- Starting a PowerPoint slide show
- Moving through slides while you present in PowerPoint
- Presenting in PowerPoint with Presenter View
- Using the pen, zoom and black screen during a PowerPoint presentation
- Presenting from PowerPoint for the web
- Presenting PowerPoint on a video call or at an event
- Getting your PowerPoint ready before you present
- Frequently asked questions
To present in PowerPoint, go to the Slide Show tab and select From Beginning, or press F5 on Windows. Use Presenter View so your notes stay on your screen while the audience sees only the slides, and press Esc when you're finished.
You've built the deck, now you have to stand up and deliver it. The moment you hit the button to go full screen is where nerves kick in, and knowing a handful of controls makes a massive difference to how calm you look.
I'll cover how to start the show, move around it, see your notes privately, use the pen and black-screen tricks, and what changes on a Mac or in the browser. Everything here comes from Microsoft's own help pages.
Starting a PowerPoint slide show
- Open your presentation and save it.
- Go to the Slide Show tab.
- In the Start Slide Show group, select From Beginning to start at slide one, or choose to start from the current slide.
- Your slides fill the screen. Press Esc when you want to stop.
Prefer the keyboard? On Windows, F5 starts from the beginning and Shift + F5 starts from whichever slide you're on. On a Mac, Microsoft lists Cmd + Shift + Return to start from the beginning.
Moving through slides while you present in PowerPoint
| What you want | Windows keys | Mac keys |
|---|---|---|
| Next slide | N, Enter, Spacebar or the right arrow | N or the right arrow |
| Previous slide | P, Backspace or the left arrow | P or the left arrow |
| Jump to a slide | Type its number, then press Enter | Use the on-screen controls |
| End the show | Press Esc | Hyphen, Cmd + Period or Esc |
The jump-to-slide shortcut is my favourite. If someone asks about the chart on slide six, type 6 and press Enter and you're there, no frantic clicking back.
On a Mac, press Fn (or Globe) + F1 during the show to open Microsoft's Slide Show and Presenter View Tips window, which lists the shortcuts.
Presenting in PowerPoint with Presenter View
Presenter View is what makes you look like a pro. Microsoft describes it as a way to see your speaker notes on your own computer while only the slides show on the screen the audience is looking at.
- With a second screen connected, start the show and Presenter View usually opens on your laptop.
- On Windows, Alt + F5 starts the show straight into Presenter View.
- With just one screen, select the three-dot button at the bottom left of the slide show and choose Show Presenter View. It's a handy way to rehearse.
- If it's on the wrong screen, select Display Settings at the top, then Swap Presenter View and Slide Show. On a Mac, select Swap Displays at the top left.
On a Mac, if both screens show the same thing, Microsoft's help says to extend your desktop in the Displays settings: on the Arrangement tab, clear Mirror Displays. Newer versions of macOS call this area System Settings, so menus vary slightly.
Using the pen, zoom and black screen during a PowerPoint presentation
A few tools in the bottom-left controls of Presenter View help you guide the room:
- See all slides shows thumbnails of the whole deck so you can jump anywhere.
- Zoom into slide lets you point at a section and enlarge it, which is brilliant for busy charts.
- Pen and laser pointer tools let you draw or point. On Windows, Ctrl + L brings up the laser pointer. Press Esc to turn the tools off.
- Black or unblack slide show blanks the screen. On the keyboard, B or the full stop key gives a black screen and W or the comma key gives a white one. Press it again to come back.
I use the black screen whenever I want the audience to look at me rather than the slide, such as during a story or when taking questions.
Presenting from PowerPoint for the web
You don't need the desktop app to present. In the browser, go to Slide Show on the ribbon and select From Beginning. The controls appear in the bottom-left corner, and Microsoft says only you can see them. If they disappear, move your cursor to that corner or press T.
The web controls include Subtitles, Present Live, Rehearse with Coach and a camera button, which the desktop page doesn't list in the same way. One limitation: Microsoft notes that looping a slide show isn't supported on the web. The web version also can't show your speaker notes during the show, so if you rely on notes, present from the desktop app.
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Presenting PowerPoint on a video call or at an event
Online meetings and live events bring their own wrinkles. Microsoft's Presenter View help doesn't cover Teams or Zoom screen sharing, so here's the practical approach I'd take:
- Run a test call with a friend or colleague and ask exactly what they can see.
- If you share a single screen, your audience may see Presenter View, notes and all. Share only the slide show window instead.
- At an event, arrive early, plug into the projector and check that Presenter View is on your laptop, not the big screen.
- Close email and chat apps so notifications don't pop up in front of everyone.
Getting your PowerPoint ready before you present
Before any important talk, I go through the deck once in full-screen mode. It catches broken links, fonts that look different on another computer and animations in the wrong order. If you build some of your slides or graphics in Canva first, it's worth checking that any Canva animations still behave the way you expect once they're in PowerPoint, and that a GIF made in Canva loops neatly on the slide.
For small business owners, coaches and trainers, confidence with these controls changes how a pitch or workshop feels. You stop worrying about the clicker and start talking to people, which is the whole point.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start presenting in PowerPoint?
On the Slide Show tab, select From Beginning, or press F5 on Windows. Press Esc to end the show.
How do I see my notes while presenting?
Use Presenter View. Microsoft says it shows your notes on your own screen while the audience sees only the slides. On Windows, Alt + F5 starts the show in Presenter View.
How do I make the screen go black during a presentation?
Press B or the full stop key on Windows, and press it again to return. Presenter View also has a Black or unblack slide show button.
Can I present from PowerPoint for the web?
Yes. Select Slide Show, then From Beginning. Controls appear in the bottom-left corner, visible only to you, though Microsoft notes looping isn't supported on the web.
How do I fix Presenter View showing on the wrong screen?
Select Display Settings at the top of Presenter View, then Swap Presenter View and Slide Show. On a Mac, select Swap Displays.
How do I jump to a specific slide while presenting?
On Windows, type the slide's number and press Enter, or use See all slides in Presenter View.
