Forum Discussion
New Microsoft Whiteboard App
For those who may not have seen, there is a new version of Microsoft Whiteboard currently available in preview. It was released a couple of days ago into the Microsoft Store.
It's available for Surface Hub, but more importantly, also Windows 10 devices! We've been testing it for a couple of days and, suffice to say, it's FREAKING AWESOME!
Our favourite things so far:
- Co-authoring between any device
- Whiteboard collections in one place, so no need to save different boards to OneDrive
- Nice new gestures when using pen actions, like the eraser dynamically resizing depending on how fast you erase
- Gridlines while resizing
- Sticky notes and stacks are pretty cool
- Did I mention co-authoring between any device?
You do need an Office 365 account to use it, and you'll need to turn it on in your tenant (from the Admin settings) to use it. But **bleep**... this is so so good! Our users are actually excited about getting their hands on this... never quite seen hype for a work product before, but it's there this time!
Hi Ron/Everyone
Looks like we've got an update coming out today that enables opt-in for the new Whiteboard app:
This update to the Surface Hub includes quality improvements and security fixes .
Key updates to Surface Hub, not already outlined in Windows 10 Update History , include:
- Skype for Business fixes:
- Resolves Skype for Business connection issue when resuming from sleep
- Resolves Skype for Business network connection issue, when device is connected to Internet
- Resolves Skype for Business crash when searching for users from directory
- Resolves issue where the Hub mistakenly reports “No Internet connection” in enterprise proxy environments.
- Implemented a feature allowing customers to op-in to a new Whiteboard experience.
Looking at the Whiteboard page for Surface Hub, it seems it's been updated, but I'm not sure if this corresponds exactly with the update today:
How can I roll out the new version?
The new version of Whiteboard can be rolled out to Surface Hubs with an MDM setting that will be available by the end of the year.
If you wish to opt in sooner, you can enroll the device in the Windows Insider Program. The Release Preview ring provides an option to receive fixes, applications and drivers only. This will get slightly faster updates of Whiteboard and other apps.
To opt into Whiteboard using Release Preview:
On your Surface Hub, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program, and click Get Started.
Follow the steps to opt the device into the Windows Insider Program, making sure to choose Just fixes, apps and drivers. Within 24 hours, you should see the new Whiteboard app as the default.
If you have previously installed the new Whiteboard app on the device, you should uninstall it.
So on one hand, we have an update saying they've implemented a feature to allow us to opt-in, on the other the Whiteboard page is saying we need to enroll in the Insider Programme for just fixes, apps and drivers to get the new app, and that the MDM setting will be coming later this year.
Currently nothing on the Surface Hub Admin Guide.
Given this has only just hit the relative sites, ChangeWindows hasn't even picked up on today's CU release yet, and nothing from Jen in the Windows 10 subreddit, I'll give it a few days and see if we get a consistent message in the admin guide confirming how to roll this out properly, either whether the MDM setting is actually there, or if the update today just allows for the Insider Programme to roll it out. Fingers crossed it's the former!
- Skype for Business fixes:
Daniel Hudson and Nydia Cavazos, I really like this new Whiteboard App! I like that you can find easily the previous Whiteboard apps and open and continue as well as using it on other Windows 10 devices. I do have one question that a couple of users asked me and that is where are the whiteboards you create stored? We know where we can access and love it, but curious where they are stored? Executive of HR was one and security was a concern. Thanks!!!
- Hi Jeffrey. The Whiteboard website says that data is currently stored in the US, presumably on Azure. The data itself is not user accessible, so it's only view-able from within the app itself at the moment.
Daniel Hudson, thanks for the information. This is helpful for them!
- Do we have any ETA on when this will be officially available?
No, but we can make some guesses.
The last major update for Surface Hub was to 1703 in May 2017.
This years Spring update hasn't shipped jut yet, but probably will in a couple of weeks as 1803. So maybe there will be a Surface Hub update a couple of months after that?
Will that update contain the new whiteboard by default, and remove the preview label is anyone's guess.
We got the new Whiteboard App Preview and deployed it to a few users, but the links to "Invite via email" and "Copy invite URL" don't work. It prompts for the users to sign into Office 365 even though they already are signed into Office 365 with their Office 365 work accounts. Their Exchange Online and Skype For Business Online work fine. Only this Whiteboard app doesn't recognize they are signed into Office 365.
