how to put presentation mode on teams

Apr 6, 2021

Try presenting in Teams meetings from PowerPoint

• Add our blog to your RSS feed reader" href="/rss/blog.xml" data-bi-name="RSS Subscription" data-bi-id="rss_feed" data-bi-bhvr="120" data-bi-socchn="RSSSubscription" title="Microsoft 365 Insider Blog RSS" target="blank" class="d-inline-block">

Hello Office Insiders, I’m Lishan Yu, a program manager on the PowerPoint team. You might have heard that we announced the PowerPoint Live in Teams feature at Microsoft Ignite last month. Today, I’m excited to show you how to check out this new experience, and start presenting in Teams meetings from PowerPoint.

Presenting in Teams meetings

Presenting in a meeting used to be as simple as clicking Slide Show in your PowerPoint deck. Nowadays, even though you may not be in the same room as your audience, we believe your flow to present should be as easy and intuitive – clicking the Present in Teams button in PowerPoint is the only step you need to take to present the deck in your Teams meeting!

How it works

Give the feature a try next time you need to present in a Teams meetings:

• Join a Teams meeting or an ad-hoc Teams call.
• Open your presentation in PowerPoint for Windows.
• Click the Present in Teams button in the top right corner.

Scenarios to try

Ready to take the PowerPoint Live feature for a spin? Try some of the scenarios below.

As a presenter :

• After clicking the Present in Teams button in PowerPoint, notice that you can see both the chat and your content at the same time in Teams (and don’t feel like you’re missing out on the discussion).
• Take advantage of features like grid review and slide notes to present more effectively.

As an audience member :

• If you joined late, move back through the deck and quickly catch up without having to ask the presenter to stop and recap what was already shared.
• Interact with and experience the richness of the content being presented such as better video quality, live web links, and more.
• Make any adjustments you need to more fully enjoy the presentation (i.e., use high-contrast mode).

Requirements

In order to try out the feature, you will need to:

• Have the latest Teams desktop app installed.
• Store the presentation on OneDrive for Business or SharePoint.
• Join a Teams meeting before clicking the Present in Teams button in PowerPoint for Windows.
• Be using an Office 365 E3/A3, Office 365 E5/A5, or Microsoft 365 for Government license. 

Availability

This feature is rolling out over the next several days to Insiders running Beta Channel Version 2104 (Build 13926.20000) and later.

We’d love your feedback, so please let us know how you think. To get in touch, do either of the following:

• Inside the app, select the Help button in the top-right corner of the app.
• Respond to this post or tweet at @OfficeInsider .

Learn what  other information you should include in your feedback  to ensure it’s actionable and reaches the right people. We’re excited to hear from you!

Sign up for the Office Insider newsletter and get the latest information about Insider features in your inbox once a month!

Sorry, JavaScript must be enabled to use this app.

How to Present PowerPoint Slides in Microsoft Teams

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Why Checkboxes Are Excel's Most Underrated Feature

I've found the perfect to-do list app for my needs: here's why it's amazing, 6 reasons why your phone is charging slowly.

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.

• Productivity
• Microsoft Teams
• Microsoft PowerPoint

Using Presenter Modes When Sharing in a Teams Meeting

The Share Content panel appears with four presenter modes, as described in the sections that follow.

Pick a mode. Then select either your whole screen, a specific window, Microsoft whiteboard, or PowerPoint Live to begin sharing. For Standout Mode, Side-by-side Mode and Reporter Mode, a smaller preview window shows you what your participants see as you are presenting. If you close this preview window and you want it back, you must restart sharing using one of the three video feed presenter modes.

Content Only Mode

Standout Mode

Side-by-side Mode

Reporter Mode

SharePains by Microsoft MVP Pieter Veenstra

Microsoft 365 and beyond

Become part of your presentation with Presenter Modes in Microsoft Teams

When you present in Microsoft Teams and you share your screen you might not be visible. Presenter modes make it easier to interact with your audience.

Presenter modes

Table of Contents

When you present in teams you can share your screen and that often works well, but you might find that interacting with your audience becomes a bit harder. Moving your hands is something that will be noticed by your audience.

