PowerPoint 2016 for

Windows keyboard shortcuts

Use keyboard shortcuts to create your presentation
This topic itemizes keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint 2016.
Notes: 
● The shortcuts in this topic refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys for other layouts might not
correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.
● If a shortcut requires pressing two or more keys at the same time, this topic separates the
keys with a plus sign (+). If the shortcut requires that you to press one key immediately after
another, the keys are separated by a comma (,).
Frequently used shortcuts
The following table itemizes the most frequently used shortcuts in PowerPoint.

To do this Press

Make selected text bold. Ctrl+B

Change the font size for selected text. Alt+H, F, and then S

Change the zoom for the slide. Alt+W, Q

Cut selected text, object, or slide. Ctrl+X

Copy selected text, object, or slide. Ctrl+C

Paste cut or copied text, object, or slide. Ctrl+V

Undo the last action. Ctrl+Z

Save the presentation. Ctrl+S

Insert a picture. Alt+N, P

Insert a shape. Alt+H, S, and then H

Select a theme. Alt+G, H

Select a slide layout. Alt+H, L

Go to the next slide. Page Down

Go to the previous slide. Page Up

Go to the Home tab. Alt+H

Move to the Insert tab. Alt+N

Start the slide show. Alt+S,B

End the slide show. Esc

Close PowerPoint. Alt+F, X

Navigate the ribbon with only the keyboard

The ribbon is the strip at the top of PowerPoint, organized by tabs. Each tab displays a different
ribbon, which is made up of groups, and each group includes one or more commands.
You can navigate the ribbon with just the keyboard. Access keys are special shortcuts that let you
quickly use a command on the ribbon by pressing a few keys, regardless of where you are in
PowerPoint. Every command in PowerPoint can be accessed by using an access key.
There are two ways to navigate the tabs in the ribbon:
● To get to the ribbon, press Alt, and then, to move between tabs, use the Right Arrow and
Left Arrow keys.
● To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys:

To do this Press

Open the File page. Alt+F

Open the Home tab. Alt+H

Open the Insert tab. Alt+N

Open the Design tab. Alt+G

Open the Transitions tab. Alt+T

Open the Animations tab. Alt+A

Open the Slide Show tab. Alt+S

Open the Review tab. Alt+R

Open the View tab. Alt+W

Note: Add-ins and other programs may add new tabs to the ribbon and may provide access keys for
those tabs.
Work in ribbon tabs with the keyboard
● To move to the list of ribbon tabs, press Alt; to go directly to a tab, press a keyboard
shortcut.
● To move between commands, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab. You move forward or
backward through the commands in order. You can also press the arrow keys.
● Controls are activated in different ways, depending upon the type of control:
● If the selected command is a button, to activate it, press Spacebar or Enter.
● If the selected command is a split button (that is, a button that opens a menu of additional
options), to activate it, press Alt+Down Arrow. Tab through the options. To select the current
option, press Spacebar or Enter.
● If the selected command is a list (such as the Font list), to open the list, press the Down
Arrow key. Then, to move between items, press the arrow keys. When the item you want is
selected, press Enter.
● If the selected command is a gallery, to select the command, press the Spacebar or Enter.
Then, tab through the items.
Tip: In galleries with more than one row of items, the Tab key moves from the beginning to the end of
the current row and, when it reaches the end of the row, it moves to the beginning of the next one.
Pressing the Right Arrow key at the end of the current row moves back to the beginning of the
current row.
Change focus by using the keyboard
The following table lists some ways to move the focus using the keyboard.

To do this Press

Select the active tab of the ribbon and activate Alt or F10. To move to a different
the access keys. tab, use access keys or the arrow
keys.

Move the focus to commands on the ribbon. Tab key or Shift+Tab

Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, Down Arrow, Up Arrow, Left Arrow,
among the items on the ribbon. or Right Arrow key

Expand or collapse the ribbon. Ctrl+F1

Display the context menu for the selected item. Shift+F10

Move the focus to a different pane. F6

Move to the next or previous command on the Tab key or Shift+Tab
ribbon.

Activate the selected command or control on Spacebar or Enter

the ribbon.

Open the selected menu or gallery on the ribbon. Spacebar or Enter

Open the selected list on the ribbon, such as the Down Arrow key
Font list.

Move between items in an opened menu or Tab key

gallery.

Finish modifying a value in a control on the Enter

ribbon, and move the focus back to the
document.

Use access keys when you can see the Key Tips
In PowerPoint 2013 and later, you can use Key Tips to get to things on the ribbon. You can display
Key Tips, which are the letters used to access commands, and then use them to navigate in the
ribbon.

1. Press Alt. The Key Tips appear in small squares by each ribbon command.
2. To select a command, press the letter shown in the square Key Tip that appears by it. For
example, press F to open the File Tab; H to open the Home Tab; N to open the Insert Tab, and
so on.