If you click on the link to "Sign up," it sends you to an Office 365 Home edition page.
https://products.office.com/en-us/office-365-home-a
The feedback link doesn't work at all. If you click on it, it does nothing.
I opened a support ticket in the Office 365 Admin portal and they transferred me to Windows desktop home support which transferred me to Pro business support (who would require payment to troubleshoot). Nobody knows who supports issues with this app.
Yes, we enabled the Whiteboard app preview in the Office 365 Azure portal.
How can we get these login issues fixed?
Who supports this?
Sharing with the whiteboard app preview isn't working for anyone in our organization. Even the feedback link doesn't work so I can't even report it.
I posted details in this thread in another post a couple weeks ago and got zero response.
Is there another place we post issues about this app and get the developer to either fix it or explain why it isn't working and whether it will work soon or if we should just give up and uninstall it?
KalimanneJ Microsoft Whiteboard is currently a preview, when your admin enabled it in your tenant they accepted a set of preview terms, I would suggest you check this for support.
The preview is due to end sometime soon, at which point you can request support through your admin centre in the same way as any other product.
Steven Collier wrote:KalimanneJMicrosoft Whiteboard is currently a preview, when your admin enabled it in your tenant they accepted a set of preview terms, I would suggest you check this for support.
The preview is due to end sometime soon, at which point you can request support through your admin centre in the same way as any other product.
I don't see anything for support. There is a feedback button in the app, but it also doesn't work for us.
How can they know when something isn't working when we can't contact anyone to let them know? What is the point of a preview if you can't report issues to them so they can correct them?
Now that the new Microsoft Whiteboard App is out of preview, is there a way to make it the default Whiteboard app or is there a new Windows 10 Teams build coming out that as part of the build changes that app to default? Thanks in advance!
The content released yesterday say that instructions will come later to enable this.
I'm guessing but I think it'll be after the next update that's due later this month. This Windows Teams build allows the OS to be more disconnected from the collaboration apps, for example that's why it's needed to make the new Teams app default.
Thanks Steven Collier, I'm looking forward to an update build and this becoming default.
You can find all the information about it here.
Also our resident Surface Hub engineer yoabar has a blog post about it here.
Only disappointment so far is the inability to export to OneNote file format (which gives out users Ink to Text conversion on their laptops after the meeting) and inability to email the Whiteboard to users (which is a HUGE oversight and will require us to completely retrain our user's habits as literally everyone in our org emails Whiteboards after meetings).
Edit: Also, can we PLEASE get some additional pen colours, or even a custom pen that can select any colour?!
Thanks Daniel Hudson for the information and yoabar's blog post. There is a Whiteboard Uservoice that I found today and exporting and pen options are listed and so you can upvote these here.
- Hi all,
What are your thoughts on the Whiteboard application vs. the built-in whiteboard option that is in Skype for Business?- Personally I don't think they're comparable. The built-in Whiteboard function in Skype for Business is still running the original code-base from Lync 2007 and possibly Microsoft Communicator before that. This was one of the largest reasons why it's taken Microsoft so long to rebuild Whiteboard co-authoring the way they have, simply because they couldn't use the build in Skype whiteboard in the means they wanted to.
Hello Daniel,
so as far as I know the Whiteboard App is not in a preview anymore, right?
Are the data still stored in the US cloud or is it possible to chose the own country?
And do you have an idea when the Whiteboard App will be integrated in MS Teams?
Best regards
Confused... What is the point of "Gridlines while resizing/moving". We recently bought a Promethean display and I've been testing various white board apps. The Promethean app in Android includes multiple background types including Grid.
We really like the Microsoft Whiteboard app, but our engineers tend to like writing on grid paper...
- Hi Dan
To be honest, I'd like to see an option for changing the background for different purposes: either a grid, or lined paper, or graph paper. I can see it's been posted as an idea on Uservoice here: https://whiteboard.uservoice.com/forums/909292-public/suggestions/35055136-change-the-board-s-background
I'll certianly be voting for it :)
D- Voted.
Hopefully some day.
Has somebody been able to make this the default app for the Surface Hub? I've noticed now that MS teams is out for the hub, it seems to (still) load whiteboard 2016 on our Hub, when I launch the teams app.
Hi Ron
This can't currently be done, but hopefully we might hear more over Microsoft Ignite which starts today.
Keep an eye on this document for information on Surface Hub readiness.
