Use an external keyboard with PowerPoint for iPad

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
Navigate in PowerPoint for iPad
Move the insertion point within placeholders and notes
Select content

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

Place the insertion point on a button.
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