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How to start a powerpoint slideshow.

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Start a slideshow in powerpoint's desktop app, start a slideshow in powerpoint's web app, start a slideshow in powerpoint's mobile app, key takeaways.

To start a PowerPoint slideshow on your desktop, open your slideshow and click "Start Slide Show" in the "Slide Show" tab. If you're using the web app, select "From Beginning" in the "Slide Show" tab. On mobile, simply tap the Monitor icon at the top of your screen.

There's nothing quite like finishing a presentation after spending hours getting it just right. Now, show off your hard work by starting your Microsoft PowerPoint slideshow on desktop, web, and mobile using the methods below.

Related: How (and Why) to Start Microsoft PowerPoint from the Command Prompt

To play a slideshow in PowerPoint's desktop app, all you have to do is click an option or press a shortcut on your keyboard .

Start the process by opening your presentation with PowerPoint. Then, in the app's ribbon at the top, select the "Slide Show" tab.

In the "Slide Show" tab, from the "Start Slide Show" section, choose "From Beginning" (or press F5). Now your presentation will play from the very first slide.

If you'd like to start the slideshow from your current slide, choose the "From Current Slide" option. Alternatively, press Shift+F5 on your keyboard.

While your presentation is playing, you can perform various tasks, like moving to the next slide or ending the show. You can reveal these options by right-clicking anywhere on the slide.

Alternatively, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts while viewing your slideshow:

  • Spacebar or Right Arrow Button: Go to the next slide in the presentation.
  • Left Arrow Button: Go to the previous slide in the presentation.
  • Esc: End the show.
  • W: Hide your current slide and display a white screen. Press the same key again to bring back the slide's content.
  • B: Hide your current slide and display a black screen. Revert back to the slide's content by pressing the same button.
  • Ctrl+Left Mouse Button: Activate the laser point tool to point at things in your slides.
  • Ctrl+P: Launch the pen tool to annotate your slide's content during your show. You can choose if you'd like to keep these annotations when you end the show.
  • Ctrl+i: Access the highlighter tool to highlight items in your slides.

If you'd like to jump to a specific slide while presenting, press that slide's number on your keyboard and hit Enter. For example, press 12 and hit Enter to access that slide quickly.

To access the Presenter view, where you can see the upcoming slides and other options, right-click anywhere on your slide and choose "Show Presenter View."

With these options, you can start a slideshow and have it play exactly how you want.

To play a slideshow on the web, launch your preferred web browser and access PowerPoint on the web . Then, open your presentation.

From PowerPoint's ribbon at the top, select the "Slide Show" tab.

In the "Slide Show" tab, start your slideshow from the first slide by clicking the "From Beginning" option. To have your show play from your current slide, choose "From Current Slide."

Your presentation is now playing.

To reveal the options for moving slides, annotating items, and using Presenter Coach , bring your cursor to your screen's bottom-left corner. Then, click the appropriate icon.

Related: How to Practice Your Presentations with PowerPoint's Presenter Coach

To start a slideshow in the PowerPoint mobile app , launch the app on your phone and open your presentation.

On the presentation screen, at the top, tap the Monitor icon to play the slideshow.

Your presentation has now begun.

To move to the next slide, swipe left on your screen. To go to the previous slide, swipe right.

You can reveal PowerPoint's presentation options, like annotation and black screen tools, by tapping at the top of your presentation. Then, choose the option you'd like to use.

And that's it. Happy presenting!

Want to learn a few tips to help you make the best PowerPoint presentations ? If so, check out our guide.

Related: 8 Tips to Make the Best PowerPoint Presentations

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How to Present a PowerPoint Slideshow (w/ Shortcuts)

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There are a variety of ways to start a PowerPoint presention, depending on:

  • Where you start your presentation (from beginning or from current)
  • Which PowerPoint view you prefer to present in (Slide Show view or Presenter view)
  • How comfortable you are with keyboard shortcuts

Why would Microsoft include so many ways to present a presentation? My guess is that everyone learns PowerPoint differently, and has personal presentation styles.  The more options you have, the easier your life will be as there will always be a way to start your presentation the way you want to (or jump back into it when you need to).

