Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Claim Your FREE Training Module and Get Your Time Back!
How to Present a PowerPoint Slideshow (w/ Shortcuts)
- PowerPoint Tutorials
- Shortcuts & Hacks
- May 11, 2019
There are a variety of ways to start a PowerPoint presention, depending on:
- Where you start your presentation (from beginning or from current)
- Which PowerPoint view you prefer to present in (Slide Show view or Presenter view)
- How comfortable you are with keyboard shortcuts
Why would Microsoft include so many ways to present a presentation? My guess is that everyone learns PowerPoint differently, and has personal presentation styles. The more options you have, the easier your life will be as there will always be a way to start your presentation the way you want to (or jump back into it when you need to).
See all the options below and find the method that works best for you and let the slide show begin !
NOTE: If you are running two presentations side-by-side, each presentation needs to be started as it’s own slide show. To see how to set up two PowerPoint presentations to run side-by-side like this before you start your slide show, read my guide here .
Table of Contents
Start slide show from beginning.
To start a slideshow from the beginning of your presentation using the ribbon, simply.
- Navigate to the Slide Show tab
- Select From Beginning
Selecting From Beginning starts your presentation from the very first non-hidden slide in your presentation, regardless of which slide you are currently inside of your deck.
You can also start your slide from the beginning of your presentation by hitting the Slideshow From Beginning keyboard shortcut, F5 .
Regardless of which method you use, this is the classic way to start your presentation in full screen from your first title slide (regardless of where you are in your slide deck).
Let the slide show begin!
NOTE: To expand your knowledge and learn how to use PowerPoint’s FREE and HIDDEN built-in laser pointer to point things out during your presentation, read my guide here .
Take your PPT skills to the next level
Start slide show from current.
To begin your slide show from the slide you are currently on using the ribbon, simply
- Navigate to the Slide Show tab
- Select From Current Slide
Selecting From Current Slide starts your slide show from whatever slide you are currently on, even if the slide is hidden.
You can also start your slide from the current slide you are on by hitting the Shift+F5 keyboard shortcut.
Because it’s often easiest to catch errors when building your slides in this full screen mode, I highly recommend learning the Shift+F5 shortcut and using it frequently as you build your slides to spot them for errors.
If you don’t want to bother learning the From Current Slide shortcut, you can also start your slideshow by clicking the Slide Show icon at the bottom of your screen.
This is a fantastic way to spot check your slides as you are building them. On top of that, it’s a fast and uncomplicated way to re-start your presentation from where you left off after demoing something on screen.
Start a mini-slide show in PowerPoint
You can also use the following hidden PowerPoint shortcut to run a mini slide show over the top of your current deck.
To run a mini slide show, simply:
- Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard
- With your mouse, click the Slide Show icon
Doing so starts a small slide show of your presentation that you can see below, from the current slide you are on.
Presenter View
The Presenter View is an alternate way to run your presentation in PowerPoint. In this view, your slides are projected on screen, and the details of your presentation are displayed on your computer as pictured below.
The presenter view includes your next (non-hidden) slides that is coming up, your current slide projected on screen, how long you’ve been talking and your speaker notes.
To launch the Presenter View from the beginning of your presentation using your Ribbon, simply:
- Navigate to the Slide Show tab
- Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard
- Click From Beginning
Holding down the Alt key and clicking From Beginning , the Presenter View will launch from the very first (non-hidden) slide in your presentation.
You can also launch the presenter view from the beginning of your presentation at any time by clicking Alt + F5 on your keyboard.
Start Presenter View in PowerPoint From Current Slide
Did you know that you can access different views in PowerPoint by adding keys as you click commands in the PowerPoint ribbon?
To start the Presenter view from your current slide using your Ribbon, simply:
- Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard
- Click From Current Slide
Holding the Alt key and clicking From Current Slide launches the Presenter View from your current slide. So, this is another way you can quickly practice your presentation, see your speaker notes and see what’s coming up next.
You can also launch the Presenter View from the beginning of your presentation at any time by hitting Alt+F5 on your keyboard.
Showing and Hiding Presenter View
Regardless of which view you start your PowerPoint slide show; you can switch between the two different slide show views without exiting presentation.
To switch between the two slideshow views (while giving your presentation), simply:
- Right-click your slide in whichever presentation view you are currently in
- Select either Show Presenter View or Hide Presenter View
When would you use a feature like this during a presentation? One example is if you want to view your notes without leaving the slide show mode.
NOTE: The letter r for both Show Presenter View and Hide Presenter View is underlined. This means that it is a keyboard shortcut. So, if you want to quickly flip between these two presentation views, you can simply right-click your slide and hit the letter r on your keyboard. Doing so automatically switches the view you are in.
Controlling how your presentation runs
Another way to control how your presentation runs (including the default laser pointer and pen color), is the Set Up Slide Show dialog box.
