Many users find that using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for PowerPoint increases their productivity. Keyboard shortcuts are a necessary substitute for using a mouse in the case of people who have mobility or vision impairments and are more convenient than using a touchscreen.
Notes:
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The shortcuts in this topic make reference to the US keyboard layout. It's possible that the keys on a US keyboard don't exactly match the keys in other layouts.
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A plus sign (+) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys at the same time.
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A comma sign (,) in a shortcut means that you need to press multiple keys in order.
This article provides the keyboard shortcuts needed to use the current PowerPoint comments feature.
Notes:
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To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press the Ctrl+F keys and then type your search words.
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If an action that you use often does not have a shortcut key, you can add it to the Quick Access Toolbar to create one. For instructions, refer to Use a keyboard to customize the Quick Access Toolbar.
In this topic
Frequently used shortcuts
The following table lists the most frequently used shortcuts for the PowerPoint comments pane:
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Display the access keys (ribbon commands) on the ribbon. Then, open the comments pane. |
Alt, Z, C |
|
Go to the comments pane |
F6 |
|
Add a new comment |
Ctrl+Alt+M |
|
Post a comment or a reply |
Ctrl+Enter |
|
Move forward through the current comment |
Tab key |
|
Move backward through the current comment |
Shift+Tab |
|
Move to the next comment thread |
Down arrow key |
|
Go to the previous comment thread |
Up arrow key |
|
Expand a comment thread when the focus is on it |
Right arrow key |
|
Collapse a comment thread |
Left arrow key |
|
Navigate through the posted replies in a comment thread |
Down arrow/ Up arrow key |
|
Move the focus to the reply box |
Tab key |
|
Navigate the options in More thread actions or More comment actions |
Down arrow/ Up arrow key |
|
Edit a comment |
Tab key until Edit comment and then press Enter. |
|
Select the reply text |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Copy the reply text |
Ctrl+C |
|
To move the focus to the anchored object when a comment is selected. |
Alt+F12 |
|
To move the focus to the anchored comment when an object is selected. |
Alt+F12 |
Note: The keyboard shortcuts given above only function when the Comments pane has the focus, except for adding a new comment.
Adding and posting a new comment
To add a new comment thread in a slide:
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Select the text, object, or slide and add a comment by pressing Ctrl+Alt+M.
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A new comment box will open with your name on the comments pane.
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Type the comment and press the Ctrl+Enter keys to post it.
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You can mention your co-workers when entering the comment in a presentation in the cloud. An ‘Assign to’ checkbox will appear, below the reply text box when you mention someone in the comment. For more information on mentioning feature, refer to ‘Improved @mentions in comments’ in Modern comments in PowerPoint.
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Another way to post a comment is by using the Tab key to navigate and then pressing Enter on the Post or Cancel button.
Comments anchoring
The modern comments experience of PowerPoint now includes a new feature called comment anchoring. The comments can be anchored to a range of text, an object, or a slide. Select the text, object, or slide and when you add a new comment it will be anchored to the selection. Whenever you select a comment, the anchored object will be highlighted in purple.
You can move the focus from the comment to the anchor or from the anchor to the comment by pressing Alt+F12.
See also
Screen reader support for PowerPoint
Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a Screen reader
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
This article provides the keyboard shortcuts needed to use the current PowerPoint comments feature.
Notes:
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If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit the documents, spreadsheets, or presentations with Microsoft 365 for the web. For more information, refer to Turn off virtual or browse mode in screen readers in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update.
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To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use the Search. Press Ctrl+F or ⌘+F on Mac and then type your search words.
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When you use PowerPoint for the web, we recommend that you use Microsoft Edge as your web browser. Because PowerPoint for the web runs in your web browser, the keyboard shortcuts are different from those in the desktop program. For example, you’ll use Ctrl+F6 instead of F6 for jumping in and out of the commands. Also, common shortcuts like F1 (Help) and Ctrl+O (Open) apply to the web browser – not PowerPoint for the web.
In this topic
Frequently used shortcuts
The following table lists the most frequently used shortcuts for the PowerPoint comments pane:
|
To do this |
On Windows |
On Mac |
|---|---|---|
|
Display the access keys (ribbon commands) on the ribbon. Then, open the comments pane. |
Alt+Period, |
Control+Period, |
|
Navigate forward to the following regions:
|
Ctrl+F6 |
⌘+F6 |
|
Navigate backward to the following regions:
|
Ctrl+Shift+F6 |
⌘+Shift+F6 |
|
Add a new comment |
Ctrl+Alt+M |
⌘+Shift+M |
|
Post a comment or a reply |
Ctrl+Enter |
⌘+Enter |
|
Move forward through the current comment |
Tab key |
Tab key |
|
Move backward through the current comment |
Shift+Tab |
Shift+Tab |
|
Move to the next comment thread |
Down arrow key |
Down arrow key |
|
Go to the previous comment thread |
Up arrow key |
Up arrow key |
|
Expand a comment thread when the focus is on it |
Right arrow key |
Right arrow key |
|
Collapse a comment thread |
Left arrow key |
Left arrow key |
|
Go to the next reply in a comment thread |
Down arrow key |
Down arrow key |
|
Go to the previous reply in a thread or the parent comment |
Up arrow key |
Up arrow key |
|
Move the focus to the reply box |
Tab key |
Tab key |
|
Select the reply text |
Shift+Arrow keys |
Shift+Arrow keys |
|
Copy the reply text |
Ctrl+C |
⌘+C |
|
To move the focus to the anchored object when a comment is selected |
Alt+F12 |
Option+F12 |
|
To move the focus to the anchored comment when an object is selected |
Alt+F12 |
Option+F12 |
Note: The keyboard shortcuts given above only function when the Comments pane has the focus, except for adding a new comment.
