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You can easily navigate PowerPoint for iPad with keyboard shortcuts on an external keyboard. Quickly move between areas and complete tasks. The shortcuts in this article refer to the US keyboard layout for Mac or iOS.

Notes: 

  • If a shortcut requires pressing two or more keys at the same time, this topic separates the keys with a plus sign (+). If you have to press one key immediately after another, the keys are separated by a comma (,).

  • To move the insertion point to different areas in PowerPoint for iPad (from the ribbon to the thumbnail pane, for example), place the focus on a button and then press Shift+Right Arrow (forward) or Shift+Left Arrow (backward).

  • PowerPoint for iPad is a mobile application, so the keyboard shortcuts and navigation may be different from those in PowerPoint 2016.

In this topic

Frequently used shortcuts

This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts for PowerPoint for iPad.

To do this

Press

Insert a new slide

Command+Shift+N

Delete selected text, object, or slide

Del

Cut selected content and copy it to the clipboard

Command+X

Undo the last action

Command+Z

Copy the selected content to the clipboard

Command+C

Paste copied or cut content

Command+V

Select all text

Command+A

Bold selected content

Command+B

Italicize selected content

Command+I

Underline selected content

Command+U

Select one word to the left

Shift+Option+Left Arrow

Select one word to the right

Shift+Option+Right Arrow

Create a new slide

Command+Shift+N

Navigate in PowerPoint for iPad

PowerPoint for iPad opens with a horizontal list of commands. To move through the options, press Shift+Right Arrow until the insertion point is on the commands row, and then press the Right Arrow or Left Arrow key. To select one of them, press Command+Option+Spacebar.

Switch to Slideshow view

  1. Place the insertion point on a button.

  2. Press Shift+Right Arrow until you hear “Play Slideshow from the Current Slide,” and then press Command+Option+Spacebar. The insertion point is on the End Slideshow button.

Go to the next slide

Place the focus on a slide, and then press Spacebar

Exit the slide show

Press Esc.

Hide the Slideshow toolbar

Swipe up three fingers.

Move the insertion point within placeholders and notes

To do this

Press

Move right one character

Right Arrow key

Move left one character

Left Arrow key

Move right one word

Command+Right Arrow

Move left one word

Command+Left Arrow

Move up one line

Up Arrow key

Move down one line

Down Arrow key

Move to the beginning of the line

Command+Left Arrow

Move to the end of the line

Command+Right Arrow

Move to the beginning of the placeholder or notes

Command+Up Arrow

Move to the end of the placeholder or notes

Command+End

Select content

To do this

Press

Select one character to the right

Shift+Right Arrow

Select one character to the left

Shift+Left Arrow

Select one word to the right

Shift+Command+Right Arrow

Select one word to the left

Shift+Command+Left Arrow

Select one line up

Shift+Up Arrow

Select one line down

Shift+Down Arrow

Select one paragraph up

Shift+Command+Up Arrow

Select one paragraph down

Shift+Command+Down Arrow

Select all within the placeholder or notes

Command+A

Select from the current position to the beginning of the line

Shift+Command+Left Arrow

Select from the current position to the end of the line

Shift+Command+Right Arrow

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