Annotation Screen

[Lynne726]

I am using Zoom for teaching students in different states. I have multiple computers with Zoom and some have the Annotation screen. Some do not. Is there a way to "upload " the annotation screen to a computer from Zoom? The whiteboard isn't always a useful tool for my students with low vision.

[David071]

The Annotation feature in Zoom isn’t something you can “upload” or manually install — it’s built into the Zoom desktop client itself.
If annotation tools are missing on some of your computers, try these steps:

1. Check your Zoom version:

   • Open Zoom → click your profile picture → Check for Updates.

   • Make sure you’re running the latest version. Older versions sometimes hide or disable annotation.

2. Enable Annotation in Settings:

   • Go to https://zoom.us/profile/setting

   • Under In Meeting (Basic) → make sure Annotation is enabled.

   • If you’re part of an organization account, your admin might need to enable it for you.

3. Start a screen share → click “Annotate” on the top bar.

   • If you don’t see the toolbar, hover your mouse near the top of the screen.

   • The whiteboard and annotation tools are separate — annotation only appears when you’re sharing your screen or slides.

4. Accessibility tip for low-vision students:

[Ray_Harwood]

Hey, @Lynne726.

Check out this Zoom Support article, "Using annotation tools for collaboration":
https://support.zoom.com/hc/en/article?id=zm_kb&sysparm_article=KB0067931

Pay close attention to the Requirements box if you are using Linux.

Not sure what you mean by "have the annotation screen".  There is an annotate menu button on the floating toolbar for the person who is screen sharing:

Once you've clicked Annotate, the Annotate Toolbar appears:

For someone viewing the screen sharing, if annotation is enabled, there should be a green annotation icon superimposed on the shared screen:

Once they click the annotation icon, it is replaced with the Annotation Menu:

For either sharer or viewer, clicking the red X closes the annotation toolbar. The sharer can re-click the Annotate menu item; the viewer sees the annotation icon again, and can click that to reveal the annotation toolbar again.