See all the options below and find the method that works best for you and let the slide show begin !

NOTE: If you are running two presentations side-by-side, each presentation needs to be started as it’s own slide show. To see how to set up two PowerPoint presentations to run side-by-side like this before you start your slide show, read my guide here .

Table of Contents

Start slide show from beginning.

To start a slide show from the beginning, click the Slide Show tab and select From Beginning

To start a slideshow from the beginning of your presentation using the ribbon, simply.

  • Navigate to the  Slide Show tab
  • Select  From Beginning

Selecting  From Beginning  starts your presentation from the very first non-hidden slide in your presentation, regardless of which slide you are currently inside of your deck.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

You can also start your slide from the beginning of your presentation by hitting the Slideshow From Beginning keyboard shortcut,  F5 .

Regardless of which method you use, this is the classic way to start your presentation in full screen from your first title slide (regardless of where you are in your slide deck).

Let the slide show begin!

NOTE: To expand your knowledge and learn how to use PowerPoint’s FREE and HIDDEN built-in laser pointer to point things out during your presentation, read my guide here .

Take your PPT skills to the next level

Start slide show from current.

To start a slide show from the current slide, click the Slide Show tab and select From Current Slide

To begin your slide show from the slide you are currently on using the ribbon, simply

  • Navigate to the Slide Show tab
  • Select  From Current Slide

Selecting From Current Slide starts your slide show from whatever slide you are currently on, even if the slide is hidden.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

You can also start your slide from the current slide you are on by hitting the  Shift+F5  keyboard shortcut.

Because it’s often easiest to catch errors when building your slides in this full screen mode, I highly recommend learning the  Shift+F5  shortcut and using it frequently as you build your slides to spot them for errors.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

If you don’t want to bother learning the From Current Slide shortcut, you can also start your slideshow by clicking the  Slide Show  icon at the bottom of your screen.

This is a fantastic way to spot check your slides as you are building them. On top of that, it’s a fast and uncomplicated way to re-start your presentation from where you left off after demoing something on screen.

Start a mini-slide show in PowerPoint

You can also use the following hidden PowerPoint shortcut to run a mini slide show over the top of your current deck.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

To run a mini slide show, simply:

  • Hold down the  Alt key  on your keyboard
  • With your mouse, click the  Slide Show  icon

Doing so starts a small slide show of your presentation that you can see below, from the current slide you are on.

Example of running a mini presentation over the top of your PowerPoint slides

Presenter View

The Presenter View is an alternate way to run your presentation in PowerPoint. In this view, your slides are projected on screen, and the details of your presentation are displayed on your computer as pictured below.

Example of running a PowerPoint presentation in Presenter View

The presenter view includes your next (non-hidden) slides that is coming up, your current slide projected on screen, how long you’ve been talking and your speaker notes.

To run the presenter view from the current slide, click the Slide Show tab, hold the Alt key and click the From Current Slide command

To launch the  Presenter View  from the beginning of your presentation using your Ribbon, simply:

  • Navigate to the  Slide Show  tab
  • Hold down the  Alt key on  your keyboard
  • Click  From Beginning

Holding down the  Alt key  and clicking  From Beginning , the Presenter View will launch from the very first (non-hidden) slide in your presentation.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

You can also launch the presenter view from the beginning of your presentation at any time by clicking Alt + F5  on your keyboard.

Start Presenter View in PowerPoint From Current Slide

To start your slide show from the current slide using the presenter view, click the slide show tab, hold the Alt key and click

Did you know that you can access different views in PowerPoint by adding keys as you click commands in the PowerPoint ribbon?

To start the Presenter view from your current slide using your Ribbon, simply:

  • Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard
  • Click  From Current Slide

Holding the Alt key and clicking From Current Slide launches the Presenter View from your current slide. So, this is another way you can quickly practice your presentation, see your speaker notes and see what’s coming up next.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

You can also launch the Presenter View from the beginning of your presentation at any time by hitting Alt+F5 on your keyboard.