In Microsoft Teams you can now share your screen and become part of your presentation.

Or if you don’t want to lose any presentation space you can also sit in front of your PowerPoint. A bit like the weather presenter who can point at the right places on the map.

You can do this all with the presentation controls at the top of your screen.

Alternatively, you can set the presenter mode when you share your screen. Here you can also set any custom background that will appear behind your camera recording and your presentation/shared screen.

If you combine this with recording calls, you can get quite close to making professional recordings without the need for any additional tools.

Share this:

Discover more from sharepains by microsoft mvp pieter veenstra.

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Type your email…

By Pieter Veenstra

Business Applications Microsoft MVP working as the Head of Power Platform at Vantage 365. You can contact me using [email protected]

Related Post

Create a microsoft teams team template, create views in microsoft teams, be careful with your 30 private channels in microsoft teams, 2 thoughts on “become part of your presentation with presenter modes in microsoft teams”.

I’ve been using presenter modes for synchronous lectures, but one huge drawback for the prerecorded lectures and students who have to catch up is that the more engaging presenter modes are replaced with the miniature talking head when making recordings. Your last comment suggests that you’ve found a way around this. Could you please share it?

Hi Jonathan, I found the same, and this is indeed quite annoying. I ended up using Camtasia to merge the two recordings. I will have a look if I can get this reported into Microsoft.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

How to use Named Formulas in Power Apps

The visible property in forms in power apps, 1000th blog post on sharepains.com, time to celebrate my 7th microsoft mvp award.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Byte Bite Bit

How to Present PowerPoint in Teams: A Step-by-Step Guide for Professionals

When it comes to presenting PowerPoint slides in a Microsoft Teams meeting, many of us have encountered a mix of curiosity and confusion. We’ve all been there—scrambling to share content seamlessly while keeping our audience engaged. Using PowerPoint Live in Teams is a game-changer that elevates your presentation experience with interactive features and personalized viewing options . Imagine being able to annotate, navigate, and even translate slides effortlessly. It’s like having a magic wand for your presentations.

This is a sample bold text.

Let’s face it, presenting isn’t just about sharing your screen anymore. We need tools that can keep up with the dynamic nature of our meetings. Whether you’re opting to share your entire screen or just the slide show window, each method offers its pros and cons. PowerPoint Live stands out by offering not just basic sharing but also the ability to zoom in on content and even open slides in new windows. Our objective is to make your next presentation a breeze, with fewer “technical difficulties” and more “wow moments.”

One of the coolest features of presenting in Teams using PowerPoint is the seamless integration. You’re already in a Teams call, so why not maximize its capabilities? Simply hit the Present in Teams button, and you’re ready to captivate your audience. This user-friendly approach streamlines the process and helps you focus on what truly matters—delivering impactful content.

• 1.1 Utilizing PowerPoint Live for Impactful Presentations
• 1.2 Facilitating Interactive Sessions with Microsoft Teams
• 1.3 Leveraging Videos and Animations to Captivate the Audience
• 2.1 Real-Time Co-Authoring and Sharing Features
• 2.2 Inclusive Communication with Various Teams Features
• 3.1 Boosting Productivity with Microsoft Teams Meeting Options
• 3.2 Securing Meetings and Managing Network Resources

Maximizing Engagement in Teams Meetings

Effective Teams meetings require dynamic presentations, interactive sessions, and captivating multimedia content. Below are strategies to achieve these goals.

Utilizing PowerPoint Live for Impactful Presentations

PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams is our secret weapon for creating impactful presentations. With it, we can effortlessly share our PowerPoint files directly within the Teams interface.

Audience view becomes interactive: they can navigate through slides at their own pace while we remain in control in presentation mode . This dual functionality keeps things flexible and engaging.

Incorporating animations and transitions enhances the visual appeal, making our presentations far more interesting. To keep the audience engaged, we can also annotate directly on slides, drawing attention to key points.

Facilitating Interactive Sessions with Microsoft Teams

Beyond just presenting slides, interaction plays a crucial role in engaging our participants. Utilizing the Teams chat feature, we can invite real-time questions and comments, which keeps the meeting lively and interactive.

