how to make a presentation on macbook

How to Make a PowerPoint on Mac? (A Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’ve ever wanted to create a professional-level PowerPoint on your Mac, you’re in luck! In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process from start to finish.

You’ll learn what Keynote is and how to open it on your Mac, how to create a PowerPoint, customize the slides, add text, images, and media, utilize themes and animations, and finally, save and share your PowerPoint.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be a PowerPoint pro on your Mac!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Making a PowerPoint on a Mac is easy.

First, open up the Pages application on your Mac.

Then, select the File menu and choose New from Template.

From there, you can select a PowerPoint template and customize it to fit your needs.

When you are finished, you can save your presentation and share it with others.

What is Keynote?

Keynote is a presentation software program developed by Apple Inc.

and is available on all Mac computers.

It is a powerful program that allows users to easily create engaging and professional presentations.

Keynote provides users with a wide range of tools and features, including customizable slides, themes, animations, and more.

With Keynote, users can create stunning presentations in minutes.

It is a great tool for creating presentations for business, education, and personal projects.

Keynote is easy to use and is a great choice for anyone who wants to make a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer.

How to Open Keynote on Mac

Opening the Keynote app on a Mac computer is quite simple.

To open the app, you can either use the “Finder” app in your Applications folder, or you can use the “Spotlight Search” tool to quickly find the Keynote app.

If you choose to use the Finder, simply open the Finder app and navigate to the Applications folder.

From there, you will find the Keynote app.

You can then double-click on the Keynote icon to open the app.

Alternatively, you can use the Spotlight Search tool to quickly locate the Keynote app.

To do this, click on the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner of your screen.

You can then type in “Keynote” in the search bar and hit the “Enter” key.

The Keynote app should appear in the search results.

You can then click on the Keynote icon to open the app.

Once the Keynote app is open, you can begin creating your PowerPoint presentation.

You can customize your slides by adding text, images, and other media.

You can further customize your slides by using various themes and animations.

Once you have created your presentation, you can save it as a .pptx file and share it with others.

With the Keynote app, you can easily create a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer.

Creating a PowerPoint on a Mac

Creating a PowerPoint presentation on a Mac computer is a straightforward process, whether youre creating a presentation for work or school.

The first step is to open the Keynote app on the computer.

Keynote is the presentation software for Mac computers, and it makes creating a presentation simple and easy.

Once you have opened the Keynote app, you can begin customizing your presentation.

You can add text, images, and other media to your slides, as well as utilize various themes and animations to make your presentation look professional and eye-catching.

You can also customize the layout of your slides, allowing you to add different elements and adjust their placement.

When your presentation is complete, you can save it as a .pptx file and share it with your colleagues, classmates, or anyone else who needs to view it.

You can also export your presentation as a PDF, a movie file, an HTML file, or a JPG file, depending on your needs.

With the Keynote app, creating a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer is easy and stress-free.

All you need to do is open the app, customize your slides, and then save your presentation in the desired format.

Whether youre creating a presentation for work or school, the Keynote app will help you get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Customizing the Slides

Customizing the slides is an important part of creating a stunning PowerPoint presentation on a Mac.

The Keynote app provides a variety of tools and features to help you design your slides.

You can easily add text, images, and other media to customize your slides.

To add text to your slides, simply select the text box and type in your desired text.

To add images, you can either drag and drop them into the slide or use the Insert Image button.

You can also insert shapes, charts, and other media to customize your slides.

Additionally, Keynote offers a range of themes and animations to help you further customize your presentation.

Themes allow you to quickly change the overall look and feel of your slides.

Animations can be used to add a touch of flair to your slides, such as transitions between slides and animated text.

To access the themes and animations, simply click on the Themes or Animations tabs in the upper right-hand corner of the app.

By taking advantage of the Keynote apps customization features, you can easily create a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer.

With just a few clicks, you can customize your slides and make them look stunning.

So, if youre looking to create an impressive presentation, the Keynote app is the perfect tool for the job.

Adding Text, Images, and Media

When it comes to creating a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer, adding text, images, and other media is key.

With the Keynote app, you can easily customize your slides by adding text, images, and other media elements.

To add text, select the text box icon from the top menu, and then type in the text you want to include in the text box.

You can also adjust the font type, font size, font color, and other text properties.

Once you have finished editing the text, click the Done button to save your changes.