Showing and Hiding Presenter View

Regardless of which view you start your PowerPoint slide show; you can switch between the two different slide show views without exiting presentation.

To show or hide the Presenter View, right click your slide show and select either show or hide presenter view

To switch between the two slideshow views (while giving your presentation), simply:

  • Right-click your slide in whichever presentation view you are currently in
  • Select either Show Presenter View or Hide Presenter View

When would you use a feature like this during a presentation? One example is if you want to view your notes without leaving the slide show mode.

NOTE: The letter r  for both  Show Presenter View  and  Hide Presenter View  is underlined. This means that it is a keyboard shortcut. So, if you want to quickly flip between these two presentation views, you can simply right-click your slide and hit the letter r on your keyboard. Doing so automatically switches the view you are in.

Controlling how your presentation runs

Another way to control how your presentation runs (including the default laser pointer and pen color), is the Set Up Slide Show dialog box.

Click the slide show tab, and select the Set Up Slide Show command to control how your PowerPoint presentation runs

To open the  Set Up Slide Show  dialog box, simply:

  • Select the  Set Up Slide Show  command

Doing so, opens all your PowerPoint slide show settings and options as pictured below.

how to run presentation on powerpoint

Inside the slide show settings dialog box, you can select:

  • How your presentation runs (full screen, window or in kiosk mode).
  • Your default pen and laser pointer color options ( see our laser pointer article here ).
  • Which slide you want start from, or which slides you want to show. You can also setup a custom show here.
  • How your slides progress (manually or using slide timings).
  • Which of your computer monitors (or screens) your slide show runs on.

The  Set Up Slide Show dialog box is also the secret to running multiple presentations at the same time in PowerPoint. To expand your knowledge and learn how to set this up, read our guide here .

Setup Slide Show SECRET Shortcut

Hold the Shift key and click the reading view icon to open the set up slide show dialog box

To use the SECRET shortcut to open the Set Up Slide Show dialog box, simply:

  • Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard
  • With your mouse, click the Reading View icon at the bottom of your screen

This is useful when you need to quickly cycle through lots of PowerPoint presentations and change how those presentations run. Instead of wasting time clicking through the Ribbon, simply hold the Shift key and click the  Reading View icon. This is also a friendly conversation starter with a fellow PowerPoint enthusiast at Happy Hour.

NOTE: The color of your Reading View icon might be different than in the picture above, as it is dependent on the Office Theme you selected for PowerPoint.

How to exit a PowerPoint presentation early?

Hit the escape key to exit slide show mode in PowerPoint

Regardless of how you start your full screen presentation, you can end your presentation at any time by hitting the Esc key on your keyboard.

Hitting  Esc  immediately takes you out of the   PowerPoint presentation mode and back to the normal editing view of your slides, on whatever slide you were last presenting.

Here is how you can use a combination of all the different keyboard shortcuts to spot check and practice your presentation in full screen before you finalize your presentation.

  • Hit  F5  on your keyboard to   start your presentation in full screen from the very first slide in your presentation. You can then use your arrow keys to advance, spot checking your slides for errors.
  • When you find an error, simply hit  Esc  key to return to the normal PowerPoint editing view to fix your slide.
  • When you are done, hit  Shift + F5  to return the full screen presentation mode from the slide you just updated. You can then continue spot checking your presentation (without having to start over from the beginning).

In this way you can quickly work your way through your slides and practice your presentation, fixing and adjusting your content as you go.

Understanding how to run your presentations is CRITICAL to the success of your presentation. Not only in presenting them live, but also in knowing how to spot check your slides as you build them.

I personally find it easiest to spot check your slides and quickly fix errors by running your presentation in slide show mode (or full screen). The last place you want to discover an error is during your presentation.

