Position items on a Freeform board on iPad

You can move, rotate, or resize items on your Freeform board. You can align, distribute, or group them, and move them to the background or foreground. You can also lock items when you want to prevent any further changes.

Move, rotate, or resize an item

Go to the Freeform app 👁 Image
on your iPad.
Open a board, select an item you want to position by tapping it, 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.
  👁 Two fingers of a hand moving an item in a straight line in Freeform.
- Rotate it: Place two fingers on the item, then turn your hand in the direction you want to rotate it.
  👁 Two fingers of a hand selecting and rotating an item in Freeform.
- Put it in the background or foreground: Tap 👁 the More button
  in the formatting tools, 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.
  👁 Two fingers on two hands selecting and matching the sizes of two items in Freeform.

Select, align, and group multiple items on a board

After you add items to a Freeform board, 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.

Go to the Freeform app 👁 Image
on your iPad.
Open a board, then select multiple items by doing one of the following:
- Touch and hold an item on your board, then, with another finger, tap other items.
  👁 Two fingers selecting items in Freeform.
- Touch and hold the canvas, then drag the box that appears around the items you want to select.
  👁 A finger dragging to select items in Freeform.
- 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 👁 the Arrange button
, then tap an alignment option or Group.
Some items—such as 3D objects—can’t be grouped.

To make it easier to arrange items, you can turn on the background dot grid and automatically align items to it.

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 the Settings app 👁 Image
on your iPad.
Tap Apps, then tap Freeform.
Below Apple Pencil, turn on Select and Scroll (green is on).

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

Lock an item on a board

After you add an item to a Freeform board, 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.)

Go to the Freeform app 👁 Image
on your iPad.
Open a board, then tap a drawing, shape, text box, or other item on your board to select it.
Tap 👁 the More button
in the formatting tools, 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 👁 the More button
in the formatting tools, tap Back, then lock it.

URL: https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/position-items-on-a-board-ipad0b4f22b0/ipados