🚨If your document is using the legacy annotation tools, see Legacy Annotation Tools.
Why Do My Annotation Tools Look Different?
You may see different annotation tools depending on the document you open.
Starting August 24, 2026, newly created documents will automatically use the new document editor. Previously existing documents will continue to use the legacy annotation tools unless they are copied. When an existing document is copied, the copy will use the new editor while the original stays unchanged.
For more information about the new document experience and to learn how existing documents are handled, see our Documents FAQ.
Drawing Tools
To access the drawing tools, tap the pencil icon in the toolbar. Here, you’ll find everything you need to annotate and edit your document, including the Pen, Highlighter, Eraser, colour options, and Undo and Redo. Continue reading below for more details about each tool and how to use it.
Pen Tool
Use the Pen Tool to draw or write freehand on a document.
Select the Pen icon, then draw directly on the page.
Tap the Pen icon again, or tap the colour swatch to adjust:
Opacity
Thickness
Colors
Custom Colours
Tap the edit icon on a colour preset to open the colour selector.
From here, you can:
Use the eyedropper to select a colour from your screen.
Choose a colour from the Grid, Spectrum, or Sliders.
Add a custom colour using the + button.
💡Tap the ••• button on the drawing toolbar to move it to the other side of the screen.
Highlighter Tool
Use the Highlighter Tool to highlight select parts of your document.
Select the Highlighter icon, then draw over the area you want to highlight.
Tap the Highlighter Tool again to adjust:
Opacity
Thickness
Colors
Eraser Tool
Use the Eraser Tool to remove unwanted drawn annotations.
Select the Eraser icon, then choose from the available eraser size options.
Tap or drag over the annotation you want to erase.
Undo and Redo
Use Undo to reverse your most recent drawing change.
Use Redo to restore a drawing change you have undone.
✔️Annotations save automatically as you work. A sync status indicator will show when your latest changes have saved.
Shape Tool
Use the Shape Tool to add shapes and lines to a document, including rectangles, lines, arrows, circles and more.
Tap the shape icon in the toolbar to open the available shape-making options.
Select your shape of choice, then draw it directly onto the document.
Text Boxes
Use the Text Box to add typed text directly onto a document.
Tap the T icon in the toolbar, then tap where you want to start typing. A formatting toolbar will appear with options to change the:
Font
Font Size
Alignment
Color
Tap Done when you’re finished to confirm selection
Image Tool
Use the Image Tool to add an image directly to a document.
Tap the image icon in the toolbar. From here, you can add an image using options including:
Take Photo
Photo Library
Once an image has been added, it appears directly on the page. You can select the image and resize it. Images are one of the new tools included with the new document editor.
Comments
Use Comments to leave feedback at a specific point on the document.
Tap the Comment icon, then tap on the document where you want to place your comment.
Begin to type your comment in the Comments panel and tap the checkmark to add it.
The comment appears as a pinned bubble on the document.
Tap the bubble to open the comment thread. The thread shows information including:
Who Added Comments
When Comments were added
The comment
The ability to Add your comment in replies
💡Teachers and students can reply to each other within the same comment thread.
Voice Notes
Use Voice Notes to add audio feedback to a document.
Tap the Voice Note icon, then tap where you want to place the Voice Note.
Use the recording controls to record your audio. Once added, the Voice Note appears as a pinned annotation on the document.
Tap the Voice Note to open its playback controls. From the Voice Note options, you can also access actions including:
Save Audio
Delete Audio
✍️Playback speed options are also available when listening to a Voice Note.
Undo and Redo
Use Undo to reverse your most recent drawing change.
Use Redo to restore a drawing change that you have undone.
Layers
Use Layers to show or hide annotations on a document.
Tap the Layers icon in the top-right corner to open the Layers panel.
Annotations
Tap the Annotations icon to see a list of all annotations in the document. Annotations are grouped by page and show information including:
Annotation type
Author
Time added
The panel identifies annotations by type, such as Image or Drawing. It also includes:
Clear All – removes all annotations.
Edit – allows you to select and manage individual annotations.
Annotation History
Use Annotation History to see a timestamped record of changes made to a document.
To view, tap the history icon to open Annotation History.
From here, you can:
View individual annotation entries
See when changes were made
Delete individual entries
Annotations cannot currently be reordered or edited from Annotation History. This feature is only available in documents using the new editor.
Screen Recording
Teachers can use Screen Recording on iOS to create recorded clips, which are automatically saved to their Materials folder. Screen Recording is currently available for teachers only.
You can choose to:
Record Screen with Microphone & Camera
Record Screen Only
If you record with the camera enabled, a camera preview appears on the document while you record. You can move the preview around the screen, change its size, and switch the camera.
A recording bar appears while recording, where you can manage the recording and see how long you’ve been recording.
Group Annotations
Use Group Annotations to combine multiple annotations so they can be managed together.
Tap the Selection Tool (the dotted-square icon in the top-right corner), then drag around the annotations you want to select.
Once selected, the menu includes:
Cut
Copy
Group
Delete
Tap Group to combine the selected annotations.
After they’ve been grouped, selecting the group shows:
Cut
Copy
Ungroup
Delete
Tap Ungroup to separate the annotations again.
Moving Between Pages
The page counter at the bottom of the document shows the current page and the total number of pages. Tap the grid icon next to the page counter to open the Pages panel, where you can view thumbnails of all pages. Tap any thumbnail to quickly navigate to that page.
Differences Between Web and iOS Annotations
There are some differences between the new document editor on the web and iOS.
On the web, additional editing controls include the ability to:
Rotate
Duplicate
Add new pages to an existing document
On iOS, teachers can use Screen Recording from a document.
Why Can't I Annotate My Document?
Not all file types can be annotated in Showbie. For more information about supported files, see Compatible File Formats with Showbie.