How to Use the Presentation Modes and the Screen Recording Features in PowerPoint

How to Use the Presentation Modes and the Screen Recording Features in PowerPoint | Quick Tips & Tutorial for your presentations

After designing all the slides for your presentation, the next and last step is presenting in front of your audience. In this new Slidesgo School tutorial, you’ll see how the presenter view works and how you can record your presentation.

Presentation Modes

  • There are different presentation modes in PowerPoint, besides the one you can find at the bottom of the screen.
  • To access the presentation modes, go to the Slide Show tab.
Slide Show tab
Slide Show tab
  • The first two options allow you to start the presentation from the beginning or from the currently selected slide.
Start Slide Show group
Start Slide Show group
  • If you choose Present Online, an URL will be generated, which you can then share with your potential online viewers. After clicking this button, a new window will open, displaying info about the Microsoft Office online presentation service and a checkbox to enable remote download for your online audience. To enjoy this service, you need an Office 365 account. When you’re ready, click Connect to generate the URL.
Present Online option
Present Online option
  • If you choose Custom Slide Show, you can select which slides to display in your presentation. 

    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
Defining a custom slide show
  • In the Set Up group you’ll find options to set up the presentation, hide slides, rehearse your presentation and even record it.
  • Click Set Up Slide Show to adjust several settings regarding your presentation. You’ll find more information in the next section of this tutorial.
  • If you click Hide Slide, the selected slide won’t show up during your presentation. Hidden slides will appear faded out on the list and their numbers will be crossed out.
Hiding slides
Hiding slides
  • If you click Record Slide Show, you’ll be able to record your presentation from the beginning or from the current slide. We’ll go into detail in the last section of this tutorial.
  • There are several checkboxes regarding whether to play narrations, use timings and show media controls.
Checkboxes in Set Up group
Checkboxes in Set Up group
  • In the Monitors group you can choose which screen to display your presentation.
Options in Monitors group
Options in Monitors group
  • The last group, Captions & Subtitles, is only available in Office 365. You’ll find options to enable subtitles, which will be generated out of your speech (so you’ll need to have a mic). There are settings to change the language and the position of the subtitles.
Options in Captions & Subtitles group
Options in Captions & Subtitles group

Presentation Modes — Set Up Slide Show

  • Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
  • Go to the Slide Show tab.
  • In the Set Up group, click Set Up Slide Show. A new window will open, where you’ll find several options.
Set Up Slide Show button
Set Up Slide Show button
  • In the top-left corner, under “Show type”, you can choose whether the presentation will be in fullscreen with speaker notes, windowed, or in fullscreen without speaker notes or the menu bar.
Options under Show type
Options under Show type
  • Under “Show options” you can choose whether to show the presentation without narration or animations, or disable the hardware graphics acceleration (for better performance). You can also set the pen and laser pointer color.
Option under Show options
Option under Show options
  • Under “Show slides”, you can choose which slides to show in your presentation. You can select all of them, a specific range or a custom slideshow.
Options under Show slides
  • There are other settings to determine how to advance slides (manually or using timings), what the resolution will be and whether to use the presenter view.
Options under Multiple monitors
Options under Multiple monitors

Presentation Modes — Record Slide Show

  • Open your presentation in PowerPoint.
  • Go to the Slide Show tab.
Slide Show tab
Slide Show tab
  • Click Record Slide Show. From the drop-down menu, select From the Current Slide or From the Beginning.
Record Slide Show button
Record Slide Show button
  • A new window will open, along with the presentation in fullscreen mode. At the top-left you’ll find a button to start recording.
Record button
Record button

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