How To Loop a PowerPoint Presentation

Carla Albinagorta

Learn how to loop a PowerPoint in 3 easy steps! Usually, once you’re finished with your presentation, PowerPoint goes back to the slide editor. But if you want your presentation to go back to the start, this quick tutorial will show you how to loop any PowerPoint presentation and set it to run automatically.

Why Learn How to Loop a PowerPoint

It can be very awkward to have your audience looking at the black screen after going through all your slides. Or even worse, at the slide editor. If you’re planning on going back on some of your previous points, learning how to loop your PowerPoint presentation can be a useful tool. Sure, you can go back using the Back key. But this way can make it easier and more polished, especially if you have a long presentation with many slides.

Learning how to loop a PowerPoint can also be extremely useful for those making a pictured-based presentation. Slides don’t necessarily have to have a lot of information on them. PowerPoint can also be used just to present images and examples or to provide a background for the speaker. Looping your presentation will make sure that you’re never left with an empty screen.

In short, it’s a nice detail to make your presentation look more clean and polished. So, are you ready to learn how to loop a PowerPoint presentation?

How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation

Luckily, learning how to loop a PowerPoint is very easy! Just follow these 3 steps:

1. Open your presentation and go to the Slide Show tab.

slide show PowerPoint

2. Select the Set Up Slide Show option for the Set-Up Options window to appear.

set up slide show powerpoint

3. In this window, go to the “Show options group” and tick the Loop continuously until ‘Esc’ (the first option). Don’t forget to click OK to apply the new set-up!

loop a ppt

And that’s all! Try putting your presentation on Slide Show mode. You’ll see that your presentation keeps going on until you press the ESC key in your keyboard.

How To Make a Self-Running PowerPoint Presentation

If you’re making a PowerPoint presentation to be used only as a background, then this information might be useful too. Usually, PowerPoint presentations only advance to the next slide when a mouse click occurs. But you can set your presentation to run automatically. This way, you don’t have to keep worrying about moving to the next slide since your presentation will do it on itself!

This is a great option for presentations that are only images on a loop, like in a Pecha Kucha presentation . You will be able to focus much better on what you have to say rather than in clicking on your slides to avoid boring your audience with only one picture.

1. Go to the Transitions tab.

2. In the “Timing” group (in the far right), tick the After option. In the timer on its side, enter how much time you want between slide and slide.

automatic transitions PowerPoint

3. Select the Apply To All option so every slide follows the same set-up.

If you want different times for each slide, you can also customize it like so. You just have to go one at a time changing how much time you want to spend on each slide and ignore the last step. Don’t forget to practice before your presentation! Only then you’ll know if the times you set for each slide are right. Good luck!

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Set up your slideshow to be looped, apply automatic slide transitions.

Slideshows are sometimes used to display images at events, such as weddings or trade shows. Whatever the occasion might be, you’ll want to loop your PowerPoint presentation so your guests aren’t staring at a blank screen. Here’s how it’s done.

First, open your PowerPoint presentation in which you would like to loop. Once open, navigate to the “Set Up” group of the “Slide Show” tab and then select the “Set Up Slide Show” button.

Set up slide show

The “Set Up Show” window will appear. In the “Show options” group, check the box next to “Loop Continuously until Esc.” Once selected, click “OK” in the bottom-right corner of the window.

Loop Continuously until Esc

Now, when you play your slideshow, it will end only when you press the “Esc” key instead of when you've finished the last slide.

Related: How to Make YouTube Videos Loop Continuously

One caveat: With the way we currently have it set up, the slideshow will proceed only when someone clicks the mouse button. That’s fine if there will be a speaker present at all times. Otherwise, you’ll need to set up automatic slide transitions.

Head back to the “Set Up Show” window by selecting “Set Up Slide Show” in the “Set Up” group of the “Slide Show” tab.

There are a couple of options you need to select, but one important note is that you must first select “Using Timings, If Present” under the “Advance Slides” group.

Use timings if present

The next option we select will lock a few things in place (which is why you need to select “Using Timings, If Present” first).

Under the “Show Type” group, select “Browsed at a Kiosk (Full Screen)." The “Loop Continuously until Esc” option will be enabled automatically if you haven’t already turned it on, and the option you’ve selected under “Advance Slides” will remain unchanged.

Select “OK” when ready to proceed.

Browsed at a kiosk

Without the “Browsed at a Kiosk” option enabled, the automatic slide progressions would be disabled if someone were to press the Back key. With it enabled, the Forward and Back keys are locked, allowing the slideshow to automatically progress unattended without fear of someone breaking it.

Now it’s time to set the timings of the slides. Head over to the “Transitions” tab. In the “Timing” group, check the box next to “After” and set the timing at which you’d like each slide to progress. Note that it doesn’t matter if the box next to “On Mouse Click” is checked or not---it won’t work.

After that, select the “Apply to All” option in the same group.

Set slide transition time

Now, when you play your slideshow, it will continuously loop without interruption. To exit the slideshow, press the “Esc” button.

  • Microsoft Office

IMAGES

  1. HOW TO CONTINUOUSLY LOOP A SLIDESHOW IN MICROSOFT POWERPOINT [TUTORIAL]

    how to loop presentation on power point

  2. How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation: A Simple Guide

    how to loop presentation on power point

  3. powerpoint slide show on a loop

    how to loop presentation on power point

  4. How to Loop Powerpoint

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  5. How to Loop a PowerPoint Slide Show in a Few Steps

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  6. How to continuously loop a slideshow in PowerPoint

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COMMENTS

  1. How To Loop a PowerPoint Presentation …

    Usually, once you’re finished with your presentation, PowerPoint goes back to the slide editor. But if you want your presentation to go back to the start, this quick …