How to Draw With Friends on iPhone (Even When You're Apart)

By The PaintPal Team · 2026-02-25

Drawing has always been a social activity for kids. Spread some paper on the table, dump out a box of crayons, and before long everyone's working on something together. But what happens when friends can't come over, siblings are at different parents' houses, or cousins live in another state?

That's where collaborative drawing apps come in. They let kids create together on the same canvas in real time, each from their own device. It's one of those ideas that sounds simple but changes the way kids interact with art, and with each other.

What is real-time collaborative drawing?

Think of it like Google Docs, but for drawing. Two or more people open the same canvas, and everything they draw shows up on everyone's screen as it happens. No taking turns, no sending pictures back and forth. Just drawing together, live.

For kids, this is a big deal. It turns drawing from a solo activity into a shared experience, even when they're not in the same room. It works great for virtual playdates when a friend can't come over, siblings who are in different parts of the house (or different houses entirely), and cousins or grandkids connecting across cities.

The technology behind it is pretty straightforward. The app syncs drawing strokes between devices over the internet in real time. The key is that it needs to feel instant. If there's a noticeable delay between when one person draws and when the other person sees it, the magic breaks.

What to look for in a collaborative drawing app

Not every drawing app supports real-time collaboration, and the ones that do vary a lot in quality. Here's what to consider:

Is it actually free? Some apps advertise collaborative features but lock them behind a subscription. Look for apps where the core drawing-together experience doesn't cost anything.

Is it safe for kids? This is a big one. You want an app where your kid isn't going to end up chatting with strangers or seeing inappropriate content. Apps that use private room codes rather than public lobbies are generally safer. No open chat features is a plus.

Is it easy enough for young kids? If a 5-year-old can't figure out how to join a drawing session without help, the app is too complicated. The best ones keep it simple: open the app, share a link, start drawing.

Does it work on your family's devices? Some apps are iPad-only or Android-only. If one kid has an iPhone and the other has an iPad, you need something that works across both. A web version is a bonus for when someone's on a computer.

PaintPal: Built for drawing together

PaintPal is one of the few drawing apps where real-time collaboration isn't a side feature. It's the whole point. One person creates a room, shares the link, and anyone who opens it joins the same canvas. Strokes sync instantly, so it actually feels like drawing together.

The app is free on iOS and also has a web version at paintpal.fun. Beyond the collaborative canvas, it includes built-in video chat so kids can see and talk to each other while they draw. There's a gallery of coloring book pages kids can swap between mid-session, simple drawing and coloring tools made for little hands, and the ability to save finished creations to the camera roll (with an optional $2.99 one-time purchase to unlock more coloring pages). There are no ads, no social feeds, and no contact from strangers — video chat only works inside private rooms. It's designed to be simple enough for young kids to use on their own.

Tips for a great collaborative drawing session

Once you've got a collaborative drawing app set up, here are a few ways to make the most of it:

Pick a theme or challenge. "Let's draw a zoo" or "let's make a pizza with the weirdest toppings" gives kids a shared goal and makes the session more fun than just free-drawing side by side.

Take turns adding to the same drawing. One kid draws the head, the other draws the body. Or one person draws the outline and the other colors it in. This kind of back-and-forth collaboration is where the real fun happens.

Swap between coloring pages. If blank canvas drawing feels too open-ended, browse PaintPal's gallery and swap in a coloring book page for more structure. Kids can switch pages mid-session, so they're never stuck on one if the mood changes.

Save your favorites. PaintPal lets kids save their shared creations straight to the camera roll. Kids create some genuinely great stuff when they're drawing together, and those saved drawings make surprisingly good fridge-worthy art.

Give it a try

If your kid loves to draw and misses doing it with friends, collaborative drawing apps are worth exploring. It's a screen time activity that's genuinely creative and social. PaintPal is free to download on the App Store if you want to start there, or you can try it right in the browser at paintpal.fun.