How to Use Presenter View in PowerPoint

Presenter View in PowerPoint is one of the most useful features for live presenting because it lets you see your current slide, the next slide, and your speaker notes while your audience only sees the slideshow. Microsoft says Presenter View is designed to help you focus while presenting and connect better with your audience.

This is especially useful for school presentations, business talks, training sessions, and any presentation where you want private notes without showing them on the big screen. Microsoft also says that PowerPoint is set to use Presenter View by default when you run a slide show, and that with two displays connected, Presenter View usually appears automatically.

What Presenter View Shows

Presenter View gives you extra information that the audience does not see.

Microsoft says Presenter View can show:

your current slide
the next slide
speaker notes
the current time
a slide timer
navigation controls between slides

This makes it much easier to stay organized while presenting.

How to Turn On Presenter View

This is the first step.

Microsoft says to go to the Slide Show tab and select the Use Presenter View checkbox. It also says you can choose which monitor should display Presenter View.

This is useful because if the wrong display is selected, you may see the slideshow on your laptop instead of the audience screen.

How to Start Presenter View

After enabling it, you start the presentation like a normal slide show.

Microsoft says you can begin from:

From Beginning
From Current Slide
F5 to start from the first slide
Shift + F5 to start from the current slide

If a second display is connected, Microsoft says Presenter View usually appears automatically on your screen while the audience sees only the slides.

How to Use Presenter View with Two Monitors

Presenter View works best with two displays.

Microsoft says when you play a slide show with two displays connected, the audience sees the full-screen slideshow on one screen while you see Presenter View on the other by default. It also says you can use Swap Displays if Presenter View is showing on the wrong screen.

This is useful for:

laptops connected to projectors
classroom presentations
conference room displays
HDMI or wireless second-screen setups

How to Use Presenter View on One Monitor

You can still use Presenter View even without a second display.

Microsoft’s keyboard shortcut page says to start a presentation in Presenter View on a single display, press Alt + F5.

This is useful for:

practicing presentations alone
rehearsing with notes
checking timing before the real presentation

How to See Speaker Notes in Presenter View

One of the biggest reasons to use Presenter View is private notes.

Microsoft says your notes appear in a pane on the right while you present, and only you can see them. It also says you can edit notes directly from Presenter View, and that the text wraps automatically with a scroll bar if needed.

This is especially useful when:

you want reminders without memorizing every line
you need prompts for key talking points
you want to stay on track during a longer talk

Speaker notes in PowerPoint Presenter View

How to Change the Size of Notes in Presenter View

If your notes look too small, PowerPoint gives you some control.

Microsoft says you can change the size of the text in the Notes pane using the buttons at the lower-left corner of the Notes pane. It also says you can drag the vertical separator line to resize the panes in Presenter View.

This is useful if:

your notes are long
you want larger text for easier reading
you do not need as much preview slide space

How to Navigate Slides in Presenter View

Presenter View also gives you private controls for moving through the presentation.

Microsoft says you can use the arrows next to the slide number to move between slides. It also lists presentation controls and keyboard shortcuts such as:

N for next slide
P for previous slide

This is useful because you do not have to rely only on clicking through the slide show blindly.

How to Use the Timer in Presenter View

Presenter View includes pacing help.

Microsoft says you can see the current time and use the timer in Presenter View. It also says there are controls to pause or reset the slide timer in the upper-left area.

This is especially helpful for:

timed class presentations
speech practice
staying within meeting limits

How to Turn Off Presenter View

If you do not want Presenter View, Microsoft says you can turn it off from the Slide Show tab by clearing the Use Presenter View checkbox.

This is useful when:

you want the same full-screen slideshow on both displays
you do not need notes
you are troubleshooting display issues

Presenter View vs Normal Slide Show

These two modes are not the same.

A normal slideshow just shows the slides. Presenter View adds private tools for the speaker, including notes, slide previews, and timing controls. Microsoft’s help pages describe Presenter View as the mode that lets the presenter see notes while the audience sees only the presentation.

So:

use normal slideshow when you just need full-screen slides
use Presenter View when you want speaker notes and private controls

FAQ

How do I use Presenter View in PowerPoint?

Microsoft says to go to Slide Show, check Use Presenter View, choose the right monitor, and start the presentation with From Beginning or F5.