MS365 Whiteboard
Microsoft Whiteboard is a digital whiteboard from Microsoft 365 for real-time visual collaboration, integrated directly into Microsoft Teams.
22 September 2026 · Draft for the "Tools A–Z" page (English version) · Note: the AI-assisted Copilot features are deliberately omitted here pending internal clarification (see comment on the German tab)
Microsoft Whiteboardis accessible via the Microsoft 365 environment. Access to all M365 services is via your Leuphana account. Guidance and an FAQ on M365 can be found on the MIZ pages.
The tool is available as a web app (whiteboard.microsoft.com or office.com), as a desktop app for Windows, as a mobile app for Android/iOS, and integrated into Microsoft Teams – there directly within meetings, in chats and as a tab within team channels.
The key basic functions for creative collaboration and designing a board are available:
- Sticky notes in various colours, with instant editing and simple text formatting
- Text boxes with formatting options
- Standard shapes, including automatic shape recognition from freehand drawing
- Inserting documents, images and files via drag and drop
- Inserting URLs with a preview
- Freehand drawing with pens, highlighters, a ruler, an eraser and a lasso tool
- Reactions (emoji) for quick, non-verbal feedback
- Over 60 free templates, including for brainstorming, retrospectives, team organisation and lesson planning
Functions for navigation, facilitation and focusing attention are also available, albeit to a lesser extent than in specialised whiteboard tools:
- Zoom and mouse control for scaling placed elements
- A grid for aligning objects
- Locking individual objects against accidental movement or editing
- Grouping several elements into areas
- Display of contributors, with names attributed to their contributions
- Presentation mode
Results are saved automatically: since October 2021, newly created whiteboards have been stored as files in OneDrive for Business. This provides organisation-wide features such as data residency, granular permissions, full-text search, external sharing, and compliance and governance capabilities. Individual boards can also be exported as an image file and embedded in other Office applications (e.g. OneNote, PowerPoint).
Boards are shared via link, and access permissions (view and edit) can be restricted via Microsoft 365 sharing settings. In Teams meetings, a whiteboard is automatically available to all participants once started via "Share"; no separate registration is required for Leuphana staff, as access is via the existing account.
MS365 Whiteboard can be used in teaching, as well as for conferences and meetings – particularly where Teams is already in use:
- Collecting ideas through simple brainstorming/mind-mapping, directly from within a Teams meeting
- Independent work on topics and exercises in small groups (e.g. in Teams breakout rooms)
- Preparing for and following up on sessions with a board that remains available in the channel
- Carrying out planning, retrospectives or strategy development using ready-made templates
- Organising teamwork with continuous storage in OneDrive/Teams
Other whiteboards available for use at Leuphana can be found on the Digital whiteboards page.