PowerPoint · Start Presenter View
Slideshow
Windows · Linux
Alt+F5Mac
Option+ReturnOpens the presenter screen with your notes, the next slide and a timer; with a single display it takes over that one screen, so check your second display before you rely on it.
- Group
- Slideshow
- Keys held
- 2
Half of PowerPoint's shortcuts only listen while the show is running — blanking the screen with B, the laser on Ctrl+L — and in edit view those same keys do something else entirely.
Reading the key names
- Keys joined by + are pressed together: Ctrl+Shift+P means hold Ctrl and Shift, then P.
- On a Mac, Cmd is ⌘, Option is ⌥ (labelled Alt on some keyboards), Control is ⌃ and Shift is ⇧.
- Windows Ctrl usually becomes Cmd on a Mac, but not always — this reference lists both combinations separately.
- With a Korean, Japanese or Chinese input method active, shortcuts built on letter keys may not fire. Switch to Latin input and try again.
- When a combination does nothing, another program has often claimed it as a global shortcut first.
Common questions
Q. What is the shortcut for Start Presenter View in PowerPoint?
Opens the presenter screen with your notes, the next slide and a timer; with a single display it takes over that one screen, so check your second display before you rely on it. It is Alt+F5 on Windows and Option+Return on a Mac.
Q. Is it the same on Windows and Mac?
No — Alt+F5 on Windows, Option+Return on a Mac.
Q. How many keys is that?
2 pressed together. The combination sits under Slideshow in PowerPoint.