Enable microsoft whiteboard on surface hub

Note: The information in this article applies only to customers who use Microsoft Whiteboard on a Surface Hub display.

Microsoft Whiteboard is installed on Surface Hub and pinned to the Welcome screen. The new version of Whiteboard has many new capabilities — including persisted whiteboards, enhanced collaboration, and support for Windows, iOS, and web platforms. 

What are the differences between the previous app on Surface Hub ("Microsoft Whiteboard 2016") and the new version ("Microsoft Whiteboard")?

The new version of Whiteboard includes many customer-requested capabilities, including:

• Cloud-backed persistence of whiteboards in Microsoft Azure, so that users can create multiple boards which are automatically saved.

• Support for Windows 10 and Windows 10 S computers, iOS devices, and web browsers.

• Enhanced collaboration — including inviting or revoking access to specific users, and presence bubbles to see who is actively working on a board.

• New canvas features — including sticky notes, text, images, velocity eraser, and more.

Note: The cloud service for Microsoft Whiteboard does not yet include some Enterprise features that may be required by some organizations. See What compliance and global standards does Whiteboard support? below.

When was "Microsoft Whiteboard 2016" replaced by the new app on Surface Hub?

On July 1, 2019, the existing "Microsoft Whiteboard" app on Surface Hub was upgraded to the newer version. The legacy "Microsoft Whiteboard 2016" app is no longer supported by Microsoft.

Where is data stored?

Whiteboard stores data at rest in Microsoft Azure's United States or West Europe regions, depending on the region of the tenant. Additional regions are on our future roadmap.

Will the cloud image for Surface Hub be updated?

The cloud image version of Microsoft Whiteboard (used when restoring a Surface Hub, for example) will be updated to the latest version in the August 2019 time frame.

What compliance and global standards does Whiteboard support?

The service supports compliance standards including SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, EU Model Clauses, and DSR requests.

The service does not yet support some features, which are on the roadmap, including additional regions for data residency, eDiscovery, retention policies, sovereign and government cloud support.

Can I use Whiteboard in government, on-premises or sovereign cloud environments?

Yes, Whiteboard works on a Surface Hub in these environments. It does not yet have collaboration and cloud-backed persistence, which are on the roadmap.

To collaborate:

• Instead of signing in and copying a share link, share the screen using Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams.

• Meeting participants on another Surface Hub can now view the ink and other content added to the board.

• When you're done, you can export the board as an image by tapping Settings > Export.

What file format export does the new version support?

The new version supports exporting whiteboards as .png or .svg files (which can be opened in a web browser). When you are done working on the board, you can export the board as an image by going to Settings > Export.

What is the new easy share feature on Surface Hub?

If this setting is enabled, users in your organization will be able to share from a Surface Hub without logging in. The Surface Hub will not have continued access to shared whiteboards after the session has ended.

Note: Easy share for Surface Hub will roll out to customers over the next few months. To use easy share, your Surface Hub must be configured with an Azure Active Directory device account. The easy share setting will be enabled by default, but it can be disabled.

See Also

Microsoft Whiteboard Help