Lets hope so, it is a REALLY nice step forward, my team actually voted not to go off-site for our strategy week this week, because they would miss the HUB+the new whiteboard app. I would like to take the new teams app and the new whiteboard app and do an all in one onboarding for the rest of the company, instead of split roll out plans.
Hi Ron/Everyone
Looks like we've got an update coming out today that enables opt-in for the new Whiteboard app:
This update to the Surface Hub includes quality improvements and security fixes .
Key updates to Surface Hub, not already outlined in Windows 10 Update History , include:
- Skype for Business fixes:
- Resolves Skype for Business connection issue when resuming from sleep
- Resolves Skype for Business network connection issue, when device is connected to Internet
- Resolves Skype for Business crash when searching for users from directory
- Resolves issue where the Hub mistakenly reports “No Internet connection” in enterprise proxy environments.
- Implemented a feature allowing customers to op-in to a new Whiteboard experience.
Looking at the Whiteboard page for Surface Hub, it seems it's been updated, but I'm not sure if this corresponds exactly with the update today:
How can I roll out the new version?
The new version of Whiteboard can be rolled out to Surface Hubs with an MDM setting that will be available by the end of the year.
If you wish to opt in sooner, you can enroll the device in the Windows Insider Program. The Release Preview ring provides an option to receive fixes, applications and drivers only. This will get slightly faster updates of Whiteboard and other apps.
To opt into Whiteboard using Release Preview:
On your Surface Hub, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program, and click Get Started.
Follow the steps to opt the device into the Windows Insider Program, making sure to choose Just fixes, apps and drivers. Within 24 hours, you should see the new Whiteboard app as the default.
If you have previously installed the new Whiteboard app on the device, you should uninstall it.
So on one hand, we have an update saying they've implemented a feature to allow us to opt-in, on the other the Whiteboard page is saying we need to enroll in the Insider Programme for just fixes, apps and drivers to get the new app, and that the MDM setting will be coming later this year.
Currently nothing on the Surface Hub Admin Guide.
Given this has only just hit the relative sites, ChangeWindows hasn't even picked up on today's CU release yet, and nothing from Jen in the Windows 10 subreddit, I'll give it a few days and see if we get a consistent message in the admin guide confirming how to roll this out properly, either whether the MDM setting is actually there, or if the update today just allows for the Insider Programme to roll it out. Fingers crossed it's the former!
- Skype for Business fixes:
Salut la gang,
J'aimerais savoir si dans l'application de Whiteboard vous pensez intégrer un tableau ligné et un autre quadrillé. J'ai toujours pris mes notes sur une tablette quadrillé. Même avoir l'option de les faires apparaître et disparaître au besoin. Quand tu passe une feuille avec ton écriture tout croche, c'est pas très esthétique. J'ai vue des quadrillé apparaître et disparaître mais je ne suis pas capable des garder sur la feuille. Merci d'avance pour la réponse et excellant travail à toute l'équipe. Sylvie
- Hi Sylvie!
Unfortunately my French is appaling as I've not studied since school, so I'll respond in English and post a translation (so thankful for Google translate!).
The Whiteboard team are working on a new feature that will add additional background choices for the whiteboard. This was a requested feature as posted in UserVoice here (https://whiteboard.uservoice.com/forums/915919-whiteboard-for-windows-10/suggestions/35055136-change-the-board-s-background) and Ian has confirmed they're working on it.
Feel free to add your votes on the UserVoice and comment too to let them know you're interested!
Thanks
Dan
===========
Salut Sylvie!
Malheureusement, mon français est appétissant car je n’ai pas étudié depuis l’école, je vais donc répondre en anglais et publier une traduction (merci à Google Translate!).
L'équipe Whiteboard travaille sur une nouvelle fonctionnalité qui ajoutera des choix d'arrière-plan supplémentaires pour le tableau blanc. Cette fonctionnalité était demandée dans UserVoice ici (https://whiteboard.uservoice.com/forums/915919-whiteboard-for-windows-10/suggestions/35055136-change-the-board-s-background) et Ian a confirmé qu'ils y travaillent.
N'hésitez pas à ajouter vos votes sur UserVoice et à commenter également pour leur faire savoir que vous êtes intéressé!
Merci
Dan
Hi daniel,
I enjoy working with Microsoft whiteboard.
I miss a useful function to process a url in the whiteboard.
Even better would be a videolink to youtube or to a movie on your own location on the tablet.Thank you in advance for your attention.
Greeting,
Karel