Using the commands and shortcuts above, you can quickly start, exit and step back into your slide show. Once you have these commands and features down, you will also look like a whiz during your presentations.

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How to Run a PowerPoint Slide Show Automatically (Set Up a Self-Running Presentation)

Laptop in boardroom running automatic PowerPoint presentation.

Easily Create a Self-Running PowerPoint Slide Show

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated November 12, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft ®  PowerPoint ®  2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)

You can set up self-running PowerPoint slide shows to run automatically at trade shows, conventions, events or as web-based presentations. Prior to setting up a self-running presentation, you'll need to apply your preferred animations to text and objects as well as any slide transitions to be be included in the show (unless specified otherwise in the Set Up Show dialog box). When you create automatic slide shows, you also have the option of including specific slide timings, narrations or voice over and ink annotations.

Recommended article: How to Draw on PowerPoint Slides on the Fly During a Presentation (Using Ink)

Do you want to learn more about PowerPoint? Check out our virtual classroom or in-person PowerPoint courses >

Setting up a self-running presentation

When you set up a self-running presentation, you can choose 3 options in the Set Up Show dialog box depending on your audience:

PowerPoint dialog box to set up slide show.

To set up a PowerPoint presentation to run automatically, but allow those watching the slide show to have control over when they advance slides:

  • Click the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon and then click Set Up Slide Show. A dialog box appears.
  • Under Show type, select Presented by a speaker (full screen). This is the default setting for slide shows.

To set up a presentation to run automatically, but those watching the slide show do NOT have control over when slides advance:

  • Under Show type, select Browsed by an individual (window).

To set up a presentation to run automatically, but those watching the slide show do NOT have control over when slides advance and the presentation repeats until the people watching press Escape (ESC):

  • Under Show type, select Browsed at kiosk (full screen).

Setting slide timings manually

You can choose to rehearse slide timings or you can manually set the slide timings for your PowerPoint slides using the Transitions tab in the Ribbon.

To set slide timings manually:

  • Click the View tab in the Ribbon and then click Slide Sorter.
  • Select the slide for which you want to set timing.
  • Click the Transitions tab in the Ribbon.
  • In the Timing group, under Advance Slide, select the After check box and then enter the number of seconds indicating how long the slide should appear on the screen. If you want the next slide to appear either when you click the mouse or automatically after the number of seconds that you enter (whichever comes first), select both the On Mouse Click and the After check boxes.
  • Repeat the process for each slide for which you want to set timing.

Rehearsing and recording slide timings

If you choose Browsed by an individual (window) or Browsed at a kiosk (full screen) in the Set Up Show dialog box, you can rehearse and record timings for animations, transitions and advancing slides.

To rehearse timings, you'll use the Rehearsal toolbar shown below:

PowerPoint Rehearsal toolbar to rehearse timings.

The toolbar includes the following buttons from left to right:

  • Next (advance to next slide)
  • Total presentation time

Click the buttons in the Rehearsal toolbar to perform the following actions:

  • Click Next to advance to the next slide.
  • To temporarily stop recording the time, click Pause.
  • To restart recording the time after pausing, click Pause.
  • To set an exact length of time for a slide to appear, type the length of time in the Slide Time box.
  • To restart recording the time for the current slide, click Repeat.

To rehearse timings:

  • Click the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon and then click Rehearse Timings. The Rehearsal toolbar appears and the timer begins immediately. The presentation appears in full screen recording mode.
  • Click the desired buttons. Click Next to advance to the next slide or press the right arrow on your keyboard. To temporarily stop recording the time, click Pause. To restart recording the time after pausing, click Pause. To set an exact length of time for a slide to appear, type the length of time in the Slide Time box. To restart recording the time for the current slide, click Repeat.
  • Continue clicking on the appropriate buttons until you are satisfied with the timings. The total presentation time appears on the top right of the Rehearsal toolbar.
  • After you set the time for the last slide, a dialog box displays the total time for the presentation and another dialog box appears.
  • To keep the recorded slide timings, click Yes. To discard the recorded slide timings, click No.

