This article is for people who use a screen reader program such as Windows Narrator, JAWS, or NVDA with Windows tools or features and Microsoft 365 products. This article is part of the Accessibility help & learning content set where you can find more accessibility information on our apps. For general help, visit Microsoft Support.
Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and a screen reader to make your presentation engaging by adding pictures, tables, or graphics to your slide shows. We have tested it with Narrator, JAWS, and NVDA, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques. You'll also learn how to edit the added content, for example, crop pictures, move tables, and add or remove table rows and columns.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
In this topic
Add pictures from your device, network, or the internet
When using pictures, clip art, or other files from the internet, it's important to respect copyright. The Filter images by license type can help you choose which files to use.
Add a picture from your device or network
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture.
-
Press Alt+N, P, and then D. You hear: "Insert Picture dialog, file name."
Tip: The Insert Picture dialog box is a special case of the standard File Explorer window, opened in your Pictures folder. It's a good idea to have the location of the picture file close at hand, so you can find it more easily.
-
Type the file name and path into the File name field, or select the file you want to insert. Then press Enter.
-
The picture is inserted and selected.
Note: When a picture is selected, the context-sensitive Format tab is available. You can use the options in this tab to resize the image, or to add colors, styles, and more. To go to the Format tab, press Alt+J. You hear: “Format tab.” To navigate through the Format options, press the Tab key.
Add a picture from the internet
-
In your presentation, go to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture.
-
Press Alt+N, P, and then O. You hear: “Insert picture window."
-
The Search Bing Images dialog box opens, with the focus on the search field. Type the search term, and press Enter.
-
To browse the search results, press the SR key and the Right or Left arrow key.
-
To select an image, place the focus on it, and press Shift+Enter. You hear: "Checked."
Tip: You can select more than one picture.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Insert button," and press Enter.
The picture is inserted and selected.
Crop a picture
Reshape your presentation pictures into specific shapes or aspect ratios.
Crop to a specific shape
-
In the slide area, select the image you want to crop. To select an image, press the Tab key until you hear: “Image.” With JAWS, you hear: "Picture." With NVDA, you hear: "Graphic."
-
To go to the Crop to Shape menu, press Alt+J, P, then V and S. You hear: “Rectangles.”
-
To browse the shape options, use the arrow keys. The shape descriptions are announced as you move.
-
To select a cropping shape, press Enter. The picture is cropped to the selected shape.
Crop to an aspect ratio
-
In the slide area, select the image you want to crop.
-
To open the Aspect Ratio menu, press Alt+J, P, then V and A. You hear: “One colon one.”
-
To browse the aspect ratio options, use the Up or Down arrow key. The aspect ratio is announced as you move.
-
To select an aspect ratio, press Enter. The picture is cropped to the selected aspect ratio.
Add and format a table in a slide
-
Go to the slide area where you want to insert the table.
-
To go to the Table menu, press Alt+N, T. You hear: “One x one table.”
-
To insert a table in your presentation, press I.
-
The Insert Table dialog box opens, with the focus in the Number of columns field. The default number of columns is five. If you want to delete the default number, press Delete, and type a new number of columns. Then press the Tab key. The focus moves to the Number of rows field. The default number is two. To change, type the number of rows, and then press Enter.
-
The table is inserted on the selected slide, with the cursor in the upper-left corner cell.
-
To add text to the table cells, place the cursor in the cell, and then type your text. To browse the cells, use the arrow keys.
-
To stop editing the table, press Esc.
Add or delete table rows and columns
Add a row
-
In the slide area, select the table. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells. To start editing the table, press Enter.
-
Use the arrow keys to place the cursor in the cell above or below where you want the new row to appear.
-
To go to the Layout tab, press Alt+J, and then L. You hear: "Layout tab."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To add a row above the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear: "Insert above button."
-
To add a row below the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear: "Insert below button."
To select an option, press Enter.
-
-
The row is inserted, with the focus on the leftmost cell of the new row.
Add a column
-
In the slide area, select the table.
-
Move the cursor to a cell to the right or to the left of where you want the new column to appear.
-
To go to the Layout tab, press Alt+J, and then L. You hear: "Layout tab."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To add a column to the left of the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear: "Insert left button."
-
To add a column to the right of the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear: "Insert right button."
To select an option, press Enter.
-
-
The column is inserted, with the focus in the top cell of the new column.
Delete a row or column
-
In a table, move the cursor to a cell in the column or row that you want to delete.
-
To go to the Delete menu, press Alt+J, then L and D. You hear: "Rows and columns, Delete columns."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To delete a column, press C.
