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Add photos, videos, stickers, scans, links, and other files to a Freeform board on iPad

In the Freeform app , you can add any photo or video to a board, or take a new one with your iPad camera. You can also add any kind of file to your board by scanning, linking, or inserting it.

A Freeform board with several inserted files: a photo, stickers, a video, a 3D image file, and a link. The 3D image file is selected, and its rotation button and formatting tools are visible.

Add a photo, video, sticker, link, or other file

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPad.

  2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Tap the Media button, then choose, for example, Stickers.

    • While using Split View or Slide Over, touch and hold a photo or video, then drag it to your Freeform board.

    • Copy the item to your Clipboard, tap an empty space on your Freeform board, then, when a menu appears, tap Paste.

Note: You can insert files saved on your iPad or in iCloud Drive. For most file types, Freeform makes a copy of the inserted file. When you add a link to a collaborative Keynote presentation, Numbers spreadsheet, or Pages document, participants in your Freeform board can tap the card to move to the shared file in iCloud. (If you want others to be able to collaborate on the file, you must save it in iCloud.)

Double-tap any media item—photo, video, scan, or other file—to preview it.

Scan and add a document

You can scan a paper document and add it to your board as a PDF without leaving Freeform.

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPad.

  2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.

  3. Tap the Media button, then tap Scan.

  4. Position the document so that it appears on the screen, then tap the Take Picture button or press a volume button.

  5. Drag the corners to select the area you want in the scanned document, then tap Keep Scan.

  6. Scan additional pages, then tap Save when you’re done.

A card with an image of the first page of your scan appears on your board.

Tip: To save your scan to iCloud Drive or on your iPad, select the card, tap the Preview button, tap the Actions Menu button, then tap Save to Files.

Format a photo or video

After you add photos or videos in the Freeform app , you can crop them, mask them, or change their formatting. Do any of the following:

  • Crop or mask the photo: Tap the Crop Mask button.

  • Remove the photo’s background: Tap the Modify Image button, then tap Remove Background. If the background of the photo can’t be made transparent, Remove Background isn’t available.

    Tip: You can also paste an image without a background. See Lift a subject from the photo background on iPad.

  • Add a shadow, round the corners, add a description, and more: Tap the More button, then choose an option.

  • Replace the photo or video: Select the photo or video, tap the Modify Image button or the Modify Movie button, tap Replace, then select a replacement.

  • Preview the photo or video: Tap the Preview button, or double-tap the photo or video.

    To preview a movie in full screen, double-tap it.

Put an image inside a shape

You can use a shape as a mask or frame for an image. For example, you can put your photo inside a circle.

  1. Open the Freeform app on your iPad.

  2. Open a board, or tap the New Board button to start a new one.

  3. Add a photo or other image to the board.

  4. Tap the Add Shape button, then choose a shape.

  5. Position the shape over the image, then select both it and the image. (See Select, align, and group multiple items on a board.)

  6. Tap the More button, then tap Mask with Shape.

Or drag an image onto a shape to use it as a frame.

To remove it from the shape, select the masked image, tap the More button, then tap Reset Mask.

Tip: To add a photo, video, file, or link to a new or existing Freeform board from supported apps (such as Notes, Photos, Safari, and more), tap the Share Board button, then tap the Freeform app icon.

See alsoDraw or handwrite on a Freeform board on iPadPosition items on a Freeform board on iPadAdd accessibility descriptionsApply consistent styles and formatting in Freeform on iPad
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