To add images, click the Add Image icon from the top menu, and then select an image from your computer, or add an image from the web.

You can also adjust the size, position, and transparency of the image to make it look more professional.

Finally, you can add other media elements such as audio and video to your slides.

To do this, click the Add Audio or Add Video icon from the top menu, and then select the audio or video file you want to include.

You can also adjust the size, position, and playback settings of the media element to make it look more professional.

By using these methods, you can easily add text, images, and other media elements to your PowerPoint slides on a Mac computer.

Once you have added all the elements, you can save your presentation as a .pptx file and share it with others.

Utilizing Themes and Animations

Creating a PowerPoint presentation on a Mac computer is made easier with the help of the Keynote app.

Not only can you easily create a professional-looking presentation, but you can also customize your slides with various themes and animations.

With the help of themes and animations, you can create a presentation that is visually appealing and engaging.

When creating a presentation, you can choose from a wide variety of themes and animations.

You can choose from a variety of colors, fonts, and designs to give your presentation a unique look.

You can also choose from several animation styles to give your presentation a more dynamic feel.

For example, you can choose to have your slides transition in with a fade or a slide, or you can animate specific objects within your slides.

Themes and animations can also help to emphasize certain points in your presentation.

For instance, you can use animations to draw attention to a particular slide or element in your presentation.

Additionally, you can use themes to create a professional and consistent look throughout your presentation.

Creating a presentation with themes and animations is easy.

In the Keynote app, simply select the themes tab to access the available themes and animations.

From there, you can customize your slides with the desired theme and animations.

You can also preview your slides and animations before you save them.

Creating a professional-looking and engaging presentation on a Mac computer is easy with the help of the Keynote app.

With the help of themes and animations, you can create a presentation that is visually appealing and will help to emphasize certain points you want to make.

With a few clicks, you can quickly create a presentation that will be sure to impress.

Saving and Sharing Your PowerPoint

Once you have finished creating your PowerPoint presentation, you can save it as a .pptx file and share it with others.

To save your PowerPoint, click the File menu at the top of the Keynote window and then click Save.

You will be given the option to save your file to your Macs hard drive or to the cloud.

If you wish to share your presentation with others, you can do so by exporting it as a PDF file or by sharing it directly with other users.

To export your presentation to a PDF file, click the File menu and then select Export.

You will be given the option to export your PowerPoint as a PDF file.

If you would like to share your presentation directly with other users, you can do so by clicking the Share menu at the top of the Keynote window and selecting Share with Others.

Here, you can enter the email addresses of the people you would like to share your presentation with.

You can also set a password for your shared presentation if you wish.

Once you have saved and/or shared your presentation, you can open it up again at any time by double-clicking on the .pptx file.

This will open up the presentation in the Keynote app and you can make any changes that you wish.

With the Keynote app, creating a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer is easy and convenient.

The steps outlined above will help you create a great presentation and save/share it with others in no time.

Final Thoughts

Creating a professional-looking PowerPoint on a Mac computer doesn’t have to be difficult.

With the help of the Keynote app, you can easily create slides with text, images, and other media, and customize your slides with themes and animations.

Now that you know how to make a PowerPoint on Mac, you’re ready to create your own presentations and share them with others.

So get to it and start making your own PowerPoint today!

James Wilson

James Wilson has extensive knowledge in the information technology industry.His second love, besides dealing with computers, is smart home technology. He is continually updating information to better comprehend this problem and has a deep understanding of the apartment’s support system.

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Presentations that stand out. Beautifully.

With its powerful tools and dazzling effects, Keynote makes it easy to create stunning and memorable presentations, and comes included with most Apple devices. Use Apple Pencil on your iPad to create diagrams or illustrations that bring your slides to life. And with real‑time collaboration, your team can work together, whether they’re on Mac, iPad, iPhone, or a PC.

See what’s new in Keynote

Present your story. Your way.

Keynote sets the stage for an impressive presentation. A simple, intuitive interface puts important tools front and center, so everyone on your team can easily add beautiful charts, edit photos, and incorporate cinematic effects. And Rehearse Mode lets you practice on the go, with the current or next slide, notes, and clock — all in one view.

Start with a gorgeous layout.

Choose from over 40 eye‑catching themes that instantly give your presentation a professional look. Or create your own slide designs, background images, and page‑by‑page customization.