-
To delete a row, press R.
-
-
The column or row is deleted, and the focus moves to another cell in the table.
Tip: To quickly delete the entire table, select the table, and then press Delete.
Add a border to a table
-
Select the table to which you want to add a border. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells.
-
To select a border style, press Alt+J, then T and L. You hear "No border," or a border style. Use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the styles. The styles are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
-
To select where you want to add a border, press Alt+J, then T and B. You hear "No border," or a border option. Use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the options. The options are announced as you move. To select an option, press Enter.
-
The border is added to the table, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Change the look of a table
You can use the options in the Design tab to change the way your table looks. You can, for example, apply a Table style, or change its background color.
Apply a table style
-
Select the table to which you want to apply one of the available formatting styles. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells.
-
To go to the Table Styles menu, press Alt+J, then T and A. You hear the current table style.
-
To browse the table styles, use the arrow keys. The styles are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
Tip: To remove any style from your table, in the Table Styles menu, press C.
-
The table style is changed, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Add or change the background
-
Select the table in which you want to change the background color.
-
To go to the Shading menu, press Alt+J, then T and H. You hear the current background color.
-
To browse the background colors, use the arrow keys. The colors are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
Tip: To remove the background color, press N to select No Fill.
-
The table background color is changed, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Move or resize a table
Move a table
-
Select the table you want to move. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells.
-
To move the table within the slide, use the arrow keys.
-
To stop moving the table, press Esc.
Resize a table
Enter a specific table size
-
Select the table you want to resize.
-
To go to the Layout tab, press Alt+J, and then L. You hear: "Layout tab."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To change the height of the table, press T, H. Then type the height in inches, and press Enter.
-
To change the width of the table, press T, W. Then type the width in inches, and press Enter.
-
The table size is changed, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Resize a column or row
-
Select the table in which you want to change the column or row size. To start editing the table, press Enter.
-
Use the arrow keys to place the cursor in the cell that contains the column or row that you want to resize.
-
To go to the Layout tab, press Alt+J, and then L. You hear: "Layout tab."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To change the height of the row, press H. Then type the height in inches, and press Enter.
-
To change the width of the column, press W. Then type the width in inches, and press Enter.
-
-
The column or row size is changed, and the focus moves to the previously selected cell.
Insert a shape or SmartArt
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a SmartArt graphic.
-
To open the SmartArt dialog box, press Alt+N, M. You hear: “Choose a SmartArt graphic.”
-
To browse the SmartArt categories, use the Up or Down arrow key. The categories are announced as you move. When on the category you want, press the Tab key.
-
To browse for SmartArt within the selected category, use the arrow keys. The SmartArt descriptive names are announced as you move.
-
To select a SmartArt, press Enter. The SmartArt graphic is created and inserted in the selected slide, with the focus on the first editable text box.
Tip: You can use the options in the Format and Design tabs to change the appearance of SmartArt. To go to the Format tab press Alt+J, and then O. To go to the Design tab, press Alt+J, and then S.
See also
Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to save your presentation in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to show your presentation with PowerPoint
Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to create a presentation from a template in PowerPoint
Use PowerPoint with your keyboard and VoiceOver, the built-in macOS screen reader, to make your presentations engaging by adding pictures, tables, or graphics. You can also edit the added contents, for example, crop pictures, move tables, and add or remove table rows and columns.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in macOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, go to VoiceOver Getting Started Guide.
In this topic
Insert pictures from an online source
If you don’t have the perfect picture on your computer, you can search for and insert a picture from a web source straight from PowerPoint.
-
In your presentation, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Insert tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Pictures, menu button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Online pictures," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
The Bing image search pane opens. The focus is on the search text field. Type your search words to describe the picture you're looking for, and then press Return. The search results are listed, and the focus is on the first matching image.
-
Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key to browse the search results. VoiceOver describes each image as you move through the search results.
-
To select an image, press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To insert the selected image, press the Tab key until you hear "Insert," and press Control+Option+Spacebar. PowerPoint downloads and inserts the image into your presentation.
Insert pictures from your computer
-
In your presentation, place the insertion point where you want to insert an image.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Insert tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Pictures, menu button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press Control+Option+Right arrow key until you hear "Picture from file," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
A dialog box opens with the focus on a recent images folder. To access the images in this folder, press Control+Option+Right arrow key. To browse to another location, use the Tab key, Shift+Tab, and the arrow keys.
-
When on the correct location, use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the files or subfolders. To open a subfolder, press the Right arrow key.
-
When you've located the correct image file, press Return. The picture is inserted into the slide.
Crop a picture
Reshape your presentation pictures into specific shapes or aspect ratios.