Depending on which letter you press, you may be shown additional Key Tips. For example, if you
press Alt+F, Backstage view opens on the Info page, which has a different set of Key Tips.
Move between panes
To do this Press

Move clockwise among panes in Normal view. F6

Move counterclockwise among panes in Normal view. Shift+F6

Switch between the Thumbnail pane and the Outline View pane. Ctrl+Shift+Tab

Work in an outline
To do this Press

Promote a paragraph. Alt+Shift+Left Arrow

Demote a paragraph. Alt+Shift+Right Arrow

Move selected paragraphs up. Alt+Shift+Up Arrow

Move selected paragraphs down. Alt+Shift+Down Arrow

Show heading level 1 Alt+Shift+1

Expand text below a heading. Alt+Shift+Plus Sign (+)

Collapse text below a heading. Alt+Shift+Minus Sign (-)

Work with shapes, pictures, boxes, objects, and WordArt

Insert a shape
1. To select Shapes, press Alt+N, S, and then H.
2. Use the arrow keys to move through the categories of shapes, and select the shape you
want.
3. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the shape.
Insert a text box
1. Press Alt+N, X.
2. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the text box.
Insert an object
1. To select Object, press Alt+N, and J .
2. To move the focus to the Object type list, press Tab.
3. Press Ctrl+Enter to insert the object.
Insert WordArt
1. To select WordArt, press Alt+N, W .
2. Use the arrow keys to select the WordArt style you want, and press Enter.
3. Type your text.
Select a shape
Note: If your cursor is within text, press Esc before using this shortcut.
● To select a single shape, press the Tab key to cycle forward (or Shift+Tab to cycle backward)
through the objects until sizing handles appear on the object you want.
Group or ungroup shapes, pictures, and WordArt objects
● To group shapes, pictures, or WordArt objects, select the items that you want to group, and
press Ctrl+G.
● To ungroup a group, select the group, and press Ctrl+Shift+G.
Copy the attributes of a shape
1. Select the shape with the attributes you want to copy.
Note: If you select a shape with text, you copy the look and style of the text in addition to the
attributes of the shape.
2. To copy the object attributes, press Ctrl+Shift+C.
3. To select the object you want to copy the attributes to, press the Tab key or Shift+Tab .
4. To paste the attributes of the shape to the selected object, press Ctrl+Shift+V.
Select and edit text and objects
Select text and objects
To do this Press

Select one character to the right. Shift+Right Arrow

Select one character to the left. Shift+Left Arrow

Select to the end of a word. Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow

Select to the beginning of a word. Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow

Select one line up (with the cursor at the Shift+Up Arrow

beginning of a line).

Select one line down (with the cursor at the Shift+Down Arrow
beginning of a line).

Select an object (when the text inside the ESC

object is selected).
Select another object (when one object is Tab or Shift+Tab until the object you
selected). want is selected

Send object back one position. Ctrl+[

Send object forward one position. Ctrl+]

Send object to back. Ctrl+Shift+[

Send object to front. Ctrl+Shift+]

Select text within an object (with an object Enter

selected).

Select all objects. Ctrl+A (on the Slides tab)

Play or pause media. Ctrl+SPACE

Select all slides. Ctrl+A (in Slide Sorter view)

Select all text. Ctrl+A (on the Outline tab)

Delete and copy text and objects

To do this Press

Delete one character to the left. Backspace

Delete one word to the left. Ctrl+Backspace

Delete one character to the right. Delete

Delete one word to the right. Ctrl+Delete

Note: The cursor must be between words to do this.

Cut selected object or text. Ctrl+X

Copy selected object or text. Ctrl+C

Paste cut or copied object or text. Ctrl+V

Undo the last action. Ctrl+Z

Redo the last action. Ctrl+Y

Copy formatting only. Ctrl+Shift+C

Copy animation painter Alt+Shift+C

Paste animation painter Alt+Shift+V

Open Paste Special dialog box. Ctrl+Alt+V

Move around in text

To do this Press

Move one character to the left. Left Arrow

Move one character to the right. Right Arrow

Move one line up. Up Arrow

Move one line down. Down Arrow

Move one word to the left. Ctrl+Left

Arrow

Move one word to the right. Ctrl+Right

Arrow

Move to the end of a line. End

Move to the beginning of a line. Home

Move up one paragraph. Ctrl+Up

Arrow

Move down one paragraph. Ctrl+Down

Arrow

Move to the end of a text box. Ctrl+End

Move to the beginning of a text box. Ctrl+Home

Move to the next title or body text placeholder. If it is the last placeholder Ctrl+Enter
on a slide, this action inserts a new slide with the same slide layout as
the original slide.

Move to repeat the last Find action. Shift+F4

Move around in and work in tables
To do this Press

Move to the next cell. Tab

Move to the preceding cell. Shift+Tab

Move to the next row. Down Arrow

Move to the preceding row. Up Arrow

Insert a tab in a cell. Ctrl+Tab

Start a new paragraph. Enter

Add a new row at the bottom of the table. Tab in the bottom right table cell.

