Freeform is Apple’s free whiteboard app — an infinite canvas where you can drop sticky notes, shapes, images, PDFs, links, and hand-drawn sketches, then zoom out to see the whole picture. It ships built into macOS (Ventura 13.1 and later), iPadOS, and iOS, so a board you start on your Mac is already on your iPhone. There’s no subscription and no separate download — if your Mac is running a recent macOS, Freeform is already in your Applications folder.
What you need
- macOS Ventura 13.1 or later (Freeform arrived in 13.1). Real-time collaboration and the newest tools work best on macOS Sonoma or Sequoia.
- A free iCloud account signed in under System Settings, with iCloud Drive turned on — this is what syncs your boards across devices.
Opening Freeform and creating your first board
- Open Launchpad or press Command–Space for Spotlight and type Freeform, then press Return.
- Click the new board button (the pencil-and-square icon in the top toolbar) to create a blank canvas.
- Every board autosaves and appears in the sidebar under All Boards. Double-click a board’s name to rename it.
The canvas is effectively infinite — scroll or pinch-zoom to move around, and use Command–plus / Command–minus to zoom in and out. Press Command–0 to fit everything on screen at once.
Adding content to a board
The toolbar across the top holds everything you can drop onto the canvas:
- Sticky notes — click the sticky-note icon, then click anywhere to place one. Notes come in several colors; use them for quick ideas you want to move around freely.
- Shapes — the shapes library has hundreds of built-in graphics (arrows, boxes, flowchart symbols, people, objects). Drag one onto the canvas, then resize with the corner handles.
- Text — click the text (Aa) tool and start typing anywhere. Change font, size, and alignment from the format popover.
- Drawing — click the pen icon to sketch freehand with a trackpad, mouse, or (on iPad) Apple Pencil.
- Files and media — the media button (or simply drag from Finder) inserts images, videos, PDFs, documents, and web links. PDFs and documents show a live preview right on the board.
Move anything by dragging it; select multiple items with a rubber-band drag, then align, group, or delete them together.
Connecting ideas and staying organized
Freeform shines as a place to think visually. To draw a connector between two shapes, hover over a shape until small dots appear on its edges, then drag from a dot to another shape — the line stays attached even when you move things. This makes it easy to build flowcharts, mind maps, and diagrams. Use different sticky-note colors and shape fills to group related ideas, and drop a large text heading as a section label.
Syncing across iPhone and iPad
Because Freeform stores boards in iCloud Drive, sync is automatic. Make sure every device is signed into the same Apple Account and has iCloud Drive enabled (on the Mac: System Settings › your name › iCloud › iCloud Drive). Edit a board on your Mac and it updates on your iPhone within seconds; start sketching on an iPad with Apple Pencil and finish on the Mac. If a board looks out of date, confirm the device has an internet connection and that iCloud Drive isn’t paused. Freeform pairs naturally with using an iPad as a second display with Sidecar and with Universal Control when you want one keyboard and trackpad across both screens.
Collaborating in real time
- Open the board you want to share and click the Collaborate button (the person-with-a-plus icon) in the toolbar.
- Choose Share, confirm the option reads “Collaborate” (not “Send Copy”), and pick how to invite people — Messages, Mail, or a copyable link.
- Everyone with access edits the same live board. You’ll see collaborators’ cursors move, and a colored dot marks who’s active. Click the collaborate icon again to manage permissions or stop sharing.
Collaborators need an Apple device signed into an Apple Account; there is no web version of Freeform, so a Windows PC can’t join a board.
Handy shortcuts
- Command–N — new board
- Command–plus / minus — zoom in and out; Command–0 fits the whole board
- Command–Z / Command–Shift–Z — undo and redo
- Space–drag — pan around the canvas
Frequently asked questions
Is Freeform free?
Yes. Freeform is completely free and built into macOS, iPadOS, and iOS — there’s no subscription and nothing to buy.
Which Macs can run Freeform?
Any Mac running macOS Ventura 13.1 or later. That covers virtually every Mac from the last several years, including all Apple silicon (M1, M2, M3, and M4) models and most 2017-and-newer Intel Macs.
Do my boards sync automatically?
Yes, through iCloud Drive. As long as every device is signed into the same Apple Account with iCloud Drive on, boards sync within seconds — no manual saving or exporting needed.
Can I use Freeform with a Windows PC?
No. Freeform is Apple-only and has no web app, so it can’t be opened or joined from Windows.
How is Freeform different from Notes?
Notes is best for text and lists; Freeform is a spatial, infinite canvas for arranging ideas, images, and shapes visually. If you just want a quick jotting, see how to use Quick Note on a Mac.
Looking for more Mac tips? Browse all our Mac guides.