Polling is another great tool we use. By asking for audience reactions through quick surveys, we can gauge their understanding and keep them involved.

With the raise hand feature, audience members can signal their desire to speak without disrupting the flow, making our Teams meetings orderly yet interactive.

Leveraging Videos and Animations to Captivate the Audience

Using videos in presentations can significantly boost engagement. Embedding compelling videos within our PowerPoint slides captures the attention and provides a break from static content.

Adding animations not only makes our slides visually appealing but also helps in emphasizing important points. Custom animations for text and images can make the content more digestible.

We ensure to use these multimedia elements judiciously to avoid overwhelming our audience, maintaining a balance that keeps them captivated without distracting them from the main content.

Enhanced Collaboration through Teams Tools

To effectively present PowerPoint in Microsoft Teams, leveraging collaboration tools is crucial. These tools facilitate real-time engagement and inclusive communication, making sure everyone is on the same page.

Real-Time Co-Authoring and Sharing Features

Teams Meeting and Microsoft 365 allow for seamless collaboration on presentations. We can co-author PowerPoint slides in real-time, ensuring our content is always up-to-date. Through OneDrive or SharePoint , we can easily share our PowerPoint files.

The File tab in Teams offers a central location for all shared documents. This means we no longer need to email files back and forth. It also maintains version history, so we can revert changes if needed. Co-presenting becomes straightforward with the share feature in Teams, letting us hand over control to another presenter effortlessly.

Inclusive Communication with Various Teams Features

Ensuring inclusive communication is essential for effective collaboration. Teams supports accessibility features like high contrast view and screen readers , making content accessible to everyone. We can use SharePoint sites to store and organize resources, and collaborate using the chat and discussion forums.

During a presentation, Inclusive communication tools allow us to cater to diverse needs. For instance, while presenting in Teams, we can highlight key points using bold text and bullet points for clarity. Integrating files from SharePoint or OneDrive ensures everyone has the latest material, fostering a cooperative environment.

Utilizing these robust tools in Teams helps us present more effectively while ensuring inclusivity and collaboration.

Advanced Teams Meeting Management

Hosting effective and secure Microsoft Teams meetings involves several advanced techniques, from leveraging productivity tools to ensuring stringent security measures.

Boosting Productivity with Microsoft Teams Meeting Options

We’ve all been there—juggling between screens or apps while presenting. Simplify this by using Teams’ native PowerPoint Live to present directly from the Teams app. Use the “Presenter View” to see your notes while attendees see the slides, enhancing your delivery.

Enable dynamic camera control for better engagement. Adjust or spotlight specific participants, ensuring key contributors stay visible. Coupled with the “Together Mode,” it creates a more interactive experience.

Also, you can share computer sound during presentations. This is perfect for embedded videos or audio clips. Just click “include computer sound” before sharing.

When multitasking is needed, manage different views efficiently. Split your display between the presentation and other Teams tools, like chat or participant lists. Keep interactions smooth without switching tabs, maintaining focus on the presentation.

Securing Meetings and Managing Network Resources

Security is paramount in a digital workspace. Ensure all our Teams meetings are secure by requiring attendees to authenticate before joining. This restricts access to authorized personnel only.

Enable the lobby feature to screen participants. We can admit or decline guests as appropriate, keeping the meeting secure and private.

To secure your device , always run the latest antivirus software and use strong passwords for Teams access. Implement end-to-end encryption for sensitive discussions.

Managing network bandwidth is crucial for Teams on the web or extensive meetings. Reduce camera resolution or encourage voice-only participation in large groups. Monitor your network’s performance and prioritize essential services to maintain a stable connection.

If bandwidth becomes an issue, suggest turning off the camera for non-speaking participants. This strategy reduces load, maintaining the quality for the hosts.

These measures guarantee a productive and secure Microsoft Teams meeting environment, ensuring we utilize our resources effectively.