The presentation appears. If you view the presentation in Slide Sorter View, the slide timing is displayed below each slide.

Recording a slide show with timings

Instead of using the Rehearse Timings button, you can record timings (and narrations or voice over) as you record a show. The Record Slide Show button appears on the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon. When you record a slide show, you can start from the beginning or the current slide:

PowerPoint Record Slide Show button on Ribbon.

After you choose to record a slide show, you will have the option of including slide and animation timings as well as narrations, ink, and laser pointer (2010 users will not have the option of recording ink annotations):

Record Slide Show dialog box in PowerPoint.

If you select Slide and animation timings, PowerPoint automatically records the time you spend on each slide, including animations and triggers on each slide. If you have already rehearsed timings, they will be replaced.

If you use the pen, highlighter, eraser or laser pointer, those will also be recorded. Pen, highlighter, and eraser recording are available only if you have PowerPoint 2013 (and run updates) or a later version of PowerPoint. In earlier versions of PowerPoint, pen and highlighter strokes are saved as ink annotation shapes. To learn more about including ink, check out the article  How to Draw on PowerPoint Slides on the Fly During a Presentation (Using Ink) .

To record a slide show and include animations and timings:

  • Click the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon and then click the arrow beside Record Slide Show. A drop-down menu appears.
  • Select Start Recording from Beginning or Start Recording from Current Slide. A dialog box appears.
  • Select the option to include slide and animation timings.
  • Click Start Recording. The Rehearsal toolbar appears and the timer begins immediately. The presentation appears in full screen recording mode.
  • If you want to record timings, click the desired buttons. Click Next to advance to the next slide or press the right arrow on your keyboard. To temporarily stop recording the time, click Pause. To restart recording the time after pausing, click Pause. To set an exact length of time for a slide to appear, type the length of time in the Slide Time box. To restart recording the time for the current slide, click Repeat.
  • To end your recording at any time, right-click on a slide and select End Show from the menu.

The presentation appears. In Slide Sorter view, the slide timing is displayed below each slide.

Recording narrations or voice over

In addition to timings, you may want to add narrations or voice over. You can record narrations before you run a presentation or you can record narrations during a presentation and include audience comments. When you add narrations, PowerPoint automatically records your slide timings. Alternatively, you can set the slide timings first. Be sure to test the microphone first. If you do not want narrations throughout your entire presentation, you can record separate sounds or comments on selected slides or objects.

To record narrations, your computer requires a sound card, microphone, speakers and a webcam (optionally). You will also need a microphone connector if the microphone is not part of your computer.

It's not a bad idea to create a script first in Microsoft Word to improve flow and avoid filler words such as "um". You may also want to practice before recording although you can always re-record narration.

To record a slide show with narrations:

  • In the Record Slide Show dialog box, select the check box for Narrations and laser pointer and, if required, select or deselect the Slide and animation timings check box.
  • Click Start Recording. A Rehearsal toolbar appears.
  • Speak into the microphone to record a narration.
  • To pause the narration, in the Rehearsal toolbar, click Pause. To resume the narration, click Resume Recording.
  • To end your slide show recording at any rime, right-click on the slide and then select End Show.

The recorded slide show timings and narrations are saved. If you view the presentation in Slide Sorter view, timings appear beneath each slide. A sound icon also appears in the lower-right corner of each slide that has narration.

If you re-record your narration (including audio, ink, and laser pointer), PowerPoint erases your previously recorded narration (including audio, ink, and laser pointer) when you start recording again on the same slide.

To use ink, eraser, or the laser pointer during your recording, right-click on the slide, select Pointer options and choose the laser pointer, pen, highlighter or eraser. Ink is not available for 2010 users. If you want to display a laser pointer while you're recording, press Control and your pointer will appear as a small red circle on your screen.

Previewing narration

If you want to listen to the narration on a slide:

  • In Normal View, click the sound icon in the lower-right corner of the slide.
  • Click Play.