Create next-level animations.

Add drama to your presentation with more than 100 cinematic transitions and effects. Make your words pop by adding textures, color gradients, and even photos — with just a tap. And animate objects along a path using Apple Pencil or your finger on your iPhone or iPad.

Make every slide spectacular.

Add subtle movement to your slides with dynamic backgrounds. Illustrate your point with over 700 Apple-designed shapes, or add photos, videos, music, image galleries, and charts. Easily remove backgrounds from supported images and live videos or manually refine adjustments as needed. You can even use your iPhone to take a photo or scan a document, and Continuity Camera can send it straight to Keynote on your Mac.

What’s new in Keynote.

Learn about everything you can do in Keynote

Get the updates. Then get in touch.

Stay up to date when people join, edit, or comment in collaborative presentations and easily get in touch with your team using Messages and FaceTime.

Get more done on iPad.

Quickly insert objects, find settings, and get to your favorite tools with the customizable toolbar. And Stage Manager makes it easy to multitask across multiple presentations and apps at the same time. 1

Make backgrounds disappear.

Now you can more easily remove backgrounds from supported images — and even live videos — or adjust them to your liking.

Add live video feeds to any slide.

Appear in a window, right on your slides, with a picture-in-picture display during remote presentations. Or include a live feed of your iPhone or iPad screen to show off apps.

Get started with dynamic themes.

Start with one of three beautiful new animated themes, then customize it to set the tone for each slide with 18 adjustable background presets — from understated to highly visual, monochrome to colorful, calm to energetic.

Captivate your audience with dynamic backgrounds.

Make your presentation stand out by adding stunning color and visual interest to your slides. Create motion on a title or closing slide for a bold statement, and keep viewers engaged with subtle movement throughout the presentation.

Present with your team. Seamlessly.

For slideshows with multiple presenters, you can take turns controlling a single deck — from anywhere — on Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in Keynote.

Embed a video from YouTube or Vimeo, then play it right in your presentations, without the need to download or open the video in a media player. 2

Present over video conference. Like a pro.

Play a slideshow in its own window so you can access other apps while you present. You can view your presenter notes, upcoming slides, and navigation in a separate window as well.

Outline your presentation. Easier.

With outline view for iPhone and iPad, quickly jot down your thoughts, restructure ideas, and move concepts from slide to slide. Then switch to slide view and start designing.

Present like never before. From anywhere.

With Keynote, presenting remotely can be just as seamless as presenting in person. Say goodbye to saying “Next slide, please” — now multiple people can present together, even remotely, with each person taking control of their section of the deck. Add a live video feed of yourself to any slide for a picture-in-picture experience. Or when presenting on your Mac, include a live feed of your iPhone or iPad screen to walk through your apps. You can even play a slideshow in its own window, so you can simultaneously access your notes and other apps.

Any presentation. Any device. Anytime.

You don’t work in one place on just one device. The same goes for Keynote. Work seamlessly across all your Apple devices. The slides you create using a Mac or iPad will look the same on an iPhone or web browser — and vice versa.

You can also work on presentations stored on iCloud or Box using a PC.

Start using Keynote at iCloud.com

Create and present together. Even when apart.

Work together in the same presentation, from across town or across the world. You can see your team’s edits as they make them — and they can watch as you make yours, too. You can even get notifications when people join, edit, or comment. When presenting as a team, you can also take turns controlling a single deck from anywhere.

Use Apple Pencil when inspiration strikes.

Add color, illustrations, and handwritten comments for more beautiful presentations with Apple Pencil on your iPad.

Plays well with Office.

Teaming up with someone who uses Microsoft PowerPoint? Keynote makes it a great working relationship. You can save Keynote presentations as PowerPoint files. Or import and edit PowerPoint presentations right in Keynote.

Learn more about Microsoft PowerPoint compatibility

See everything that’s new in Keynote

• What’s new in Keynote for iPhone and iPad
• What’s new in Keynote for Mac
• Keynote for iCloud release notes

Additional Resources

• Get Keynote support
• Learn about Microsoft Office compatibility
• Learn about collaboration for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote
• Use Keynote in a video conference app

Keynote User Guides

• Keynote User Guide for Mac
• Keynote User Guide for iPad
• Keynote User Guide for iPhone
• Keynote User Guide for Web

Build spreadsheets that are bottom-line brilliant.