To open the Set Up Slide Show dialog box, simply:
- Select the Set Up Slide Show command
Doing so, opens all your PowerPoint slide show settings and options as pictured below.
Inside the slide show settings dialog box, you can select:
- How your presentation runs (full screen, window or in kiosk mode).
- Your default pen and laser pointer color options ( see our laser pointer article here ).
- Which slide you want start from, or which slides you want to show. You can also setup a custom show here.
- How your slides progress (manually or using slide timings).
- Which of your computer monitors (or screens) your slide show runs on.
The Set Up Slide Show dialog box is also the secret to running multiple presentations at the same time in PowerPoint. To expand your knowledge and learn how to set this up, read our guide here .
Setup Slide Show SECRET Shortcut
To use the SECRET shortcut to open the Set Up Slide Show dialog box, simply:
- Hold down the Shift key on your keyboard
- With your mouse, click the Reading View icon at the bottom of your screen
This is useful when you need to quickly cycle through lots of PowerPoint presentations and change how those presentations run. Instead of wasting time clicking through the Ribbon, simply hold the Shift key and click the Reading View icon. This is also a friendly conversation starter with a fellow PowerPoint enthusiast at Happy Hour.
NOTE: The color of your Reading View icon might be different than in the picture above, as it is dependent on the Office Theme you selected for PowerPoint.
How to exit a PowerPoint presentation early?
Regardless of how you start your full screen presentation, you can end your presentation at any time by hitting the Esc key on your keyboard.
Hitting Esc immediately takes you out of the PowerPoint presentation mode and back to the normal editing view of your slides, on whatever slide you were last presenting.
Here is how you can use a combination of all the different keyboard shortcuts to spot check and practice your presentation in full screen before you finalize your presentation.
- Hit F5 on your keyboard to start your presentation in full screen from the very first slide in your presentation. You can then use your arrow keys to advance, spot checking your slides for errors.
- When you find an error, simply hit Esc key to return to the normal PowerPoint editing view to fix your slide.
- When you are done, hit Shift + F5 to return the full screen presentation mode from the slide you just updated. You can then continue spot checking your presentation (without having to start over from the beginning).
In this way you can quickly work your way through your slides and practice your presentation, fixing and adjusting your content as you go.
Understanding how to run your presentations is CRITICAL to the success of your presentation. Not only in presenting them live, but also in knowing how to spot check your slides as you build them.
I personally find it easiest to spot check your slides and quickly fix errors by running your presentation in slide show mode (or full screen). The last place you want to discover an error is during your presentation.
Using the commands and shortcuts above, you can quickly start, exit and step back into your slide show. Once you have these commands and features down, you will also look like a whiz during your presentations.
If you enjoyed the depth of this article, you will love our other PowerPoint training courses and free resources. To learn more, visit us here .
🔒 Unlock the PowerPoint Shortcuts Trusted by Industry Leaders KKR, American Express, HSBC, and More!
Join over 114,880 professionals from diverse fields including consulting, investment banking, advertising, marketing, sales, and business development who have supercharged their PowerPoint game with our proven methods.
✅ Customize compelling presentations effortlessly.
✅ Master time-saving techniques for faster deck creation.
✅ Boost your career prospects with top-notch PowerPoint skills.
Get FREE access to the Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts module of our premium training course by entering your name and email below.
DISCLAIMER: PC Users Only!
We respect your privacy and will keep your info safe and confidential.
Related Articles
About the author.
Popular Tutorials
- How to Strikethrough Text (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) in Word, Excel & PowerPoint
- How to Make Animated Fireworks in PowerPoint (Step-by-Step)
- Strikethrough Shortcut (l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶) for Word, Excel & PowerPoint
- How to Create a Flash Card Memory Game in PowerPoint (Like Jeopardy)
- Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working: Solved
PowerPoint Tutorial Categories
- Strategies & Opinions
- Presentation Design
- Pictures, Icons, Videos, Etc.
- New Features
- Miscellaneous
- Charts & Data Viz
We help busy professionals save hours and gain peace of mind, with corporate workshops, self-paced courses and tutorials for PowerPoint and Word.
Work With Us
- Corporate Training
- Presentation & Template Design
- Courses & Downloads
- PowerPoint Articles
- Word Articles
- Productivity Resources
Find a Tutorial
- Free Training
- For Businesses
We help busy office workers save hours and gain peace of mind, with tips, training and tutorials for Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.
Master Critical PowerPoint Shortcuts – Secure Your FREE Training Module and Save Valuable Time!
⌛ Master time-saving expert techniques.
🔥 Create powerful presentations.
🚀 Propel your career to new heights.
We value your privacy – we keep your info safe.
Discover PowerPoint Hacks Loved by Industry Giants - KKR, AmEx, HSBC!
Over 114,880 professionals in finance, marketing and sales have revolutionized their PPT skills with our proven methods.