-
On a slide, to navigate to the image you want to crop, press the Tab key until VoiceOver announces “Image, layout item” or "Entering," followed by a description of the image.
-
To move the focus to the Picture Format tab, press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Picture format tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To go to the Crop menu, press the Tab key until you hear: "Crop, menu button.”
-
To crop the picture, do one of the following:
-
To crop the picture to a specific shape, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Crop to shape submenu," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. To select a cropping shape, press the Right arrow key once, and then use the arrow keys to browse the shape options. To select an option, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The picture is cropped to the selected shape.
-
To crop the picture to an aspect ratio, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Aspect ratio submenu," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar. To select an aspect ratio, press the Right arrow key once, and then use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the options. To select an option, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The picture is cropped to the selected aspect ratio.
-
Insert and format a table
Insert a table
-
Go to the slide area where you want to insert the table.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Insert tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear: "Table, menu button." To expand the menu, press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key once to enter the menu. Then press Control+Option+arrow keys to select the number of rows and columns you want. VoiceOver announces the current selection as you move.
-
To insert the table, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The table is inserted. The focus moves to the Notes pane.
-
To move the focus to the table, press F6 until VoiceOver announces the slide content area, and then press the Tab key until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table details. To browse the cells, use the arrow keys. To add text, place the cursor in a cell and start typing. To stop editing the table, press Esc.
Add a row or column
-
On a slide, press the Tab key until you hear “Entering table,” and then press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key.
-
Use the arrow keys to place the cursor in a cell above or below where you want the new row to appear, or in a cell left or right of the column to be inserted.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Layout tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To add columns or rows, do the following:
-
To add a row above the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear "Insert above, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To add a row below the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear "Insert below, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To add a column to the left of the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear "Insert left, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To add a column to the right of the selected cell, press the Tab key until you hear "Insert right, button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Delete a row or column
-
On a slide, press the Tab key until you hear “Entering table,” and then press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key.
-
Move the focus to a cell in the column or row that you want to delete.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Layout tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Delete, menu button," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar to expand the menu.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To delete a column, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete columns," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
To delete a row, press the Down arrow key until you hear "Delete rows," and then press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Add a border to a table
-
In your PowerPoint presentation, select the table you want to add the border to.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Table design tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Borders, menu button," and then press the Down arrow key until you hear the option you want. To select an option, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The border is added to the table. The focus remains on the menu button.
Move a table
-
In your PowerPoint presentation, select the table you want to move.
-
To move the table within the slide:
-
Press Command+Left arrow key to move the table to the left.
-
Press Command+Right arrow key to move the table to the right.
-
Press Command+Up arrow key to move the table up.
-
Press Command+Down arrow key to move the table down.
-
-
To stop moving the table, press Esc.
Resize a table
-
In your presentation, select the table you want to resize.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Layout tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To change the height of the table, press the Tab key until you hear the current height, followed by "Height, stepper." Then type the new height, and press Return.
-
To change the width of the table, press the Tab key repeatedly until you hear the current width, followed by "Width, stepper." Then type the new width, and press Return.
-
Insert a SmartArt
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a SmartArt graphic.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Insert tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "SmartArt, menu button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar to select.
-
To browse the SmartArt categories, use the Up or Down arrow key. The categories are announced as you move. When on the category you want, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The category menu opens.
-
To browse the options in the category menu, press the Right or Left arrow key. To select an option, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The SmartArt graphic is inserted to the selected slide.
-
To move the focus to the graphic, press F6 until you hear "Slide editor pane," and then press the Tab key until you hear "Entering," followed by the selected SmartArt graphic type.
-
To edit the graphic, press Control+Option+Shift+Down arrow key, and then type your text to the text box in focus. To move to the next text box, press Esc, and then press the Tab key.
-
To stop editing the SmartArt graphic, press Esc.
Insert a shape
PowerPoint offers a library of ready-made shapes you can use in your presentations. They include lines, basic geometric shapes, arrows, and stars.
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a shape.
-
Press F6 until you hear the currently selected tab on the ribbon, for example, "Home, selected, tab." Press Control+Option+Right or Left arrow key until you hear "Insert tab," and press Control+Option+Spacebar.
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Shapes, menu button," and press Control+Option+Spacebar to select.
-
To browse the available shapes, use the arrow keys. The shapes are announced as you move.
-
When on a shape you want to insert, press Control+Option+Spacebar. The shape is inserted.
See also
Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to insert audio or video in PowerPoint
Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use PowerPoint with VoiceOver, the built-in iOS screen reader, to make your presentations engaging by adding pictures and tables. You can also edit the added contents, for example, add frames to your pictures, and add or remove table rows and columns.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in iOS screen reader, VoiceOver. To learn more about using VoiceOver, visit Apple accessibility.
In this topic
Add pictures
You can use pictures you have taken with your device's camera or download an image from the web.
Add a picture from your device
You can use your own images you've saved to your device in your presentation, or you can search for images online and save those to your device.
-
If you need to find the image online, use a web browser to search for the type of image you're looking for and save it to your device. By default, images are saved to Photos.
Note: The exact steps vary depending on the browser and search engine you are using.
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture, and double-tap the screen to select it.
-
Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab, for example "Home, tab."
-
Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Insert pictures, button," and then double-tap the screen. The Photos app opens.
Note: If you hear "PowerPoint would like to access your photos," swipe right until you hear "OK, button," and double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you find the image you want. VoiceOver reads the date and time of each image.
-
To insert the currently selected image, double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the slide with the image selected.
Add a picture from your device camera
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture, and double-tap the screen to select it.
-
Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab, for example "Home, tab."
-
Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Insert picture from camera, button," and then double-tap the screen. Your device cameraopens. You hear: "Take picture, button." The focus is on the camera shutter button.
Note: If you hear "PowerPoint would like to access the camera," swipe right until you hear "OK, button," and double-tap the screen.
-
Point the camera in the direction you want, and double-tap the screen to take the picture.
-
Swipe right or left until you hear "Use photo, button," and then double-tap the screen to insert the photo. The focus returns to the slide with the image selected.
Change picture styles
You can add various frame or border styles to your pictures.
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the picture whose style you want to change, and double-tap the screen to select the picture.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Picture style, button," and then double-tap the screen. The Styles menu opens.
-
Swipe right until you find the style option you want, for example, "Simple frame, button." Then double-tap the screen to apply it to the picture.
-
To close the menu, swipe left until you hear "Close, button," and then double-tap the screen.
Add and format a table
You can add tables to your presentation to display information in a compact, organized fashion.
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a table, and double-tap the screen to select it.
-
Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab, for example "Home, tab."
-
Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Table, button," and then double-tap the screen. A default table with one header row, two data rows, and three columns is created.
Add rows and columns
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide where the table is.
-
Swipe left until VoiceOver announces the table, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe left to browse the cells, starting from the rightmost cell on the bottom row. Keep swiping left until you locate the right row or column.
-
Tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers. You hear: "Show ribbon, button."
-
To add rows and columns, do the following:
-
To add a row, swipe left until you hear "Insert above, button" or "Insert below, button," depending on which side of the selected row you want to add the new one, and then double-tap the screen.
-
To add a column, swipe left until you hear "Insert left, button" or "Insert right, button," depending on which side of the selected column you want to add the new one, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Resize a table
After adding text and columns to your table, you can automatically resize it to best fit the current number of columns.
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide where the table is.
-
Swipe left until VoiceOver announces the table, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Tap near the bottom of the screen with four fingers, swipe left until you hear "Show ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right or left until you hear "AutoFit, button," and then double-tap the screen.
Insert a shape
PowerPoint offers a library of ready-made shapes you can use in your presentations. They include lines, basic geometric shapes, arrows, and stars.
-
In PowerPoint, navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a shape, and double-tap the screen to select it.
-
Tap near the top of the screen with four fingers, swipe right until you hear "Show ribbon, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab, for example "Home, tab."
-
Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert, tab," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Shapes, button," and then double-tap the screen. The Shapes menu opens. The shapes are organized into the following groups:
-
Recently Used Shapes
-
Lines
-
Rectangles
-
Basic Shapes
-
Block Arrows
-
Equation Shapes
-
Flowchart Shapes
-
Stars and Banners
-
Callouts
-
-
Swipe right until you hear the name of the shape you want to use, for example, "Rectangle, button," and then double-tap the screen to insert it. The focus returns to the slide with the shape selected, and the Shape tab is activated on the ribbon.
See also
Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to show your presentation with PowerPoint
Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use PowerPoint for Android with TalkBack, the built-in Android screen reader, to make your presentations engaging by adding pictures, shapes, and tables. You can also edit the added contents, for example, add frames to your pictures, and add or remove table rows and columns.
Notes:
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
This topic assumes that you are using the built-in Android screen reader, TalkBack. To learn more about using TalkBack, go to Android accessibility.
In this topic
Add pictures
You can use a picture you have saved to your device or take a picture with your device camera and insert it directly to a slide.
Add a picture from your device
You can use pictures from your device in your presentation. You can also search for images online and save those to your device. By default, images from the web are saved to Downloads.