Create documents that are, in a word, beautiful.

Keynote User Guide for Mac

• What’s new in Keynote 14.0
• Intro to Keynote
• Intro to images, charts, and other objects
• Create a presentation
• Choose how to navigate your presentation
• Open or close a presentation
• Save and name a presentation
• Find a presentation
• Print a presentation
• Undo or redo changes
• Show or hide sidebars
• Quick navigation
• Change the working view
• Expand and zoom your workspace
• Customize the Keynote toolbar
• Change Keynote settings on Mac
• Touch Bar for Keynote
• Create a presentation using VoiceOver
• Add or delete slides
• Reorder slides
• Group or ungroup slides
• Skip or unskip a slide
• Change the slide size
• Change a slide background
• Add a border around a slide
• Show or hide text placeholders
• Show or hide slide numbers
• Apply a slide layout
• Add and edit slide layouts
• Change a theme
• Add an image
• Add an image gallery
• Edit an image
• Add and edit a shape
• Combine or break apart shapes
• Draw a shape
• Save a shape to the shapes library
• Add and align text inside a shape
• Add 3D objects
• Add lines and arrows
• Animate, share, or save drawings
• Add video and audio
• Record audio
• Edit video and audio
• Add live video
• Set movie and image formats
• Position and align objects
• Use alignment guides
• Place objects inside a text box or shape
• Layer, group, and lock objects
• Change object transparency
• Fill shapes and text boxes with color or an image
• Add a border to an object
• Add a caption or title
• Add a reflection or shadow
• Use object styles
• Resize, rotate, and flip objects
• Move and edit objects using the object list
• Add linked objects to make your presentation interactive
• Select text
• Copy and paste text
• Use dictation to enter text
• Use accents and special characters
• Format a presentation for another language
• Use phonetic guides
• Use bidirectional text
• Use vertical text
• Change the font or font size
• Add bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough to text
• Change the color of text
• Change text capitalization
• Add a shadow or outline to text
• Intro to paragraph styles
• Apply a paragraph style
• Create, rename, or delete paragraph styles
• Update or revert a paragraph style
• Use a keyboard shortcut to apply a style
• Adjust character spacing
• Add drop caps
• Raise and lower characters and text
• Format fractions automatically
• Create and use character styles
• Format dashes and quotation marks
• Format Chinese, Japanese, or Korean text
• Set tab stops
• Format text into columns
• Adjust line spacing
• Format lists
• Add a highlight effect to text
• Add mathematical equations
• Add borders and rules (lines) to separate text
• Add or delete a table
• Select tables, cells, rows, and columns
• Add or remove rows and columns
• Move rows and columns
• Resize rows and columns
• Merge or unmerge cells
• Change the look of table text
• Show, hide, or edit a table title
• Change table gridlines and colors
• Use table styles
• Resize, move, or lock a table
• Add and edit cell content
• Format dates, currency, and more
• Create a custom cell format
• Highlight cells conditionally
• Format tables for bidirectional text
• Alphabetize or sort table data
• Calculate values using data in table cells
• Use the Formulas and Functions Help
• Add or delete a chart
• Change a chart from one type to another
• Modify chart data
• Move, resize, and rotate a chart
• Change the look of data series
• Add a legend, gridlines, and other markings
• Change the look of chart text and labels
• Add a chart border and background
• Use chart styles
• Animate objects onto and off a slide
• Animate objects on a slide
• Change build order and timing
• Add transitions
• Present on your Mac
• Present on a separate display
• Present on a Mac over the internet
• Use a remote
• Make a presentation advance automatically
• Play a slideshow with multiple presenters
• Add and view presenter notes
• Rehearse on your Mac
• Record presentations
• Check spelling
• Look up words
• Find and replace text
• Replace text automatically
• Set author name and comment color
• Highlight text
• Add and print comments
• Send a presentation
• Intro to collaboration
• Invite others to collaborate
• Collaborate on a shared presentation
• See the latest activity in a shared presentation
• Change a shared presentation’s settings
• Stop sharing a presentation
• Shared folders and collaboration
• Use Box to collaborate
• Create an animated GIF
• Post your presentation in a blog
• Use iCloud Drive with Keynote
• Export to PowerPoint or another file format
• Reduce the presentation file size
• Save a large presentation as a package file
• Restore an earlier version of a presentation
• Move a presentation
• Delete a presentation
• Password-protect a presentation
• Lock a presentation
• Create and manage custom themes
• Transfer files with AirDrop
• Transfer presentations with Handoff
• Transfer presentations with the Finder
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Keyboard shortcut symbols

Play a Keynote presentation on Mac

There are two ways to play a Keynote presentation on your Mac:

Present in full screen: Shows the current slide on your primary display while the presenter display , with your notes and controls, is hidden. If you have a separate display connected to your Mac, the presenter display is shown on your Mac while the slideshow plays on the secondary display. This is useful when you’re presenting the slideshow in person and have a separate display or projector.