Related posts:

• How to Add Music to PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide for Seamless Presentations
• How to Insert GIF into PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Present PowerPoint with Notes: Master Speaker Tips
• How to Create an Org Chart in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners
• How to Wrap Text in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Change Font on All Slides in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Use Slide Master in PowerPoint: Streamline Your Presentation Design
• How to Present PowerPoint with Notes: Expert Tips for Seamless Delivery
• How to Indent Bullet Points in PowerPoint: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Add Watermark to PowerPoint for Professional Presentations
• How to Add a Row to a Table in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Create a Flow Chart in PowerPoint: Step-by-Step Guide

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

365NinjaCat

Presenter modes in microsoft teams meetings.

Add style to your next presentation with new presenter modes in Microsoft Teams meetings. Presenter modes enable you to customize how content and your video feed appear together during a meeting. You can now use new presenter modes:

• Reporter  places content above your shoulder just like a news story.
• Side-by-side  displays your video feed next to your content.
• We’ve had  standout  for a while, which shows your video feed as a silhouette in front of the shared content.

New Presenter modes allow you to customize how your video feed and content appear together. Reporter places content above your shoulder just like a news story. Side-by-side displays your video feed next to your content.​​​​​​​ Standout shows your video feed as a silhouette in front of the shared content. Note: presenter modes are not yet available with PowerPoint Live, but will be soon.

To turn use a presenter mode during your meeting:

• Turn on your video.
• Select the  Share  icon from the meeting controls.
• Select one of the  Presenter mode  icons to choose your mode.
• Share your screen or a window.

A small pop-up window will appear, allowing you to see the attendee view.

​​​​​​​If you’re including a video with your presentation, you’ll want attendees to be able to hear it. After selecting the  Share content  icon, toggle the option to  Include computer sound  to  on  before sharing. This will ensure any sounds played by your device—including video audio—will be included with the presentation.

To learn more check out this Microsoft Support Document .

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Discover more from 365NinjaCat

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

• How to Login
• Use Teams on the web
• Join a meeting in Teams
• Join without a Teams account
• Join on a second device
• Join as a view-only attendee
• Join a breakout room
• Join from Google
• Schedule a meeting in Teams
• Schedule from Outlook
• Schedule from Google
• Instant meeting
• Add a dial-in number
• See all your meetings
• Invite people
• Meeting roles
• Add co-organizers
• Hide attendee names
• Tips for large Teams meeting
• Lock a meeting
• End a meeting
• Manage your calendar
• Meeting controls
• Prepare in a green room
• Present content
• Share slides
• Share sound
• Apply video filters
• Mute and unmute
• Spotlight a video
• Multitasking
• Raise your hand
• Live reactions
• Take meeting notes
• Customize your view
• Laser pointer
• Cast from a desktop
• Use a green screen
• Join as an avatar
• Customize your avatar
• Use emotes, gestures, and more
• Get started with immersive spaces
• Use in-meeting controls
• Spatial audio
• Overview of Microsoft Teams Premium
• Intelligent productivity
• Advanced meeting protection
• Engaging event experiences
• Change your background
• Meeting themes
• Audio settings
• Manage attendee audio and video
• Reduce background noise
• Voice isolation in Teams
• Mute notifications
• Use breakout rooms
• Live transcription
• Language interpretation
• Live captions
• End-to-end encryption
• Presenter modes
• Call and meeting quality
• Meeting attendance reports
• Using the lobby
• Meeting options
• Record a meeting
• Meeting recap
• Play and share a meeting recording
• Delete a recording
• Edit or delete a transcript
• Customize access to recordings or transcripts
• Switch to town halls
• Get started
• Schedule a live event
• Invite attendees
• organizer checklist
• For tier 1 events
• Produce a live event
• Produce a live event with Teams Encoder
• Best practices
• Moderate a Q&A
• Allow anonymous presenters
• Attendee engagement report
• Recording and reports
• Attend a live event in Teams
• Participate in a Q&A
• Use live captions
• Schedule a webinar
• Customize a webinar
• Publicize a webinar
• Manage webinar registration
• Manage what attendees see
• Change webinar details
• Manage webinar emails
• Cancel a webinar
• Manage webinar recordings
• Webinar attendance report
• Get started with town hall
• Attend a town hall
• Schedule a town hall
• Customize a town hall
• Host a town hall
• Use RTMP-In
• Town hall insights
• Manage town hall recordings
• Cancel a town hall
• Can't join a meeting
• Camera isn't working
• Microphone isn't working
• My speaker isn’t working
• Breakout rooms issues
• Immersive spaces issues
• Meetings keep dropping

Manage audio settings in Microsoft Teams meetings

In Teams, easily adjust your audio settings before and during a call or meeting. 