Edit a linked or embedded object

1. To select the object you want, press Tab or Shift+Tab.
2. To open the shortcut menu, press Shift+F10.
3. To select Worksheet Object, press the Down Arrow key until it's selected.
4. To select Edit, press the Right Arrow key and then press Enter.
Note: The name of the command in the shortcut menu depends on the type of embedded or
linked object. For example, an embedded Microsoft Office Excel worksheet has the command
Worksheet Object, whereas an embedded Microsoft Office Visio Drawing has the command
Visio Object.
Format text
Note: Select the text you want to change before using these keyboard shortcuts.
Change or resize a font
To do this Press

Open the Font dialog box to change the font. Ctrl+Shift+F

Increase the font size. Ctrl+Shift+Right Angle bracket (>)

Decrease the font size. Ctrl+Shift+Left Angle bracket (<)

Apply character formatting

To do this Press
Open the Font dialog box to change the formatting of Ctrl+T
characters.

Change between sentence case, lowercase, or uppercase. Shift+F3

Apply bold formatting. Ctrl+B

Apply an underline. Ctrl+U

Apply italic formatting. Ctrl+I

Apply subscript formatting (automatic spacing). Ctrl+Equal sign (=)

Apply superscript formatting (automatic spacing). Ctrl+Shift+Plus sign

(+)

Remove manual character formatting, such as subscript and Ctrl+Spacebar

superscript.

Insert a hyperlink. Ctrl+K

Copy text formatting

To do this Press

Copy formats. Ctrl+Shift+C

Paste formats. Ctrl+Shift+V

Align paragraphs
To do this Press

Center a paragraph. Ctrl+E

Justify a paragraph. Ctrl+J

Left align a paragraph. Ctrl+L

Right align a paragraph. Ctrl+R

Insert and reply to comments

Use the Insert Comment command (Alt+N, L) to open the Comments Pane before using these
keyboard shortcuts.
To do this Press

Insert a new comment Ctrl+N

Reply to a selected comment Ctrl+R

Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver your presentation

This topic itemizes keyboard shortcuts for delivering your presentation in PowerPoint 2016.
● The shortcuts in this topic refer to the US keyboard layout. Keys for other layouts might not
correspond exactly to the keys on a US keyboard.
● If a shortcut requires pressing two or more keys at the same time, this topic separates the
keys with a plus sign (+). If the shortcut requires that you press one key immediately after
another, the keys are separated by a comma (,).
Control your slide show during the presentation
The following keyboard shortcuts apply while you’re delivering your presentation in Slide Show (full-
screen) mode. To enter Slide Show mode, press Alt+S, B.

To do this Press

Perform the next animation or advance to the next slide. N, Enter, Page Down, Right Arrow,
Down Arrow, or Spacebar

Perform the previous animation or return to the P, Page Up, Left Arrow, Up Arrow, or
previous slide. Backspace

Go to slide number. (number)+Enter

Display a blank black slide, or return to the presentation B or Period (.)

from a blank black slide.

Display a blank white slide, or return to the presentation W or Comma (,)

from a blank white slide.

Stop or restart an automatic presentation. S

End a presentation. ESC

Erase on-screen annotations. E

Go to the next slide, if the next slide is hidden. H

Set new timings while rehearsing. T

Re-record slide narration and timing R

Return to the first slide. Press and hold Left Mouse button for
several seconds

Change the pointer to a pen. Ctrl+P

Change the pointer to an arrow. Ctrl+A

Change the pointer to an eraser Ctrl+E

Show or hide ink markup Ctrl+M

Hide the pointer and navigation button immediately. Ctrl+H

Hide the pointer and navigation button in 15 seconds. Ctrl+U

View the All Slides dialog box Ctrl+S

View the computer task bar Ctrl+T

Display the shortcut menu. Shift+F10

Go to the first or next hyperlink on the current slide. Tab

Go to the last or previous hyperlink on the current slide. Shift+Tab

Perform the "mouse click" behavior of the selected Enter while a hyperlink is selected
hyperlink. (Follow a selected hyperlink)

Control video and other media during a presentation

These keyboard shortcuts work with video files imported from your computer or other device. They
don't work with online video files.
To see the list of media shortcuts during your presentation, press F1. Then, in the Slide Show Help
dialog box, go to the Media tab.

To do this Press

Stop media playback. Alt+Q

Play or pause media. Ctrl+Space

Toggle between play and pause. Alt+P

Go to the next bookmark. Alt+End

Decrease the sound volume. Alt+Down

Mute the sound. Alt+U

Seek forward three seconds. Alt+Shift+Page

Down

Seek backward three seconds. Alt+Shift+Page Up

Seek forward 0.25 seconds, then pause Alt+Shift+Right

Arrow

Seek backward 0.25 seconds, then pause Alt+Shift+Left

Arrow

Show/Hide audio and subtitles menu (for videos that have multiple audio Alt+J
tracks and/or subtitle tracks in supported formats.)

More information
Use keyboard shortcuts to add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver your presentation
Use keyboard shortcuts in the Help window
Play a video in your presentation full screen
Use keyboard shortcuts in PowerPoint.
Office Accessibility Center