptBoard for visual idea expression in larger teams or more professional capacities.