Running a recorded slide show

To run a recorded slide show in Normal View:

  • If necessary, on the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon, click Set Up Slide Show. A dialog box appears.
  • Under Show type, select the desired option.
  • On the Slide Show tab, click From Beginning or From Current Slide. During playback, your animations, inking actions, laser pointer, audio and video play in sync.
  • To end the show, press Escape.

Turning timings or narrations off

You can turn off timings and narrations and then turn them on again at any time.

To turn off recorded slide timings, on the Slide Show tab, deselect the Use Timings check box.

To turn off recorded narrations, ink, and the laser pointer, on the Slide Show tab, deselect the Play Narrations check box.

Options in PowerPoint Ribbon to turn off narrations or timings.

Deleting timings or narration

You can use the Clear command to permanently delete timings or narration from your slide show recording. You have 4 options:

  • Delete timings on the current slide
  • Delete timings on all slides
  • Delete narration on the current slide
  • Delete narration on all slides

To clear timings or narrations:

  • On the Slide Show tab, click the arrow below Record Slide Show. A menu appears.
  • Select Clear and then the appropriate clear option.

Once you have recorded a presentation, you can later save it as a video if you'd like.

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More resources

A Beginner's Guide to Video Formats in PowerPoint

How to Hide and Unhide Slides in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)

How to Insert Video in PowerPoint (from a File on Your PC or a Shared Drive)

PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts to Play and Control Video During a Slide Show

How to Add Animation in PowerPoint (Animate Images, Text and Other Objects)

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How to Run a PowerPoint Slide Show Automatically (Set Up a Self-Running Presentation)

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How to Play Slide Show in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide for Smooth Presentations

Playing a slideshow in PowerPoint is a fundamental skill that can truly upgrade our presentations. Whether we’re presenting in a business meeting, teaching a class, or sharing vacation photos, knowing how to effectively run a slideshow is crucial . This post will walk us through the steps seamlessly, ensuring we’re ready for the spotlight.

How to Play Slide Show in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide for Smooth Presentations

We’ve all been there, fumbling with buttons, trying to get the slides to advance smoothly. No worries, though! Setting up a slideshow in PowerPoint is actually a piece of cake. From selecting the “Slide Show” tab to choosing “From Beginning,” the process is straightforward and designed to be user-friendly.

For anyone looking to get a bit more advanced, there’s also the option to loop slides continuously for unattended presentations. By ticking the “Loop continuously until ‘Esc'” option under the Slide Show settings, our slides will keep playing without any manual intervention. This can be a lifesaver for events and exhibitions where we need the content to keep rolling without us being glued to the computer. Let’s dive into the details and get those slideshows running like a charm!

  • 1.1 Setting Up the Slide Show
  • 1.2 Navigating Through Slides
  • 1.3 Utilizing Presentation Tools and Effects
  • 2.1 Incorporating Multimedia
  • 2.2 Annotation and Emphasis Techniques
  • 3.1 Custom Slide Show Timings
  • 3.2 Rehearsal and Narration Tools

Mastering PowerPoint Slide Shows

Understanding how to play and manage a slide show in PowerPoint is essential for creating effective presentations. This section covers setting up your slide show, navigating through slides, and utilizing various presentation tools and effects.

Setting Up the Slide Show

First, we need to set up the slide show. Navigate to the Slide Show tab on the ribbon. From here, you can choose to start your presentation From Beginning or From Current Slide .

Ensure the presentation is set to full screen for a professional look. If you want the slide show to loop continuously, select the Set Up Slide Show button and check the Loop continuously until ‘Esc’ option. This is particularly useful for presentations running unattended.

PowerPoint’s flexibility extends to different versions: Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2019, 2016, 2013, Mobile , and even the web browser . Each offers slightly different interfaces, but the core functionality remains the same.

Navigating Through Slides

Navigating through your slides smoothly is crucial. During a presentation, you’ll be in slide show mode where you can advance slides by clicking the mouse or using the arrow keys.

