Position items on a Freeform board on iPad

In the Freeform app , you can move, rotate, or resize items on your board. You can align, distribute, or group them, and move them to the background or foreground. You can turn on a grid or guides to help you position items, and lock items when you want to prevent any further changes.

Move, rotate, or resize an item

After you add an item to a board in the Freeform app , you can tap to select it and then do any of the following:

Reposition it: Drag from the center of the item.
Move it in a straight line: To constrain an item’s movement horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, drag the item with one finger while you use another finger to touch and hold anywhere on the board.
Rotate it: Place two fingers on the item, then turn your hand in the direction you want to rotate it.
Put it in the background or foreground: Tap , then tap Back or Front.
Resize it: Drag a blue dot.
In text boxes, drag a green dot to resize both the box and the text within it.
Match its size to another item: Start resizing, then use a second finger to touch and hold the item whose size you want to match. When the words Match Size appear, lift both your fingers at the same time.

Select, align, and group multiple items on a board

After you add items to a board in the Freeform app , you can select and align multiple items relative to one another. You can also group several items to more easily move, rotate, or resize them as a single unit.

A Freeform board filled with a grid of photos. Several photos are selected, and the alignment and grouping tools appear above them.

Select multiple items by doing one of the following:
- Touch and hold an item on your board, then, with another finger, tap other items.
- Touch and hold the canvas, then drag the box that appears around the items you want to select.
- Tap an empty space on the canvas, then tap Select Objects. Tap each item you want to select. Tap the item again if you want to deselect it.
Move, rotate, or resize the selected items, or tap , then tap an alignment option or Group.
Some items—such as 3D objects—can’t be grouped.

Select items and scroll with Apple Pencil

By default, Apple Pencil works as a drawing and writing tool in Freeform. You can change this setting if you also want to be able to use Apple Pencil to select items and scroll.

Go to Settings > Freeform.
Below Apple Pencil, turn on Select and Scroll (green is on).

After you change this setting, tap in the toolbar to draw. Tap the button again to use Pencil to select and scroll.

Hide or show the grid

You can show a grid of gray dots on your board, which allows you to see more easily whether items line up.

Open the Freeform app on your iPad.
Open a board, or tap to start a new one.
Do one of the following:
- In full-screen view: Tap in the lower-right corner.
- In Split View: Tap in the toolbar, then tap Hide Grid or Show Grid.

Turn guides on or off

Guides can help you place items precisely in the Freeform app . When guides are on, they appear as you drag an item on a board and it aligns with another item. They also indicate when three or more items are equally spaced. You can turn the guides off and on as needed.

Go to Settings > Freeform. Turn Center Guides, Edge Guides, and Spacing Guides on or off.

Lock an item on a board

After you add an item to a board in the Freeform app , you can lock it so you don’t inadvertently move, modify, or delete it. For example, you might lock one or more text boxes to serve as headings. (This could help set off areas on a board where participants can share items.)

Tap a drawing, shape, text box, or other item on your board.
Tap , then tap Lock.

Tip: When you want to define a workspace for your participants (rather than having a wide open canvas), try adding a large rectangle shape. Select the shape, tap , tap Back, then lock it.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide