ms teams share powerpoint presentation

Think Outside The Slide

5 Options for How to Present a PowerPoint Slide Show in a Microsoft Teams meeting

If you are using Microsoft Teams to meet with others who are working remotely, you may not realize that you have seven choices when it comes to how you will present your PowerPoint slides to the group (I added two options I discovered after the article was first published). In this article I will share more details on these seven options and you will get a link to that option in my video that shows you what your audience will see. In this article I am using the Teams app in Windows 10. The seven options are:

• Share your entire screen/desktop
• Share the Slide Show window
• Share the editing window with a clean look
• Run the Slide Show in a window and share that window
• Use the PowerPoint sharing option in Teams
• Use Presenter View to show the audience your slides while you see Presenter View
• Present with your video beside your PowerPoint slides

Did you find this article using a Google search? Get more answers to your virtual presentation questions here and get updates of new articles and videos here .

Option 1: Share your entire screen/desktop

This is the default method that most people choose because it is the closest to what we would do if we were in a meeting room with the participants sitting around the table. In Teams, you choose the sharing option called Desktop. The audience sees everything that is on your desktop, so if PowerPoint is not full screen, they will see any wallpaper you have and any other open applications with potentially confidential information displayed. They will also see the small Teams window in the lower right corner of your screen unless you minimize it.

You start your slide show in PowerPoint and all features will work, including animations and transitions. You can use a presentation remote to advance through your slides or use the arrow keys. Because the slides take up the whole screen, you can’t see the Teams controls so you may miss any chat or questions from the audience. If you use Alt+Tab to switch to the Teams window to see the chat discussion, the audience sees this as well because they see everything on your screen.

Here is the section of my video that shows Option 1: Share your entire screen/desktop

Option 2: Share the Slide Show window

Because Teams allows you to share any window that is open on your computer, another option you have is to share the window that has the Slide Show in it. Before you start sharing in Teams, start the Slide Show in PowerPoint. This will display the slides on the entire screen. Use Alt+Tab to go back to the Teams window. In the Teams sharing options, choose the window that is displaying the slide show (make sure you select the slide show window, not the PowerPoint regular window).

Again, since you are using full PowerPoint, all features work and this is similar to presenting before an audience in a meeting room. Because you are only sharing a window, the audience won’t see anything else on your screen. Because the slides take up the whole screen, you won’t see the Teams window with any chat or discussion. But you can switch to the Teams window using Alt+Tab to check the chat conversation without the audience seeing what you are doing.

Here is the section of my video that shows Option 2: Share the Slide Show window

Option 3: Share the editing window with a clean look

The first two options don’t allow you to see any other documents or notes that you may have on your screen because the slides cover the entire screen. If you don’t need any animation or transition features and are comfortable with the audience seeing the edit view of PowerPoint, you can choose to use a view that minimizes the PowerPoint interface so the slide is the focus.

In the normal editing view, minimize the slide thumbnails by dragging the vertical divider all the way to the left until it just shows the text indicating that thumbnails are available. Drag the horizontal divider at the bottom of the slide down to hide any notes that are below the slides. Third, collapse the ribbon by clicking on the collapse indicator (an upward arrow head) in the lower right corner of any ribbon. Finally, maximize the size of the slide in the editing window if it did not automatically resize itself. Now your slide is large in the editing window and PowerPoint has a cleaner look than the normal editing view.

In the Teams sharing options, choose the window for this PowerPoint presentation. When you move through the slides, you are not using Slide Show mode so there are none of the animation or transition features available. Any embedded media will not run automatically and must be manually played. You can move through the slides using the down and up arrow keys or the PageDown and PageUp keys.

This is not as clean as Slide Show mode, but it allows you to see other open documents on your screen without the audience seeing them. To see the full Teams window you can click on the small Teams window in the lower right of your screen and the audience will not see this either. This allows you to keep up with any chat discussion while presenting.

Here is the section of my video that shows Option 3: Share the editing window with a clean look

Option 4: Run the Slide Show in a window and share that window

Many presenters are not aware that PowerPoint has the option to run a slide show within the window it is in without taking up the entire screen. PowerPoint refers to this as the “Browsed by an individual” mode or Reading View. To use this mode, on the Slide Show ribbon, click on the Set Up Slide Show button. In the dialog box, in the Show type section in the to left corner, change the option by clicking on the radio button for “Browsed by an individual”. Click the OK button to save the change and exit the dialog box. Now whenever you enter Slide Show mode, the slides are run just in this PowerPoint window, not the full screen. You can change this back to the default of “Presented by a speaker” after the meeting is done.

In the Teams sharing options, choose the window for this PowerPoint presentation. Start the Slide Show mode in PowerPoint. You will see the slide show with some additional controls at the top and bottom of the window and possibly black bars on the top/bottom or left/right depending on the size of the window relative to the size of the slides. This is a slightly different look for the audience if they are used to the full screen version of Slide Show mode.

Because this is Slide Show mode, all animations and transitions work as expected. What is different than the full screen Slide Show mode is that the laser pointer, inking, and some other features are not available. Since you are only sharing this window, the audience does not see any other documents you may have open on the screen. To see the full Teams window you can click on the small Teams window in the lower right of your screen and the audience will not see this either. This allows you to keep up with any chat discussion while presenting.

Since this option is only sharing one window, it uses less bandwidth than sharing a full screen which may help users on lower speed connections have a better experience with less lags or distortion. This option may give you the best combination of PowerPoint features and presenter controls and options.

Here is the section of my video that shows Option 4: Run the Slide Show in a window and share that window

Option 5: Use the PowerPoint sharing option in Teams

Because Microsoft created Teams and PowerPoint, they have built in a presentation method that is unique amongst other meeting platforms. The PowerPoint sharing option allows you to load a PowerPoint file from your SharePoint library or from your computer. It then runs the slide show using PowerPoint on the Web inside Teams. This option offers some advantages according to Microsoft, including the use of far less bandwidth compared to screen sharing ( this video shows the dramatic drop in network usage with this method), not requiring PowerPoint to be installed on the computer, use of the PowerPoint on the Web accessibility features, availability of co-presenting features, and less battery usage compared to sharing the screen.

While all of these advantages are great, the biggest disadvantage is that the method uses PowerPoint on the Web, which does not support all features of PowerPoint yet. As you will see in the video, depending on what transitions or animations you use, they may not work properly or they may allow the audience to see parts of the slide before you build them on the slide. Microsoft is working on improving PowerPoint on the Web so it is a better experience but at this time I would advise you to test every slide in advance in a setup so you can see what the audience sees so you make sure the slides appear the way you want them to.

Because this method is integrated into Teams, the slide show happens in the Teams window and you see the Teams control bar on top of the slide show when you are presenting. You have access to all the Teams options in the window. Since the slide show is just in the Teams window, you also have the rest of your screen available for other documents you want to refer to.

Here is the section of my video that shows Option 5: Use the PowerPoint sharing option in Teams

Option 6: Use Presenter View to show the audience your slides while you see Presenter View

If you prefer to use Presenter View to see your speaking notes while the audience only sees your slides, I have instructions for using Presenter View in Teams with 1 or 2 screens and in Windows or on a Mac in my Complete Guide to using PowerPoint Presenter View in Teams .

Option 7: Present with your video beside your PowerPoint slides

You can present in a Microsoft Teams or Zoom meeting with your video beside your PowerPoint slides so your facial expressions can be easily seen along with the slides. The idea is to arrange our video and slides on our desktop and share the entire screen, so we control the size of both the video and the slides. This does not require you to install any software and uses the built-in features of the operating system and PowerPoint. For Windows 10 I explain the detailed steps in this article and show you how this is done in this video . For a Mac I explain the detailed steps in this article .

In my opinion, Option 6, using Presenter View, is perhaps the best option because it In my opinion, Option 5, using Presenter View, is the best option for most presenters because it allows you to see your notes and access all the expert features of Presenter View while the attendees see your full slides. It is what I use when I deliver my customized training courses .

( Get more articles on using Teams effectively here )

Full video with all five original options

Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world . His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don’t overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.

By Dave Paradi

Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world . His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don't overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.

How to Present PowerPoint Slides in Microsoft Teams

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A successful PowerPoint presentation extends beyond just the content—its delivery is just as important, especially in a virtual space like Microsoft Teams.

In Microsoft Teams, you can choose to present your slide deck by sharing your entire screen, PowerPoint window, or using the Microsoft Teams' PowerPoint Live feature. Let's explore how you can use each of these three methods and discuss their pros and cons.

Method 1: Share Screen

Sharing your screen in Microsoft Teams is pretty easy and straightforward. It's best to minimize or close unnecessary tabs before joining the Microsoft Teams meeting to avoid exposing sensitive information. Once you're confident in your screen's content, follow the steps below:

• A red border appears around your desktop, indicating you're sharing your screen.

• Present your PowerPoint slideshow.

Sharing your screen is a straightforward method, especially when you want to present other documents besides your PowerPoint slideshow. However, the downside is that you may accidentally reveal sensitive information.

Method 2: Share PowerPoint Window

If you want only to present your PowerPoint slide deck, it's best to share just that window. Here's how:

• A red border will appear around your PowerPoint window, indicating you're sharing just that window.
• Launch your slides in slideshow mode and start presenting.
• Open the Microsoft Teams window and click Stop sharing when you're done presenting.

Sharing just your PowerPoint window prevents accidental display of sensitive desktop content. Even if you switch windows, viewers only see the PowerPoint presentation.

However, this method also has its limitations. One of the main limits is that you can't view your PowerPoint speaker notes without the audience seeing them as well. You also can't access Microsoft Teams features like the chat and reactions during your presentation.

Additionally, If your network connection has low bandwidth or slow upload speed , sharing your screen can result in a blurry and stuttering presentation for the audience. Thankfully, the PowerPoint Live feature provides the solution to these issues.

Method 3: Use PowerPoint Live

Presenting with the PowerPoint Live feature is easy and provides additional benefits. Your audience only sees the slides, while you get to see all the extra controls that come with the presenter view. When using the presenter view in your presentation, you have a few helpful tools at your disposal:

• You can easily adjust the font size of your slide notes to make them more readable.
• To navigate between slides, simply click on the corresponding thumbnail.
• You can use the laser pointer, pen, or highlighter tools to draw attention to specific areas of a slide.
• Use the Standout layout to place your camera feed on the slide without the background.
• Use the Cameo layout to insert yourself into the slide, provided you've set up Cameo to record customized camera feeds .

Here's how you can use PowerPoint Live to share your presentation:

• When it's your turn to present, click Share .

• When you're done presenting, click Stop sharing in the top toolbar.

The PowerPoint Live feature tackles the limitations of sharing your entire screen or PowerPoint window. It also comes with really cool features like co-presenting and allowing attendees to click on links in the presentation.

Your Audience's View When Using PowerPoint Live

In addition to the main slide view, your audience also has access to the slide navigation, grid, and more options controls (the three dots icon below the slides).

This means they can navigate the slides at their own pace and change specific slide settings to suit their preference without affecting your view and that of others. If you find this non-ideal for delivering an engaging presentation , you can disable the audience's navigation control. To do so, enable Private view in the top toolbar.

By default, each meeting attendee joins as a presenter. This means they can share their own content or control someone else's presentation. If that's not what you want, you can change each person's meeting roles in Microsoft Teams to prevent it.

Deliver a Seamless Presentation Experience in Microsoft Teams

Presenting your PowerPoint slides in Microsoft Teams might seem tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's a piece of cake. Practice makes perfect. So before your next Teams presentation, familiarize yourself with your chosen method to ensure an effective delivery.

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Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation on Microsoft Teams

How to Share a PowerPoint Presentation on Microsoft Teams

In recent years many remote meeting tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom have become the norm for regular remote meetings. If you’re new to Microsoft Teams, the chances are you are still finding your way around various options. One of the most common questions a Microsoft Teams newbie might ask is how to share PowerPoint on Teams.

What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a messaging app by Microsoft for online collaboration and remote meetings that comes integrated with Microsoft 365. It provides a real-time workspace where end users can collaborate via chat, Teams Channels, Live calls, etc. Microsoft Teams also integrates with other Microsoft products like PowerPoint and OneDrive, enabling instant file sharing via the cloud.

Why use Microsoft Teams to Present Your PowerPoint Presentations?

Many organizations use Microsoft Teams for online collaboration and remote meetings. Organizations with integrated Microsoft products like its Windows operating system, Microsoft Office, and Azure Active Directory prefer Teams as the primary internal and external communication app. Organizations use Microsoft Teams to provide secure accounts to employees, with two-factor authentication and data encryption. These accounts are integrated into the Active Directory, providing scalability and control for IT administrators to offer people within an organization an online collaboration platform that can be securely used within the limits of the organization’s data protection policies.

While there are many alternatives to Microsoft teams, such as Zoom and Google Meet, the integration of teams with other Microsoft products, such as Azure, Microsoft Office apps, and OneDrive, makes it attractive within a secure enterprise environment.

How to Present PowerPoint in Teams?

How to present your PowerPoint slides on Microsoft Teams, let us tell you there are at least two methods for sharing presentations. This includes sharing a PowerPoint file directly and presenting your slide deck before one or more meeting participants, or perhaps PowerPoint templates or Google Slides templates to help a colleague design a slide deck.

How to Attach and Share Your PowerPoint Slides on Teams

To share a PowerPoint file on Microsoft Teams, go to an ongoing conversation or meeting window and click Attach files . This will provide you with the option to either fetch a file via OneDrive or from your device. This option can be used for sharing PowerPoint files and other types of files, such as documents, spreadsheets, videos, compressed files, etc.

When sharing a file, you can add a message optionally before hitting Send .

The recipient and the sender can download the file, open it in a browser, or copy the file link for further sharing.

How to Present Your PowerPoint Slides on Teams

Method #1: use the share button in powerpoint.

You can also directly present your slide deck via Microsoft Teams by sharing your screen to start a Live presentation during a remote meeting instantly. Suppose your organization uses Microsoft Teams regularly. In that case, the chances are you will be using it for presentations during remote meetings; therefore, it’s essential to know how to use the screen-sharing option to present online.

Method #2: Share Screen to Present a PowerPoint Presentation

Another way to present a PowerPoint presentation on Teams is by sharing the screen with your audience. If you share your screen, this will show the audience whatever is visible on the entire screen on your device.

Pros of sharing your screen with the audience to present a presentation:

• It is easier to activate
• You can easily switch to other windows besides the PowerPoint presentation and also share them with the audience

Cons of sharing your entire screen on Teams for presenting:

• If you have confidential data in other windows, you may want to avoid switching the windows and keep only the Slideshow window in front.
• You may accidentally switch to other windows, and your audience can lose focus of the presentation.

Method #3: Share PowerPoint Window to Present Your Slides

If you intend to hide parts of your screen, you can simply share the relevant PowerPoint window so that your audience can only view the presentation. During a Live call, click the Share button and select your screen or window to share.

5 Features to Make the Most from Your Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation Sharing in Teams

Microsoft Teams offers a wide array of features that make it a robust remote meeting and online collaboration app since it leverages the full force of Microsoft 365 and other Microsoft products.

1. Translate Slides into a Different Language

This is a private feature that individuals can use to translate slides in their language instantly. As a presenter, you can ask your audience to use this feature if they deem it convenient to help bridge a gap that might exist due to a language barrier.

Slides can be viewed in a different language via More actions > Translate Slides . From the drop-down list, you can pick a preferred language.

2. Use Live Captions

Microsoft Teams supports Live Captions / Closed Captions (CC) to help persons with disabilities, including those suffering from hearing impairment. Closed Captions can also be helpful for people to translate or view text in a preferred language.

Turn on Live Captions: To enable Live Captions on Teams, go to More options > Turn on live captions . Translate Spoken Language: To translate Live Captions, go to Captions settings > Change spoken language .

Turn Off Live Captions: You can turn off Live captions anytime via More actions > Turn off live captions .

3. View Slides in High Contrast

Viewing slides in high contrast on Teams can have several benefits. For example, it helps you focus on the content and is also helpful for people with visual impairment. To configure your slides to appear in high contrast, follow the steps below:

1. Launch your PowerPoint presentation.

2. Click on the Present tab at the top of the window.3. Go to More action > View slides in high contrast .

4. Annotate your Slides in Real Time

Like any standard remote meeting app, Microsoft Teams also provides a number of handy annotation options to help you make the most out of your PowerPoint presentations. You can click on Start annotation when sharing your full screen during presentations to start annotating slides.

Powered by Microsoft Whiteboard, this powerful feature enables one or more meeting participants or the presenter to annotate presentations. It can also be a helpful feature when you’re looking to collaborate online during a Live presentation.

5. Pop Out the Window

You can separate the presentation window from the Teams window to make it easier to work with the two. This feature can be handy when working with multiple monitors or separating the two windows from uncluttering your screen. You can use this option by clicking on the Pop-out option from the toolbar during a screen-sharing session.

Until now, we have seen how to share presentations specifically on Microsoft Teams. However, there are other ways to share presentations. In our article How to share a PowerPoint presentation we review different methods to share a PPT with others.

How to Stop Presenting on Teams

When presenting your slide deck, you can also present your PowerPoint presentation using any view, be it as a SlideShow or in Normal view. Once you’re done presenting, click Stop Presenting to conclude your session. Furthermore, you can also choose to enable or disable your camera and computer sound when presenting your slides.

To turn off screen sharing during a remote meeting, you can click Stop Sharing .

Present in Teams Button in PowerPoint is Missing. How to Fix it?

Some users might have used the Present in Teams option to share a PowerPoint presentation during a meeting. Suppose you are wondering why the Present in Teams button in PowerPoint Presentations is missing. In that case, this option isn’t available for anyone using the free version of Teams, as only users with a paid subscription, such as a Business Standard or Business Premium Plan. Furthermore, you must share your PowerPoint presentation with OneDrive to use this option. To use the Present in Teams option, upload your PowerPoint presentation to OneDrive. You can do this via File > Save As > OneDrive .

Once done, the Present in Teams button will become available to instantly launch your presentation for sharing during a Teams call.

5 Tips to Make your Presentation a Success on Microsoft Teams

Presenting PowerPoint in Teams can require being mindful of a number of things. This includes accounting for brevity to ensure your presentation does not take more than its designated time, using slides that are suitable for remote meetings. Below is a list of 5 tips to make your presentation successful using Microsoft Teams.

1. Check Your Audio and Video Settings

One of the most annoying problems faced during remote meetings is technical failures such as no or low audio quality. This becomes even more annoying when the meeting organizer or a presenter during their session faces the issue, wasting precious time. This is why you must check your audio and video settings beforehand to ensure everything works correctly. If you need to play a video during your session, make a test call with a colleague and get feedback if the sound and video quality are up to the mark.

2. Make Sure Your Slides are Clear and Concise

Presentations delivered via Microsoft Teams will often take place during scheduled remote meetings. This means that you will have to account for the designated time given for your session, which is why you must ensure that your slides are clear and concise.

3. Use Animations and Transitions Sparingly

Since remote meetings will be attended by participants using different types of computers and mobile devices, some animations and transitions might not be suitable. This is because they can cause Teams to slow down, or the slides might not display appropriately via screen sharing. For example, 3D animations , GIF animations , and objects with elaborate PowerPoint animated sequences might cause issues when displayed via Teams. 

4. Keep Your Slides on Topic

One of the banes of remote meetings is how a discussion can go off-topic very quickly. This is why it’s best to ensure that your slides remain focused on the topic and additional discussions are discouraged during the presentation session.

5. Use Team Members’ Names Sparingly to Call Out Specific Points

Calling out team members for their opinion or advice during a remote meeting can quickly lead to a very lengthy and off-topic discussion. This is why it’s best to call out team members’ sparingly. If you have been using Teams or other remote meeting apps long enough, you would have learned by now that for some topics, it’s best to ask participants to schedule a separate meeting so that the ongoing discussion remains on track.

Other Issues to Troubleshoot while presenting a PowerPoint presentation on Microsoft Teams

Someone has already set up Teams for your organization’s error

If you’re using a premium subscription for Microsoft Teams managed by your organization’s IT team, you might get an error when logging in to Teams. In such a case, you might get the following error:

“Someone has already set up Teams for your organization.”  

If you see the error message mentioned above, this means that your account isn’t ready yet, and you need to contact your organization’s IT team to ask when your account might be ready for use.

We’re sorry–we’ve run into an issue error.

Another prevalent issue is when the following error message appears:

“We’re sorry–we’ve run into an issue.”

This is a generic message, and usually, it can be resolved by clicking the Restart button that appears below the error. In case the issue isn’t resolved after restarting the Teams app, ensure your Internet connection is working. More often than not, the issue is associated with the Internet connection. If the issue persists, you can clear your cache , reinstall Teams or contact your IT support team. The error can also occur if there is an outage affecting Microsoft products or if there is a configuration issue for Microsoft 365 accounts associated with your organization.

Final Words

Using Microsoft Teams to share a presentation file is easy enough. However, when presenting a PowerPoint presentation in Teams, you must decide how to present your slide deck. If you need to switch back and forth between your slides and another document, spreadsheet, or browser window, it might be best to share your entire screen. However, if you wish to focus only on the slide deck, sharing your Window can help you avoid sharing the rest of your screen with the audience.

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How to share PowerPoint slides in Teams meetings

1] share slides in a teams meeting by sharing entire screen, 2] share slides in a teams meeting by sharing the powerpoint window, a] share the slide show window, b] share the powerpoint window in normal view, c] share the powerpoint window in reading view, 3] share slides in a teams meeting with powerpoint live, can i present powerpoint on teams and see notes, how do i share a powerpoint in teams and still see chat, sangeetaghera@twc.

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Share Slides in Teams meetings with PowerPoint Live

PowerPoint Live offers benefits over simple screen-sharing.

This article applies to: Microsoft Teams

PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams offers several benefits over screen-sharing your PowerPoint presentation window or editing window. 

• Seamlessly switch between presenters.  Unlike screen-sharing, where the presentation is shared from a single presenter, co-presenters can take control of the slide deck during their portion of the presentation. 
• The built-in presenter view provides all the tools you need for a successful meeting.  You can see the audience, control slides, and view notes all in one location. 
• Enhanced accessibility.  Audience members can use screen readers, live translation, and high contrast slides. 
• Special audience focus tools.  Use the laser pointer, pen, and highlighter to draw attention to key points. 
• Option for attendees to go back or ahead.  If enabled, audience members can move between slides to review something they missed while the presentation continues. 
• Smoother transitions to video or audio.  Play high-quality embedded video and audio without having to change to a browser, media player, or other outside app or window. 
• Instant attendee access to links.  Audience members can open links and videos in the presentation on their own devices. No more waiting for you to circulate the presentation after the meeting. 

For more information, see Microsoft’s  Share slides in a Teams meeting with PowerPoint Live  and the Microsoft blog post  Introducing PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams . 

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Tip: Show PowerPoint slides

PowerPoint Live in Teams gives both the presenter and audience an inclusive and engaging experience, combining the best parts of presenting in PowerPoint with the connection and collaboration of a Microsoft Teams meeting.  

Tip:  Are you an audience member? Jump down to learn more about how you can interact during the presentation.

Presenter view

Present your slides.

If you're in PowerPoint for the web, select Present > Present in Teams .

Your slides will appear in the Teams meeting, with your Notes next to them.

Navigate through the slides

Use the navigation arrows to go forward and backward.

Use the thumbnail strip to jump ahead or backwards.

Select Go to slide to see a grid view of all slides in the presentation. Select one to jump to it.

Stay connected to the audience

One of the benefits of using PowerPoint Live to present instead of sharing your screen is that you have quick access to all your meeting tools you need to engage with the audience and to read the room in one view. This is especially true if you’re presenting from a single screen.

Turn Chat on or off to view what your audience is saying.

See audience reactions and raised hands in real-time.

Change the Layout of your presentation and choose how your live camera feed appears in your presentation, like Standout or Cameo . It helps the audience read your non-verbal cues and keeps them engaged.

Use the Laser pointer , Pen , Highlighter , or Eraser to clearly reference items on your slides.

Audience view

As an audience member, you’re able to personalize your experience without affecting anyone else. Try these options to find what works best for you:

Note:  If presenters don't want people to be able to independently navigate through a PowerPoint file they are sharing, use the  Private view  toggle to turn it off.

Click any hyperlink on slides to get more context right away.

Interact with videos on slides to adjust the volume or jump to a timestamp and consume it at your own pace.

Use a screen reader to get full access to the slide content.

Switch to a high contrast view to make the slides easier to view if you have low vision. Select More options > View slides in high contrast .

Your viewing experience will be at a higher fidelity, letting you see crisp text and smooth animations. PowerPoint Live also requires significantly less network bandwidth than typical sharing, making it the b est option when network connectivity is a problem.

Independent magnifying and panning

You can zoom in and pan on a presentation slide without affecting what others see. Use your mouse, trackpad, keyboard, touch, or the Magnify Slide option as applicable. 

To zoom in or out on a slide, do any one of the following: 

Hover over the slideshow and pinch or stretch on trackpad.

Pinch or use the stretch touch gesture (on a touch-enabled device).

Press the + or – keys.

Hover over slide, hold down Ctrl key and scroll with mouse wheel.

In the More Actions menu, click the + or – buttons.

To pan around your slide, do any one of the following:

Press the arrow keys.

Click and drag using a mouse.

Click and drag on a trackpad.

Use one finger to touch and drag (on touch-enabled device).

When done zooming and panning, press  Esc to reset your screen. 

Learn more about PowerPoint Live  

Important: 

PowerPoint Live is not supported in Teams live events, CVI devices, and VTC devices.

If you're using Teams on the web, you’ll need Microsoft Edge 18 or later, or Google Chrome 65 or later, to see the presenter view.

Presenter view is hidden by default for small screen devices but can be turned on by selecting More options below the current slide and then Show presenter view (or by selecting the sharing window and then pressing Ctrl+Shift+x).

Meetings recordings won’t capture any videos, animations, or annotation marks in the PowerPoint Live session.

When you share from Teams, the PowerPoint Live section lists the most recent files you've opened or edited in your team SharePoint site or your OneDrive. If you select one of these files to present, all meeting participants will be able to view the slides during the meeting. Their access permissions to the file outside of the meeting won't change.

If you select Browse and choose to present a PowerPoint file that hasn't been uploaded to Teams before, it will get uploaded as part of the meeting. If you're presenting in a channel meeting, the file is uploaded to the Files tab in the channel, where all team members will have access to it. If you're presenting in a private meeting, the file is uploaded to your OneDrive, where only the meeting participants will be able to access it.

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How to share PowerPoint slides in Teams meetings

The powerpoint live feature in teams ensures a professional presentation that has built-in accessibility features for you and your audience.

• Set up and join your Teams meeting as usual

Enable Include computer sound if your presentation has audio content that you want to share (including embedded videos, narrated sections or music)

• If your presentation is not listed then select Browse OneDrive or Browse my computer and locate the PowerPoint file you want to share
• Wait for the presentation to start on all attendees devices - it can feel like this is taking a long time, but it usually completes in 5 to 10 seconds

• Use the Presenter mode options at the top of your Teams screen to switch between Content only (just your slides) and Standout (your video is shown in the bottom-right corner of the slides)
• Select More actions    just below your slides to show/hide your notes and slide preview, select high contrast mode, or translate the slides. These actions only affect your view, each attendee can select their own independent settings
• Options to change the font size of your notes are displayed to the bottom-right of the current slide

Prepare with a quick practice-run

A quick practice before the live session will give you confidence in using Teams to present. Here's how:

• Open Teams and select Calendar   
• Select Meet Now    > Start meeting > Join now
• Close   the prompt to Invite people to join you
• Now select Share    and follow the instructions above

Further information

Video tutorial.

A short video tutorial on How to use PowerPoint Live in Teams by Breakwater IT

Other presentation formats

PowerPoint Live is only available for files saved in the latest PowerPoint (PPTX) format, used in PowerPoint 2016 and newer. If your presentation is in another format then try saving it as a PowerPoint file, either in the application you used to create it or in PowerPoint.

Sharing PowerPoint from a Mac

To share a PowerPoint file in presentation / slideshow mode on a Mac you need to give Teams permission for Screen Recording (see Sharing content on a Mac , about half-way down). You only need to do this once, the setting remains in place for future presentations.

Related links

• Overview: Microsoft Teams
• Top tips on running webinars in Teams
• Microsoft Teams collection

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Sharing a powerpoint presentation in teams.

For: Staff Application: MS Teams Tagged: Microsoft Teams , web conferencing

To share an online presentation, you can either share your screen with PowerPoint open on your PC or upload your presentation directly into Teams . There are several options for screen sharing and configuring your PowerPoint files when presenting online. You can choose to display your entire desktop or just a specific application on your PC. You can also configure Teams to utilise multiple displays to host a presentation (where multiple monitors are available).

This guide covers:

Share your screen in teams, powerpoint presentations with multiple displays, upload a presentation file into teams.

During a Teams meeting, select the Share Content icon at the top of the window to initiate screen sharing. You will be presented with a window displaying all the available options for sharing. This window will list any displays connected to your device (i.e., Desktop 1, Desktop 2), which will broadcast everything on the selected desktop.

Sharing your entire screen may be the best option if you intend to switch between applications during your presentation. When sharing media, like a video or audio clip, toggle the option to Include computer sound .

Teams will also list options for sharing any specific windows currently open on your PC, allowing you to only broadcast a specific application and hiding the rest of your desktop from view. If you want to only display your presentation file, ensure the PowerPoint presentation is open prior to clicking the Share Screen button .

Upon sharing your screen, the Teams interface will minimise so you can better view your shared content. There will be a small Teams window at the bottom of your screen where you can see the active speaker and use basic meeting controls.

There will also be a bar at the top of the screen allowing you to give control of the presentation to another participant or Stop presenting . If this bar disappears, hover your cursor at the top of your screen and it will unhide. Click the ‘ Pin ’ icon to keep the bar visible at all times.

Please note: If you are sharing your web browser, Teams will broadcast any tab open on your screen to participants. Keep this in mind if you need to access personal information such as your email account.

When delivering a Teams presentation with multiple displays (i.e., two monitors connected to a PC or a laptop with external monitor), you may want to take advantage of the second display to monitor participants. By adjusting your PowerPoint settings to disable ‘Presenter View’ , you can utilise an additional display to open the Chat and Participants windows, or to view participant videos.

To disable Presenter View, open PowerPoint and select the Slide Show tab and then click Set Up Slide Show .

In the options window, under Show type , select Browsed by an individual (window) , and click OK .

When ready to present, click Play from Start to expand your presentation view. Rather than taking over both displays, your presentation will now display in a window that can be expanded and moved between your screens.

Select Share content in Teams and select your PowerPoint presentation from the list of windows to share . Open the main Teams meeting window after sharing your screen and move it to your second display. You can now monitor the chat and manage participants whilst presenting.

If you do not want to share your PC screen when presenting, you can upload and share a PowerPoint file directly in Teams. This can be advantageous when you do not have a strong internet connection or if you have multiple presenters who will need to control the slides during the session.

Click the Share content icon at the top of the meeting window and select Browse my computer to upload a file (or select Browse OneDrive if your presentation is located in your QMUL Office 365 account).

In the file browser , locate the presentation file on your PC and click Open . It may take a few moments for Teams to upload and convert your presentation file.

When the presentation has been shared, you will have a set of PowerPoint controls at the bottom of your slides. Use these options to move between slides , open grid view to quickly jump between slides, select a laser pointer , or one of the pen tools to annotate your slides.

Click the ‘ … ’ More actions icon to switch between single slide and presenter view, or to view the slides in high contrast mode (which may be helpful in certain instances for accessibility purposes).

In presenter view, you will see any presenter notes displayed on the right side of your presentation.

At the top of the window, there is a ‘eye’ icon which you can click to toggle to allow or prevent participants from moving through your shared presentation on their own . Click Stop presenting to end the presentation.

Did this answer your query? If not, you can raise a ticket on the online Helpdesk or email: [email protected] . Alternatively you can also request a particular guide or highlight an error in this guide using our guides request tracker.

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How to share your screen and PowerPoint in Microsoft Teams

Categories: Microsoft 365

Sharing your screen, presentations and whiteboards in Microsoft Teams is a great way to make your Teams meetings more effective. And fun… After all, who doesn’t like a cheeky post-meeting game of hangman to secure the office bragging rights for the day? 🏆

Microsoft Teams brought many teams together and has been the tool that brings projects from start to finish. But sometimes, clients will require our IT support services to show them the ropes - especially with sharing screens and PowerPoint presentations in Microsoft Teams. 

In this article I’ll show you precisely how you can do these things on Microsoft Teams:

• Share your entire desktop,
• Share a specific window,
• Share a PowerPoint presentation, or
• Share a whiteboard that your team can “collaborate” on 🙂

Sharing Screen Content in Microsoft Teams

You've got a handful of options at your disposal when you want to share content in a meeting, let’s get clear on what the options look like and the best scenario for each. 👇

Select the share your desktop option if you want to share your entire desktop screen in Microsoft Teams.

Note: This is the equivalent of having someone look over your shoulder and will include visibility of all your notifications, reminders, and other desktop activity.

Tip : Choose this option when you need to share multiple windows simultaneously. It’s a good idea to disable your notifications or set your computer to do-not-disturb mode first.

Select the share your screen option if you want to present one of your open windows in the Microsoft Teams app. An example might be a spreadsheet, webpage or word doc.

Note : This option will exclude notifications, reminders or desktop activity outside the shared window.

Tip : Choose this option if you only need to share one thing and want to keep the rest of your screen private.

Microsoft Teams have built in the capability of sharing your PowerPoint presentations. This interactive method of sharing allows your team to interact with your presentation by skipping forward and backwards through your slides, without disrupting your flow as the presenter.

Tip : Choose this option whenever you share a PowerPoint in Microsoft Teams and want your audience to be able to move through the presentation at their own pace.

Note : As the presenter, you can disable the ability for others to browse through the slides if you wish.

Each Teams meeting has a whiteboard where meeting participants have space to ink together. Select the share your whiteboard option if you want to open the virtual whiteboard that everyone can collaborate on in Microsoft Teams.

Tip: Choose this option if you want to brainstorm with your team and have your ideas attached to your meeting. Also great for a quick game of hangman, tic tac toe or dots and crosses. 🙂

How to share your screen in Microsoft Teams

• While in a meeting, chat or group chat click the share icon
• Choose if you’d like to share your entire desktop or just one specific window
• When you’re done sharing click the stop sharing Icon

How to share your PowerPoint presentation in Microsoft Teams

• Choose from one of your recently opened PowerPoint slide presentations. Alternatively, click Browse to navigate to your PowerPoint file
• Your team members will be able to navigate through your presentation by default. (Optional turn off this feature by clicking the eye icon to turn off participant navigation). And that's how to share PowerPoint on Teams
• And when you’re done sharing, click the stop sharing icon

How to share your whiteboard in Microsoft Teams

• Select the whiteboard option from the menu
• Everyone will be able to grab a pen and interact with the whiteboard

If you need further help with PowerPoint or any of the Microsoft 365 productivity tools, your friendly neighbourhood IT support guys are willing to help. 

Microsoft Teams Training Resources

- Microsoft Teams Quick Start Guide for New Users

- Microsoft Teams for Beginners: 101

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Recent Blog Posts

How to Share PowerPoint Presentation on Teams

Remote presentations are one of the best features of Microsoft Teams.

During your Microsoft Teams meeting, you can easily share your PowerPoint slides with other participants by clicking a few buttons .

You can present your PowerPoint slides in several ways depending on your settings, but which of them is best?

We will take a look at each of them in this article.

Method 1: Share Your Screen With Your Audience.

This is the simplest way to share your PowerPoint file during a Microsoft Teams meeting. It is similar to making a PowerPoint presentation in a physical location.

Step 1: Open PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams.

Step 2: Join the meeting.

Step 3: Go to the sharing options on Teams and select Desktop.

The meeting participants will now see everything that's on their screens. So, you should ensure no confidential information is displayed if PowerPoint isn't on full screen.

To open the Microsoft Teams Window, click on Alt + Tab.

Check out these cute presentation templates .

Method 2: Slide Show Window Sharing.

Microsoft Teams allows users to share any window on their computer during PowerPoint Presentations , and you can take advantage of this feature when presenting.

Step 2: On PowerPoint, launch the Slide Show so the screen can display your slides.

Step 3: Return to Microsoft Teams by clicking on Alt + Tab.

Step 4: On Teams, go to the sharing options and select the PowerPoint window showing your slide show.

The advantage of using this method is that it will allow you to use all of PowerPoint's features. Your audience engagement and site rank will also see only the window you share instead of the content you're currently viewing while it protects against spam fraud and abuse. It is also age-appropriate if relevant, tracks outages, and covers engagement and site statistics to understand your presentation.

On the downside, you won't have access to Microsoft Teams' controls because your screen will display just the slides. Click on Alt + Tab to view the Teams Window.

These are the best startup infographics  on the internet.

Method 3: Desktop Window Share.

You can use this method to share your Slide Show window without the slides taking up your entire screen.

Step 1: Open PowerPoint

Step 2: Go to the Slide Show tab and select Set Up Slide Show

Step 3: Select "Browsed by an individual."

Step 4: Return to your Teams meeting by pressing Alt + Tab. Click on Share and choose your presentation in the Window section.

Your animations and transitions will work perfectly in this mode. However, you won't be able to access features such as the laser pointer.

Method 4: Microsoft Teams Built-In Share Option.

Microsoft Teams has a built-in share option, so you don't have to use PowerPoint software during meetings.

Step 1: Join a Teams meeting.

Step 2: Hit Share to start sharing.

Step 3: Go to PowerPoint and select a recent presentation or click on browse to upload a new one. 

The program will display your presentation using PowerPoint on the Web in Slide Show mode. You will have access to all of Microsoft Teams' controls during your presentation and save your battery since you won't share your screen.

On the downside, PowerPoint on the Web is a lower version of PowerPoint. Animations and transitions can be poor. It also doesn't feature the Presenter View.

Learn how to add notes to PowerPoint .

Method 5: The Presenter View.

This is the best way to share your slide deck using Microsoft Teams. It is super easy and only requires one monitor.

Step 1: Start your presentation in PowerPoint.

Step 2: Click on Alt + Tab to return to your meeting on Teams.

Step 3: Share the PowerPoint window (Don't share the entire screen. 

Step 4: Click on Alt + Tab to return to PowerPoint

Step 5: Right-click on your preferred slide and select the Use Presenter View option.

Using the Presenter View, you can access your slide notes and annotations. You can also move to the next or any other slide from your current one.

Watch this entire video to learn how to add slides to PowerPoint presentations .

Final Thoughts.

Virtual presentations are a significant reason Microsoft Teams is considered  a better collaborative app than its competitors . Method 5 is the presenter's dream due to all the great features it allows us to access. When you use it for a virtual PowerPoint presentation, you can perform several actions while the meeting attendees only see your slides.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you share a presentation on Microsoft Teams?

Join the meeting and click "Share," Select your presentation to share it.

How do you present a PowerPoint on Teams and see chats?

To see your chats while presenting PowerPoint slides on Teams, you can use methods 3, 4, or 5.

Is there a Presenter mode in Teams?

The built-in presenter mode on Teams is known as PowerPoint Live.

Related Articles:

How To Narrate a PowerPoint

How To Convert PDF To PowerPoint

How To Add Slides To PowerPoint

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• Presentation Collections

Simple Guide to Deliver 5 Why Analysis using a Presentation

Have you ever found yourself stuck solving the same issues repeatedly, only to realize you’re merely scratching the surface of the problem?

The 5 Whys Analysis might be what you need to enhance your presentations. By combining this method with infographics, you can create impactful presentations that are informative and easy to follow. In this blog, we’ll explore how you can deliver engaging presentations using the 5 Why template PPT .

What is the 5 Whys Analysis Method?

The 5 Whys technique is a very simple yet very effective root-cause-analysis tool. The basis of this technique involves asking the question “Why?” repeatedly, usually at least five times to peel beyond the symptoms into the real issue. Once that cause has been determined, then one can implement a much more effective and lasting solution.

The technique is very fruitful in groups, particularly in class, when trying to present a project, and when solving problems jointly. The moment it is presented visually through an infographic, it becomes pretty effective.

Moreover, when this technique is intertwined with a certain presentation structure, the audience will not just understand the problem, but also the root cause of it, and their interest in the recommended solution increases.

Ideas for Solving Problems Using 5 Whys

The best practices about implementing the 5 Whys have to be followed to get the most out of this methodology. Here are some very important guidelines:

Clearly define the problem: Start by identifying and clearly stating what you want to solve. A vague or poorly defined issue can only lead to unclear solutions. This step in any presentation is critical to ensure your audience is aligned from the beginning.

Work with Your Team: Allow team members to be part of the problem-solving process because they will have first-hand experience with the problem. This will, in turn, bring credibility to your “Why” answers and help identify the root causes more accurately. When key stakeholders are involved in making the presentation, everyone then has a common understanding of the problem and the solution.

Make Use of Illustrations: An infographic template one can use for 5 Whys. Thus, one can lead the audience through a logical and sensible problem-solving process. With the use of arrows, hierarchies, or flowcharts, tracking “Why” questions and their answers will be much easier.

Avoid Blame: The emphasis of the 5 Whys is not on blame but on the process that resulted in the problem. Do not point fingers at anyone during the time for solving the problem as well as in the presentations. Always make sure you emphasize solutions rather than pointing fingers.

Know When to Stop: You do not always have to ask “Why?” five times. If you identify the root cause quickly, then that’s all well. You want to come away from this analysis with some takeaway insights, not with the number itself.

Using these best practices in mind, the 5 Whys analysis will both be practical and effective, especially when presenting. Now let’s take a look at how the technique can be useful for group decision-making.

How Can Teams Use 5 Whys Analysis for Better Decisions?

Teams often get into a logjam trying to decide because sometimes people have different ideas, make assumptions, or lack the information. It’s really easy with 5 Whys though. They facilitate decisions logically and collaboratively.

5 Whys Clarity in Communication: This method can break down problems into easy and actionable steps so that all members understand the issue at hand. This therefore translates to better communication and smoothened decision-making processes.

Avoid Shortcuts: Many teams jump at problems with less observation of the underlying cause, thus resulting in re-emergent problems. The 5 Whys technique encourages teams to dig deeper so their decisions are much more thoughtful and effective.

Data-Driven Approach: The 5 Whys protocol can help teams use facts and evidence in making decisions, rather than assumptions. Being a structured form of questioning, it eliminates biases toward the solutions and bases its reasons on facts, thereby improving the quality of the decision itself.

Greater Buy-In: If stakeholders understand from the source why such a problem exists, they will find it easier to commit to proposed solutions. Engaging the audience is an easy way to keep people interested in your solution when presenting frequently ask interactive questions or do real-time collaboration.

The 5 Whys approach will ensure decisions are driven by collaboration, clarity, and facts, thereby applying effectively to discussion in team meetings as well as preparation for presentations with stakeholders.

How Does 5 Whys Analysis Help in Project Presentations?

As far as project presentations are concerned, an explanation about the development of a problem and how it was resolved becomes an integral part of them. The application of the 5 Whys method can make it clearer and better to present overwhelming issues in easy-flowing ways.

Imagine one needs to present why a project could not meet its deadline . Taking recourse to the 5 Whys method, it is possible to navigate through each layer of the issue.

Start with the obvious one: Missing the deadline. Then just keep asking, “Why? Why?” in terms of peeling away the layers. Was it because the team was understaffed? Was communication not clear? Was it that the resources were not there at the time?

At this point, you and your audience will clearly see what went wrong and what should be done to avoid going that way again.

Infographics will make this process much easier by having each “Why” with the answer. As you go through this presentation, your audience can easily track the visual aid that can help them understand and take in the information much more accurately.

How to Compare 5 Whys with Other Problem-Solving Methods?

The 5 Whys method is a tremendous tool, but it’s not the only available problem-solving technique. Here’s the comparison with other popular methods:

Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa)

Two popular methods for root cause analysis are the 5 Whys and Fishbone Diagrams. While the 5 Whys would logically categorize causes into one or another potential cause category (“People,” “Processes, and Environment”), the fishbone diagram template PPT visually categorizes causes. Which would you prefer? 5 Whys employs a more linear process and is easier to use live in a presentation.

Root Cause Analysis (RCA)

RCA is a much more formalized and delineated toolset that uses a variety of tools, including the 5 Whys, the Fishbone Diagram, and data analysis. RCA would best be suitable for complex problems, but the 5 Whys would best be suited to problems that are less complex but very urgent in nature.

Brainstorming Method

This technique encourages as many ideas as possible to come about without immediate criticism. It is an effective way of creative problem-solving, though, unlike the 5 Whys, it doesn’t necessarily lead to the findings of a root cause. It can be represented using our brainstorming PPT .

Each of the techniques explained above has strengths, but according to me, 5 Whys stands out for its simplicity and flexibility, particularly in presentation settings where you need to communicate not only the problem but also the solution.

How Does the 5 Whys Method Improve Root Cause Analysis?

The core strength of the 5 Whys method is that it improves root cause analysis. Sometimes, when we first get into problems, we consider solving surface issues. Solving them does give temporary success, but then the problem returns on one level or another.

It eliminates guesswork: Your tendency to ask “Why?” over and over makes you dive into the real issue, thus getting rid of guesswork. This is a structured way of digging beyond assumptions to get to some real causes.

Helps in Nonrecurrence: With the application of the 5 Whys method, by not focusing on symptoms but by focusing on the root cause, there’s a guarantee that the solution found will really be about the problem and thus solve it once and for all.

The 5 Why process helps break down complex problems one step at a time, so the problem-solving process becomes manageable. This, in turn, improves not only the analysis but makes it more digestible to present to the audience.

The root cause analysis using the 5 Whys method develops the ability to create long-lasting solutions to issues, ones that are not repeated while improving efficiency in the management of the project.

How to Reduce Barriers in Education Through the Use of 5 Whys Example

One of the lesser-known applications of using 5 Whys is ensuring the discovery of learning barriers within an educational institution. Here’s how the method can be applied in helping teachers determine problems with a given learning environment:

Surfacing the Issue: Take for example, if students in a given school fail every time. The first “Why?” could come out with a reply that they do not understand whatever they are being taught.

Deeper Causes: Asking more questions, such as “why,” can lead to deeper digging for the real cause of the problem. The deep or real cause may be ineffective methods of teaching, inadequate resources, or other factors, such as a noisy learning environment.

Effective Solutions: With deep cause identification, a school can design more effective solutions, say changing its teaching strategies, providing additional resources, or modifying the learning environment.

Applying the 5 Whys analysis helps educators identify learning barriers that create an adequate learning environment where students’ supports are in place for them to be in a position of success.

The 5 Whys approach is highly versatile and helps improve your problem-solving or decision-making skills, or your presentations in any domain, even in projects and in team management, especially if you want to overcome educational challenges and complex problems into more manageable, action-oriented steps. It would be able to hook its audience and have a more effective solution by following best practices, using illustrations such as infographics and applying the 5 Whys technique in presentations.

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Hi there! I'm Akshaya, a dedicated content researcher with 1.5 years of experience. As a passionate PowerPoint enthusiast, I love crafting engaging blogs that empower users to create stunning presentations. Through my work, I aim to provide valuable insights and practical tips that help users make the most of our innovative PowerPoint templates.

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Work together on PowerPoint presentations

When you save your presentation to OneDrive or SharePoint in Microsoft 365 , you can work on it concurrently with your colleagues. 

Share your file with others

To invite other people to access your PowerPoint file and collaborate, take these steps:

Use the drop-down list to indicate whether a recipient can edit the file or only can view the file. Optionally add a note.

To proceed, select Send .

Note:  The Share dialog box offers an alternative option: Use the Copy link button and share the link. Anyone with the link can access the document with default permissions. 

Collaboration 

As others join you in working in your shared document, you can see evidence of their presence and activity. 

To enable automatic display of full names (i.e., for Accessibility purposes) go to File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show presence flags for selected items

When you’re done working, simply save your file. If there are no conflicts in the revisions, they will be automatically merged.

Reviewing changes and resolving conflicts

When you close/exit your shared PowerPoint presentation file, you can review the recent changes and resolve any difference across the team’s edits. 

Review all changes 

Upon saving your file, all non-conflicting changes are automatically merged into your presentation. You can see these in the My Changes view.

Choose either My Changes or Changes by Others .

When you are done resolving conflicts, select  Done .

More detail about conflicting changes 

Communicate in the shared file via Comments, Tasks, and Chat

In addition to seeing each other’s slide revisions in real time, PowerPoint enables various team interactions within the presentation file. 

Comments. To create, view, or respond to comments, use the Comments icon.   You can reply to, resolve, or mark comments as complete. To learn more, see Add comments . 

Tasks. A Task is a special kind of Comment that can be assigned and tracked to closure. To learn more, see add Tasks .  Chat. (Microsoft 365 only) You can instantly chat with other people who are working in a presentation stored on OneDrive for work or school or SharePoint in Microsoft 365. 

On the toolbar, at the right end, click the icon (picture or initials) of a collaborator who is currently working in the file.

Use the chat window to interact with everyone who is currently in the file. 

Note:  If another person subsequently opens the file to edit it, they can also join the chat. However, they will see only the new messages from that time forward, not the chat history. 

Notifications upon reopening a changed file 

See others’ recent revisions

Select the thumbnail to open the full-size slide.

Note:  Recently revised slides are highlighted, but all revisions may not be indicated on the slide. Non-indicated revision types include notes pane changes, deletion of shapes, comment additions, and animation changes. 

Access prior versions of a presentation

While you are working on files stored via OneDrive and OneDrive for work or school, Office preserves prior versions of them. For a specific file, you can view the list of prior versions and optionally restore a prior version. 

View the prior-versions list

With the file open, take these steps: 

Select the file name in the title bar of the app window.

Select Version History.

Open a prior version 

In the Version History pane, select a previous version.

Select Open version .

View the read-only copy now displayed in a separate window.

More information about revision highlighting 

Several factors can affect the extent to which revision highlighting occurs. 

Revision highlighting works on shared documents that are stored in OneDrive and SharePoint.

Changes are not highlighted if the file is encrypted or password protected.

Changes are not highlighted if the file is in .odp format or the older PowerPoint .ppt or .pps format.

Changes are highlighted only when the person making the change is using PowerPoint for the web, or PowerPoint for Microsoft 365. (More specifically, at least version 1707 of Current Channel or version 1803 of Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel). Here is a link to Find your Office version .

Changes are not highlighted if revision data has been turned off for the document in the Trust Center Privacy Options .  Privacy options NOT turned on  If the privacy options are not turned on, the presentation will store the user's name and the time of the most recent edits to an object. If needed, you can remove that information via Document Inspector. Learn how in this article: Remove hidden data and personal information by inspecting documents, presentations, or workbooks .  Privacy options ARE turned on  If the privacy options are turned on, the revision highlighting gets turned off. Thus, there is no storage of person-related data (usernames and their recent access timing.)

Where the data is stored

In order to make revision highlighting possible, data about the read/unread status of individual slides is stored separately by PowerPoint. Where that data is stored depends on which version and channel of PowerPoint is in use. 

Note:  We are in the process of shifting towards storing that data in an online Microsoft service designed for saving user settings. 

This table lists versions of PowerPoint and where each one stores the read/unread status data specific to each person who opens the file. Use this link to Find your Office version . 

Do you miss Slide Libraries? 

If you’d like to see Slide Libraries in PowerPoint, please send us your feedback. See How do I give feedback on Microsoft 365 . Your input will help us prioritize which features to include in future updates. 

Share your presentation with others and collaborate on it at the same time

Note:  If you'd rather not upload your presentation to your OneDrive or SharePoint, you can share it via an email attachment by selecting Send a Copy instead.

Enter the email address of the person you'd like to share the presentation with. If you already have the person's contact info stored, you can just enter the name. The control at the top lets you determine whether your invitees can edit the file or only can view the file.

Click Share . An email will be sent to your invitees.

See where others are working in your shared presentation

Open the presentation and start working in it.

If someone else is viewing or working in the presentation, their thumbnail picture appears in the top-right corner of the ribbon. PowerPoint alerts you when people enter or leave your presentation.

You'll also see the name of anyone viewing or editing the presentation in the Share pane. There's an indicator—on the thumbnail of the slide and in the actual slide—that shows where someone is working in the presentation. Hover over or select that indicator to find out who is editing.

(For accessibility, PowerPoint also allows you to turn on automatic display of the editor's name. Turn it on by selecting PowerPoint > Preferences > View > Show presence flags for selected items .)

When you’re done working, save your file.

If your updates and other authors’ updates don't conflict, they'll be merged automatically, and you don’t need to do anything else.

Notifications when you open a changed file

After other people make changes to a shared presentation file, PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac notifies you when you re-open the file. A small banner tells you who has made changes to your presentation while you were away.

Tracking changes: Revisions by others are highlighted

PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac automatically keeps track of changes made in online documents.

When you re-open a changed presentation (or are in a file being actively edited by someone else), changed slides are highlighted in turquoise in the thumbnail pane. A tooltip says, "Slide has unread changes."

Select a thumbnail to look at the full-size slide. You'll see the changed portion of the slide outlined in turquoise. An accompanying notation tells you who made the change, and when. By looking at the revised slide, you clear away the turquoise highlighting and the "slide has unread changes" notation on that slide.

(There are some cases where a revised slide is highlighted, but the kind of change that has been made isn't outlined on the individual slide. Examples of such changes include: Changes in the Notes pane, deletion of a shape, addition of a comment, and animation changes.)

What determines whether changes are highlighted:

This feature works on shared documents stored in OneDrive and SharePoint.

Changes are highlighted only when the person who makes the change is using PowerPoint for the web, or PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac—at least version 16.11. Find your Office version

Changes aren't highlighted if the file is encrypted or password-protected.

Changes aren't highlighted if the file is in .odp format or the older PowerPoint .ppt or .pps format.

Communicate by using Comments

You can add a new comment or reply to or resolve existing comments.

( Microsoft 365 only ) Tag a colleague in a comment by using the @-sign followed by the person's name. That person receives an email message with a link to your comment. Clicking the link brings them into the document and into the conversation.

See previous versions of the file

Office preserves prior versions of your SharePoint, OneDrive, and OneDrive for work or school files while you’re working on them.

To open the list of the prior versions of a file, select the file name in the title bar of the app window, then select Browse Version History .

Version History is for viewing, not editing. You can see any prior version of a file.

To open a prior version:

In the Version History pane on the right, select Open Version in one of the version-history items.

A read-only copy of that version is opened in a separate PowerPoint window.

You can copy content from a prior version. You can also Save A Copy of a prior version so that you can edit it separately from the file you're currently working on.

Share a presentation with others

Add a message to your colleagues if you like.

Click Send .

When multiple people work in a file at the same time, indicators show you where they are:

Towards the top right corner of the window you'll see a badge - with their profile picture or initials - for each person who currently has the file open. Select that badge to see where in the slide deck they currently are.

On the thumbnail pane you'll see a label appear at the top right corner of the slide thumbnail with the name of the person currently on that slide.

See revisions made by other people

When you open a presentation that someone else has changed, PowerPoint tells you in two ways:

A While You Were Away message appears on the right side of the window.

In the slide thumbnail pane on the left, slides that have been revised are highlighted with a turquoise background.

When you open that slide, you'll also see a turquoise outline around the revised slide element. By looking at the revised slide, you clear away the turquoise highlighting and the "slide has unread changes" notation on that slide.

Confer by using Comments or Chat

Tag a colleague in a comment by using the @-sign followed by the person's name. That person receives an email message with a link to your comment. Clicking the link brings them into the document and into the conversation.

Use File > Info > Version History to open the list of the prior versions of a file.

Version History is for viewing, not editing. You can see any prior version of a file. You can copy content from a prior version. You can also Save A Copy of a prior version so that you can edit it separately from the file you're currently working on.

Rename a presentation file

You can rename a file in PowerPoint for the web while you're co-authoring with others.

Type a new name for the file. Or use the arrow keys to position the insertion point within the title, and then type your changes to the file name.

Press Enter when you're done.

In a moment, the name change syncs with other instances of the file that are currently open.

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