You may need to move quickly to a specific slide. Pressing the number key of the slide you want to display and then pressing Enter brings you directly to that slide. To exit the slide show at any time, press the Esc key, which brings you back to the Slide Show view .

Use Presenter View (available in PowerPoint 2013 and later) to access speaker notes and thumbnails while presenting. This helps in navigating large decks efficiently.

Utilizing Presentation Tools and Effects

PowerPoint isn’t just about static slides; we can enhance our presentations with tools and effects. The Slide Show tab offers options like Pen and Laser Pointer Tools to highlight key points. Select See All Slides to jump to any slide directly without exiting the slide show.

Zoom is a nifty feature that lets us create a visual summary of all slides. It’s particularly useful for non-linear presentations where audience questions can guide the flow.

In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 , the Morph transition smoothly animates between slides. This grabs attention and maintains flow. Use the Animation Pane to control timings and effects, making transitions look polished and professional.

Remember: Practice is key! Run through your presentation multiple times to ensure smooth delivery and familiarity with navigation.

Enhancing Slide Show Interactivity

To make your PowerPoint presentations truly engaging, you need to add elements that captivate your audience. This means incorporating multimedia and using annotation tools effectively.

Incorporating Multimedia

Integrating multimedia elements such as videos , audio clips , and animations can turn a dry slide show into a compelling story. When we add a video, it helps break the monotony and keeps the audience’s attention sharp.

Using the Insert tab, we can quickly embed videos directly from our files or even embed online content. Animations, when used sparingly, highlight key points without overwhelming the slide.

Furthermore, we should take advantage of the Record Slide Show feature. By recording narrations using a microphone , we can provide explanations and context, which makes the presentation more interactive and self-explanatory.

Annotation and Emphasis Techniques

Annotations are game changers for interactive presentations. Using the pen tool , we can draw directly on our slides to emphasize key points during the presentation. Imagine you’re explaining a complex process; simply circling or underlining the section with a virtual pen can create a laser pointer effect that guides your audience’s focus.

In Presenter View , we have the flexibility to annotate without disrupting the flow. Switching between the pen and highlighter is easy and can be done on the fly using arrow keys or mouse clicks .

Utilizing the annotations tab , we can pre-plan our points of emphasis. This allows us to seamlessly switch between prepared annotations and impromptu highlights, ensuring a smooth and professional delivery.

Integrate these tools, and your slide show won’t just convey information—it will interact with and engage your audience effectively.

  • Laser Pointer
  • Highlighter
  • Annotations Tab

Advanced Slide Show Features

Efficiently utilizing advanced slide show features in PowerPoint can enhance your presentation experience. We’ll discuss scheduling precise timings for each slide and using tools for rehearsing and adding narration.

Custom Slide Show Timings

Setting custom timings allows slides to advance at predetermined intervals without manual intervention. You can access this feature via the Slide Show tab.

Select Rehearse Timings to practice your presentation, which records the time spent on each slide. This feature is practical for creating a polished, automated slideshow. Save these timings by clicking Yes when prompted after rehearsal.

For continuous presentations, such as those shown at kiosks, choose Browsed at a kiosk in the set-up options. This ensures the slideshow loops seamlessly. Adjust individual slide timings in the Transitions tab, where you find the Advance Slide After option.

Rehearsal and Narration Tools

Rehearsal tools in PowerPoint help in delivering a fluent presentation. Trigger this feature from the Slide Show tab under Rehearse Timings . It enables practicing, with a timer tracking each slide’s duration. This function is ideal for synchronizing your speech with your slides.

Narrations can be added to each slide. Record these by selecting Record Slide Show from the same tab. This feature is particularly useful for creating self-running presentations, ensuring your message is clear even in your absence.

Speaker notes can be viewed by clicking Presenter View . This control bar helps keep your presentation on track without revealing notes to your audience.

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  • How to Add a Video to PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Tutorial
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  • How to Save PowerPoint as Video: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
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