Gain FREE access to a full module of our premium PowerPoint training program – Get started today!
We hate spam too and promise to keep your information safe.
You are currently viewing a placeholder content from Facebook . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Select the Slide Show tab. Select the Use Presenter View checkbox. Select which monitor to display Presenter View on. Select From Beginning or press F5. In Presenter View, you can: See your current slide, next slide, and speaker notes. Select the arrows next to the slide number to go between slides. Select the pause button or reset button to ...
First, create a new custom slide show and select the slides that you want to display. Then, click Add, enter the name of the presentation and click OK. This new custom presentation will appear on the list. Select it and click Show to begin the presentation. Defining a custom slide show.
Turn On PowerPoint Presenter View. In PowerPoint for macOS, simply click on Presenter View on the Slide Show tab to kick off the presentation in Presenter view. Turn on Presenter View by clicking on Presenter View on the Slide Show tab. You'll see the Presenter View interface on one screen.
Step 1: Open your PowerPoint presentation. The first step to enter Presentation Mode in PowerPoint is to ensure that your presentation file is open and ready for display. To do so, open PowerPoint and locate the file containing your presentation. Click on the file to open it. Review that the slides are arranged in the correct order and that any ...
Take advantage of the PowerPoint Presenter View to practice and present your PowerPoint speaker notes. This view also helps you as a presenter by showing you...
Check the box beside the "Use Presenter View." Select from the "Start Slide Show" section to start your presentation "From the Beginning." Click the three dots menu on your full-screen slideshow view and select "Show Presenter View." When your presentation displays "Presenter View," you can scroll and use it for your speech.
A simple method for switching to Presenter View on a single monitor is to click the three dots ( More slideshow options) at the bottom in SlideShow mode and select Show Presenter View. You can also switch to Presenter View on a single monitor anytime using the ALT+F5 hotkey. The presenter can easily manage a PPT in presentation mode, with the ...
To see the full course that this video came from, go here: ️https://www.simonsezit.com/courses/microsoft/powerpoint-2021-online-course/In this Microsoft Pow...
Look for Slide Show tab. When found, click it and select From Beginning visible under Start Slide Show group. If you are working with PowerPoint on a single monitor and still want to display ...
Start Presenter View. Click the Options button. Select Show Presenter View . The Presenter view fills the screen. The same presentation tools are available below the slide, and it also shows the current time and a thumbnail of the upcoming slide. At the bottom of the screen, use the arrows to move forward or backward in the presentation.
Hover your cursor over the bottom left area of the slide to find seven watermarked navigation icons that you can see in Figure 2 . Click the last icon and from the resultant menu, choose the Show Presenter View option (see Figure 2 again). Figure 2: Show Presenter View option to be selected. This brings up PowerPoint 365's Presenter View, as ...
Click From Beginning. Holding down the Alt key and clicking From Beginning, the Presenter View will launch from the very first (non-hidden) slide in your presentation. You can also launch the presenter view from the beginning of your presentation at any time by clicking Alt + F5 on your keyboard.
In this screencast, you'll learn how to present a PowerPoint slideshow with Presenter View. Download unlimited PPT templates with Envato Elements: https://...
PowerPoint Presenter View was designed for use in a meeting room. Connect your laptop that sits on the table to the projector or TV. Use Presenter View to see your notes while the audience just sees the slides on the large screen. Works great. Until we don't do presentations in meeting rooms.
With that let's go back to our ongoing training video on using Microsoft PowerPoint presenter mode. A couple keys that I really prefer is the black and white key. If I hit B in here we go, look what it just did. It blank the screen in black. If I hit the W key, it does the same thing it blanks the screen to white.
In today's tech tip, we share some Microsoft PowerPoint presentation tips. Including how to get into presentation mode, how to annotate the screen while pres...
To activate the Presenter Coach, click "Start Rehearsing" in the bottom-right corner of your window. Optionally, enable "Show real-time feedback" if you want the coach to give you tips while you're still presenting. Now, begin your presentation like you normally would. If you enabled the real-time feedback option, you'll see some tips appear in ...
Using Powerpoint Presentation Mode with Zoom What it is. ... Position the rectangle over the presentation and drag the corners to resize to fit completely. It will look like this: The green box is what's being shared. You can see your notes, the next slide, and what you look like on Zoom if your webcam is on. ...
PowerPoint slide size refers to the dimensions of the slides within your PowerPoint presentation. These dimensions determine how your content is displayed in a monitor or projector, and can significantly affect the overall look and feel of your presentation. The most common slide sizes in PowerPoint are 16:9 (widescreen) and 4:3 (standard).
Most PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides presentations are boring. Create an engaging presentation that stands out with these 51 presentation slides. ... Get started with a presentation theme that you can fully customize for your specific book. These presentation slides allow you to seamlessly enter in the information about your main ...