Note:  Make sure your device audio settings and browser audio settings are configured to give Teams access to your device speakers and mic.

Change audio sources

When you join a Teams meeting, you can choose your source of audio from the meeting pre-join screen. Available audio settings vary depending on the source you choose.

Change speaker and mic settings

Adjust your speaker and mic settings in your Teams settings or when you join a Teams meeting. You can change settings before you join or while you're in a meeting.

Note:  Some audio settings may be unavailable depending on policies set by meeting organizers or your IT admin.

To open your audio device settings:

In Devices , select Manage devices to connect or disconnect your audio devices.

In Audio settings :

Select the connected speaker you want to use from the Speaker dropdown menu.

Select the connected mic you want to use from the Microphone dropdown menu.

Turn the Automatically adjust mic sensitivity toggle on to ensure everyone hears you at a level volume during a meeting.

Turn the  Sync device buttons  toggle on to sync your Teams audio device and use all its buttons during a meeting.

In Noise suppression:

Select Background noise only to suppress noises around you and minimize disruption during a call.

Select Voice isolation to suppress other voices that might come through your mic and make sure others in your meeting only hear your voice.

Note:  This requires creating a voice profile if you're not using a headset.

Turn on the High fidelity music mode toggle to play music during a Teams meeting. To learn more, see Use high fidelity music mode to play music in Microsoft Teams .

Turn on the Spatial audio toggle to experience more immersive sound during your Teams meeting. To learn more, see Spatial audio in Microsoft Teams meetings .

In a meeting

Change audio settings from the meeting pre-join screen or in the meeting window after you join.

To access audio settings from the pre-join screen:

Join a meeting from your Teams calendar.

Select Join now .

To access audio settings after you join a meeting:

Select the dropdown arrow next to Mic  for other settings. To see advanced audio settings, select More audio settings .

Audio setting changes made during a meeting will take effect immediately.

Share sound while screensharing

If you're sharing your screen during a meeting, you can include sound to let others hear what's playing on your shared screen. 

To share sound while screensharing:

Join a Teams meeting.

Select the window you want to share to start screensharing. Participants will be able to hear audio from content on that screen while you're sharing.

Note:  Make sure your device audio settings  are configured to give Teams access to your device speakers and mic.

If you're joining a Teams meeting from your mobile device, your device will be your default audio source. Before you join, you can change your audio source by tapping  More join options  on the meeting pre-join screen. You can choose from several audio source options.

Mute and unmute your mic

Before a meeting.

Tap a meeting on your Teams Calendar.

On the meeting pre-join screen:

Tap Join now .

During a meeting

In the meeting controls:

Change your speaker

Tap the speaker you'd like to use.

Tap Audio off to turn off your mic and speaker.

Related topics

Manage attendee audio and video permissions in Microsoft Teams meetings

My microphone isn't working in Teams

My speaker isn't working in Microsoft Teams

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

• Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view Article
• Add speaker notes to your slides Article
• Rehearse and time the delivery of a presentation Article
• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings Article
• Print your PowerPoint slides, handouts, or notes Article
• Create a self-running presentation Article

Start the presentation and see your notes in Presenter view

Using Presenter view is a great way to view your presentation with speaker notes on one computer (your laptop, for example), while only the slides themselves appear on the screen that your audience sees (like a larger screen you're projecting to).

If you're using a newer version of PowerPoint, just connect the monitors and PowerPoint automatically sets up Presenter View for you.

If Presenter view appears on the wrong screen, you can swap the display quickly .

Turn off Presenter view if you prefer not to use it.

Start presenting

On the Slide Show tab, in the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning .

Use the controls in Presenter view

To move to the previous or next slide, select Previous or Next .

To view all the slides in your presentation, select See all slides .

Tip:  You’ll see thumbnails of all the slides in your presentation (as shown below), making it easy to jump to a specific slide in the show.

To view a detail in your slide up close, select Zoom into slide , and then point to the part you want to see.

For more details on zooming in, see Zoom in to part of a slide .

To point to or write on your slides as you present, select Pen and laser pointer tools .

Press the Esc key when you want to turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter.

To hide or unhide the current slide in your presentation, select Black or unblack slide show .

You can use PowerPoint on your smartphone as a remote control to run your presentation and view your speaker notes. See Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint for more information, including a brief video.

Swap the Presenter view and Slide view monitors

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top of Presenter view, select Display Settings , and then select Swap Presenter View and Slide Show .

What the notes look like in Presenter view

Tip:  You can add notes either while you’re presenting, directly from Presenter view, or as you’re editing your presentation. For information on how to add speaker notes to your presentation see  Add speaker notes to your slides.

The notes appear in a pane on the right. If you need to add or delete something, simply click in the text box to edit it. The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary. You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

To change the size of the panes in Presenter View, point your mouse at the vertical line that separates them, then click and drag.

Tip:  If you don't need to see the current slide in Presenter View at all, and would like your notes to be larger, drag that vertical separator line all the way to the left.

Turn off Presenter view

If you want Presenter view turned off while you are showing your presentation to others:

On the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, clear the check box named Use Presenter View .

Keep your slides updated

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, selecting Set Up Slide Show , and checking the box for Keep slides updated .  

If you've already started your presentation and you want to make sure that setting is on, you can do that from Presenter view. Select the More slide show options button (which looks like three dots) and on the menu make sure Keep Slides Updated is checked.

Using a laser pointer on your smartphone when presenting in PowerPoint

To start using Presenter view, select Slide Show > Presenter View .

To move to the previous or next slide, select the Previous or Next arrow.

To turn off the pen, laser pointer, or highlighter, press the Esc key.

To make the screen black or to un-black the screen, Press b on the keyboard.

Extend your Mac desktop to the second monitor

On the Apple menu, select System Preferences .

Open the Displays app.

Click the Arrangement tab in the dialog box.

Clear the Mirror Displays check box.

By doing this process, you now have a two-monitor setup. You can present a PowerPoint slide show on one screen while having other applications open on the other screen, keeeping those other apps private to yourself.

To manually determine which screen shows your notes in Presenter view and which shows only the slides themselves, on the task bar at the top left of Presenter view, select Swap Displays .

When your computer is connected to a projector and you start Presenter View, it appears on your computer's screen, while only the slides appear on the projector screen.

The notes appear in a pane on the right:

The text wraps automatically, and a vertical scroll bar appears if necessary.

You can edit the text in the Notes pane.

You can change the size of the text in the Notes pane by using the two buttons at the lower left corner of the Notes pane:

You can adjust the size of the current slide, and notes and next slide panels, by using your mouse to grab and drag the vertical line that separates the two panels.

Turn off Presenter view before a presentation begins

On the PowerPoint menu, select Preferences .

In the PowerPoint Preferences dialog box, under Output and Sharing , click Slide Show .

In the Slide Show dialog box, clear the Always start Presenter View with 2 displays check box.

Close the dialog box.

Turn off Presenter view during a presentation

At the top of the Presentation view window, click Use Slide Show .

This button closes Presenter view. As a result, both your personal computer screen and the projector screen show the slide show.

If you're working with a team of people to create your slide deck it may be that changes are being made to the slides right up to the last minute. Traditionally once you've started your presentation your slides wouldn't update. If you're using PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac you have the option to let your slides be updated by your team even as you're presenting so that you always have the up-to-the-minute changes.

You can turn this on by going to the Slide Show tab of the ribbon, and checking the box for Keep Slides Updated .  

Create a self-running presentation

Record your slide show

Keep slides updated

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

Microsoft 365 training

Microsoft security

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

Ask the Microsoft Community

Microsoft Tech Community

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.