Adding and posting a new comment
To add a new comment thread in a PowerPoint slide:
-
Select the text, object, or slide and add a comment by pressing Ctrl+Alt+M or ⌘+Shift+M on Mac.
-
A new comment box will open with your name on the comments pane.
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Type the comment and press the Ctrl+Enter or ⌘+Enter on Mac keys to post it.
-
You can mention your co-workers when entering the comment. An ‘Assign to’ checkbox will appear, below the reply text box when you mention someone in the comment. For more information on mentioning feature, refer to ‘Improved @mentions in comments’ in Modern comments in PowerPoint.
-
Another way to post a comment is by using the Tab key to navigate and then pressing Enter on the Post or Cancel button.
Comments anchoring
The modern comments experience of PowerPoint now includes a new feature called comment anchoring. The comments can be anchored to a range of text, an object, or a slide. Select the text, object, or slide and when you add a new comment it will be anchored to the selection. Whenever you select a comment, the anchored object will be highlighted in purple.
You can move the focus from the comment to the anchor or from the anchor to the comment by pressing Alt+F12 or Option+F12 on Mac.
See also
Screen reader support for PowerPoint
Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a Screen reader
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
This article provides the keyboard shortcuts needed to use the current PowerPoint comments feature.
Notes:
-
To navigate the Microsoft 365 for Mac apps with the keyboard, first do one of the following to turn on the macOS keyboard navigation setting:
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In macOS Ventura 13.0 or higher, go to System Setting > Keyboard, and then turn on the Keyboard navigation switch.
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In earlier macOS versions, go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts tab, and then select the Use keyboard navigation to move focus between controls checkbox.
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The settings in some versions of the Mac operating system (OS) and some utility applications can conflict with keyboard shortcuts and function key operations in Microsoft 365 for Mac. For information about changing the key assignment of a keyboard shortcut, refer to the Mac Help for your version of the macOS, your utility application, or refer to Change a conflicting keyboard shortcut on Mac.
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Many of the shortcuts that use the Ctrl key on a Windows keyboard work with the Command (⌘) key in PowerPoint on Mac. However, not all do.
-
To quickly find a shortcut in this article, you can use Search. Press the ⌘+F keys, and then type your search words.
In this topic
Frequently used shortcuts
The following table lists the most frequently used shortcuts for the PowerPoint comments pane:
|
To do this |
Press |
|---|---|
|
Go to the comments pane |
F6 |
|
Move through the current comment |
Tab key |
|
Move focus to the ‘Resolve task’ checkbox (If the comment is a task that has been assigned) |
Press the Tab key till the profile picture, then Shift+Tab to go back one step. |
|
Go to the next comment thread |
Down arrow key |
|
Go to the previous comment thread |
Up arrow key |
|
Move the focus to the reply box (Edit mode will activate when the focus is received on the Reply box. Pressing the Tab key again will insert a Tab character rather than moving to the next interactive element.) |
Tab key |
|
Move focus to the new interactive element while in the edit mode on the comment or reply box |
Ctrl+Tab |
|
Add a new comment |
⌘+Shift+M |
|
Post a comment or a reply |
⌘+Enter |
|
To move the focus to the anchored object when a comment card is selected |
Option+F12 |
|
To move the focus to the anchored comment when an object is selected |
Option+F12 |
Note: The keyboard shortcuts given above only function when the Comments pane has the focus, except for adding a new comment.
Adding and posting a new comment
To add a new comment thread in a PowerPoint slide:
-
Select a text, object, or slide and press the ⌘+Shift+M keys to open a new comment.
-
You can mention your co-workers when entering the comment in a presentation in the cloud. An ‘Assign to’ checkbox will appear, below the reply text box when you mention someone in the comment. For more information on mentioning feature, refer to ‘Improved @mentions in comments’ in Modern comments in PowerPoint.
-
Use the ⌘+Enter keys to post the comment.
Comment anchoring
The modern comments experience of PowerPoint now includes a new feature called comment anchoring. The comments can be anchored to a range of text, an object, or a slide. Select the text, object, or slide and when you add a new comment it will be anchored to the selection. Whenever you select a comment, the anchored object will be highlighted in purple.
You can move the focus from the comment to the anchor or from the anchor to the comment by pressing Option+F12.
See also
Screen reader support for PowerPoint
Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a Screen reader
Technical support for customers with disabilities
Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.
If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.
