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How to share PowerPoint presentations on Zoom

Sharing PowerPoint slide shows on Zoom is easy and effective.
By

Published onMarch 1, 2023

A quality PowerPoint presentation can add immeasurably to an online meeting, so it’s essential to know how to share PowerPoint on Zoom. You can even check your notes while your meeting partners see your presentation. The only prerequisite is having permission to share your screen with the meeting. If you scheduled the meeting, then there’s no need to ask. But if it isn’t your meeting, you’ll need to ensure whoever called the meeting allows other participants to share their screens. Then follow the instructions below, and you can share your carefully constructed PowerPoint presentation over Zoom.

QUICK ANSWER

To share a PowerPoint presentation on Zoom, open your PowerPoint presentation and select the Slide Show tab. Start the slide show by clicking From Beginning. In Zoom, click the Share Screen button, and select the PowerPoint slideshow window. Click Share to begin sharing this window with the meeting.


KEY SECTIONS

How to share PowerPoint presentations on Zoom

First, open the presentation you want to share in PowerPoint and open the Slide Show tab. Click Set Up Slide Show.

powerpoint in zoom step 1 open
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

The menu that comes up will let you set important parameters for your presentation. You can choose:

  • Whether to present in a window or full-screen.
  • Whether to operate the presentation manually or let it run automatically.
  • Which monitor will have the presentation on it (for multiple-monitor setups.)

Set your preferences and click OK.

powerpoint in zoom step 2 preferences
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Next, open Zoom and either set up or join a meeting (again, make sure you have permission to share.) Click the Share Screen button at the bottom.

powerpoint in zoom step 3 share screen
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Use the menu that comes up to choose which window you want to share. You can also choose to share or not share audio in this window. Choose the PowerPoint window and click the blue Share button.

powerpoint in zoom step 4 choose window
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

You will now be sharing your PowerPoint window with the meeting. Click one of the Begin Slide Show buttons in PowerPoint to begin your presentation.

powerpoint in zoom step 5 begin slide show
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

At the top of the screen, there will be controls for screen sharing. When your slide show ends, click Stop Share to return to the meeting.

powerpoint in zoom step 6 stop share
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Presenting a PowerPoint presentation on Zoom works great with pre-recorded narrations. But what if you want to use your PowerPoint notes as you present live?

How to present PowerPoint on Zoom with notes

There are two situations to consider when you want to use your notes as you proceed through the slides in your presentation. One situation is when you have two monitors (a monitor and a projector), and the other is when you only have one screen.

With two monitors

It’s easy to see your notes when you have two screens to work with. Begin in PowerPoint by clicking Set Up Slide Show.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 1 set up slide show
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Set your show type to Presented by a speaker (full screen). Decide whether to advance through the slides manually or by using timings, and click OK. Now go to the Slide Show menu in PowerPoint and click the box that says Use Presenter View. Select the monitor to display the presentation in the drop-down box above it.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 2 presenter view
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Now it’s time to start or join a Zoom meeting. When in the meeting, click Share Screen at the bottom.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 3 share screen
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

From the menu of open windows on your computer that comes up, select the one named PowerPoint Slide Show.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 4 select slide show
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

You are now sharing one of your two screens with your Zoom meeting while, through your use of Presenter View, your other screen has your PowerPoint notes on each slide, controls for the presentation, a timer, and a preview of the next slide. It will look like this.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 5 dual window setup
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

When your slide show has ended, you can use the End Slide Show control at the top of the page to return to your Zoom meeting. As you can see, using two monitors to share a PowerPoint presentation is convenient. But in a one-monitor situation, it can still be done.

With one monitor

To present with only one monitor and still have access to your PowerPoint speaker notes and controls, you will again use Presenter View, but differently. Start by opening Zoom, then continue by setting up your PowerPoint slide show to be full-screen.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 6 full screen
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Then start your slide show. It will begin in full screen.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 7 start slide show
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

In the lower left hand of the full-screen slide show, you will see a three-dot menu. Click the three dots, and a menu will come up. From that menu, select Show Presenter View.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 8 three dot menu
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

Presenter View will now open in a separate window. Use Alt-Tab on your keyboard to navigate to Zoom, where you can start or join a meeting. When you’re in the meeting, click Share Screen.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 9 share screen
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

From the window that opens, select the PowerPoint Slide Show window, and click the blue Share button.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 10 choose slide show
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

You will now be sharing the full-screen presentation you started in PowerPoint with your Zoom meeting. Now use Alt-Tab again to navigate to the window whose name contains the words “PowerPoint Presenter View.” Use the sizing icon in the upper right to reduce the window size.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 11 bring up presenter view
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

With the window reduced, you can see the full-screen slide show playing behind the Presenter View window while still having access to your notes and presentation controls.

powerpoint in zoom with notes step 12 present with notes and controls
Kevin Convery / Android Authority

If it’s your meeting, set up the PowerPoint presentation before the meeting’s start time for a more polished presentation so the invitees don’t see you setting up the slide show. If it’s someone else’s meeting, ask for permission to enter before they do, so you will have time to go through the abovementioned procedures.

Check out our list of the best PowerPoint tools and apps for Android for more presentation options on mobile.


FAQs

Yes, they do. Since the presentation is still controlled by PowerPoint and merely shared over Zoom, all your animations, morphs, and transitions remain in your control.

The presentation can be as long as the meeting can be, which varies according to what Zoom plan you have.

To see your PowerPoint notes while presenting with one monitor on Zoom, you can use the Presenter View option in PowerPoint, which allows you to view your notes and presentation on separate screens. Open your PowerPoint presentation, and then click on the Slide Show tab at the top of the screen. Next, click the Presenter View button to display your presentation on one screen and your notes on the other. Then, start your Zoom meeting and share your screen with your presentation in Presenter View. This will enable you to see your notes and presentation simultaneously on Zoom.

Yes, you can share a PowerPoint on Zoom if you are not the host, as long as the host has permitted you to share your screen. Once you are in the meeting, click on the Share Screen button at the bottom of the screen and then select the PowerPoint window from the list of available options. This will share your PowerPoint presentation with the other participants in the Zoom meeting.

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