Present in a window: Shows the slideshow in one window and the presenter display in another. This is useful when you don’t have a secondary display or projector and need to access your presenter notes, desktop, or other apps without interrupting the presentation.

Present in full screen

Choose Play > In Fullscreen (from the Play menu at the top of your screen).

In the slide navigator , click to select the slide you want to begin with.

The presentation begins with the slide you selected displayed in full screen.

To advance through the presentation, do any of the following:

Go to the next slide or build: Press the Right Arrow key.

Go back a slide or reset the builds on the slide: Press the Left Arrow key.

Jump to a different slide: Press any number key to make the slide navigator appear, enter the slide number in the text field at the top, then press Return.

To show the slideshow controls with options to show the slide navigator, keyboard shortcuts, live video sources , or multipresenter slideshow controls, move the pointer over the bottom of your screen.

Note: To always hide the controls (for example, when you don’t want your audience to see the slideshow controls during a presentation), click Keynote > Settings, click Slideshow at the top of the window, then turn off “Show slideshow controls when pointer is at the bottom of the screen.”

To stop playing the presentation, press Esc.

Tip: To see all of the keyboard shortcuts you can use as you present, press the Question Mark (?) key on your keyboard. To close the overlay, press the Question Mark (?) key again.

By default, when you play a slideshow in full screen, the pointer is only visible on slides with a link , movie , or live video . To make the pointer visible anytime you move it, click Keynote > Settings, click Slideshow, then turn on “Show pointer when using the mouse or trackpad.”

Present in a window

When you play a presentation in a window, the slideshow and presenter display appear in two windows on your screen. If you’re presenting virtually with a videoconferencing app, you can share the slideshow window so the other meeting participants can see it. You can edit your notes and navigate the presentation in the presenter display window.

Choose Play > In Window (from the Play menu at the top of your screen).

While presenting, you can also do any of the following:

Change the size of the text in the presenter notes: Move the pointer over the Notes window, then click a font button in the top-left corner to make the font smaller or larger.

Close the presenter display: Click the red close button in the top-left corner, or choose Play > Hide Presenter Display in Window.

Reveal the toolbar in the current slide window: Move the pointer over top of the window, then click a button to show the slide navigator, keyboard shortcuts, live video sources , or multipresenter slideshow controls.

To take a screenshot of the presenter notes or to make them visible to your audience with a videoconferencing app, choose Keynote > Settings, click Slideshow at the top of the settings window, then select the checkbox next to “Show presenter display in other applications.” Play the presentation, then take a screenshot of the window or share it with your video conference app.

Use the Touch Bar when you present

If your Mac has a Touch Bar, thumbnails of your slides appear in the Touch Bar as you present, as well as buttons for quickly accessing other Keynote features. You can use the thumbnails and buttons to view and control your presentation.

Scroll through slides: Swipe the thumbnails. You can scroll through slides without changing what viewers see.

Advance to the next slide: Press an arrow key. If you scrolled ahead, the thumbnails scroll back to the slide you advanced to.

Switch between the clock and the timer: If you’re presenting on your Mac, tap the clock or timer.

See keyboard shortcuts you can use to present: Tap the Question Mark (?) button.

Require a password to exit a presentation

You can require a password to stop or exit a presentation. This password requirement is useful, for example, when the presentation is set to play automatically in a kiosk.

With the presentation open, choose Keynote > Settings (from the Keynote menu at the top of your screen).

Click Slideshow at the top of the settings window, then select the “Require password to exit slideshows” checkbox.

Type a password, then click Set Password.

To remove the password, choose Keynote > Settings, then deselect the “Require password to exit slideshows” checkbox.

This password applies only to slideshows played on the Mac where you set the password.