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Photos, button," and then double-tap the screen. The default image storage app opens.
Tip: Depending on your Android version or if you're using a corporate account, the steps might be slightly different. You might have to choose whether to use your work or personal profile, select the storage app, and choose whether to use the app only once or always.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To navigate through the pictures in the currently selected image storage location, swipe right until you hear the image you want. TalkBack reads the name and date of each image.
-
To navigate to another storage location, for example, Downloads, swipe left until you hear "Show routes button," and then double-tap the screen. Swipe right until you hear the location you want, and then double-tap the screen. Swipe left or right until you hear the image you want.
-
-
Double-tap the screen. An image preview is displayed. You hear: "Image, PowerPoint, Back button."
-
To insert the image, swipe right until you hear "Done button," and then double-tap the screen. The focus returns to the slide with the image selected.
Add a picture from your device camera
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Camera, button," and then double-tap the screen. Your device camera opens.
If you hear "Allow PowerPoint to take pictures and record video,” swipe left or right until you hear “Allow button,” and then double-tap the screen.
-
To take a picture, point the device to the direction you want, swipe right until you hear "Capture button," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Confirm, button," and double-tap the screen.
-
An image preview is displayed. To insert the image to the slide, swipe right until you hear "Done button," and double-tap the screen. The focus returns to slide with the image selected.
Change picture styles
You can add various frame or border styles to your pictures.
-
On a slide, navigate to the picture whose style you want to change, and double-tap the screen to select the picture.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Styles menu," and then double-tap the screen. The Styles menu opens.
-
To navigate through the style options, swipe right until you hear the style you want, for example, "Simple frame, black, list item."
-
To apply the style to the picture, double-tap the screen.
-
To close the Styles menu, swipe down-then-left.
Add a table
You can add tables to display information in a compact, organized fashion.
-
On the slide where you want to insert a table, swipe right until you hear "Table, button," and then double-tap the screen.
A default table with one header row, two data rows, and three columns is created.
Delete a table
-
On a slide, swipe right or left until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Delete menu," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Delete table, button," and then double-tap the screen.
Add rows or columns
-
On a slide, swipe right or left until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details, and then double-tap the screen.
-
To place the cursor in a cell above or below where you want the new row to appear, or in a cell left or right of the column to be inserted, swipe left or right.
-
Swipe right until you hear the insert option you want, for example, "Insert right, button" or "Insert below, button," and then double-tap the screen.
Delete rows or columns
-
On a slide, swipe right or left until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Move the cursor to any cell in the column or row you want to delete.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Delete menu," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Do one of the following:
-
To delete a row, swipe right until you hear "Delete rows, button," and then double-tap the screen.
-
To delete a column, swipe right until you hear "Delete columns, button," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Resize a table
After adding text and columns to your table, you can automatically resize it to best fit the current number of columns.
-
On a slide, swipe right or left until you hear "Entering table," followed by the table and cell details, and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe left until you hear "More options, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear: "Table, tab menu, Table selected."
-
Swipe right until you hear "AutoFit, button," and then double-tap the screen.
Insert a shape
PowerPoint for Android offers a library of ready-made shapes you can use to present your data, for example, in a flow chart.
-
On the slide where you want to insert a shape, swipe left until you hear "More options, button," and then double-tap the screen. You hear the name of the currently selected tab.
-
Double-tap the screen, swipe right or left until you hear "Insert tab," and then double-tap the screen.
-
Swipe right until you hear "Shapes, menu," and then double-tap the screen. The Shapes menu opens. The shapes are organized into the following groups:
-
Recent Shapes
-
Lines
-
Rectangles
-
Basic Shapes
-
Block Arrows
-
Equation Shapes
-
Flowchart
-
Stars and Banners
-
Callouts
-
-
Swipe right until you hear the shape you want, for example, "Rectangle, list item," and then double-tap the screen to insert it. The focus moves to the Shape tab, with the shape selected on the slide.
See also
Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to add and format text in PowerPoint
Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader
Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365
Use PowerPoint for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to insert pictures and tables in your presentation. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.
Notes:
-
If you use Narrator with the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, you have to turn off scan mode in order to edit 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.
-
New Microsoft 365 features are released gradually to Microsoft 365 subscribers, so your app might not have these features yet. To learn how you can get new features faster, join the Office Insider program.
-
To learn more about screen readers, go to How screen readers work with Microsoft 365.
-
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
Add a picture from your device
-
Go to the slide content area where you want to insert a picture.
-
Press Alt+Windows logo key, N, F, and then P. You hear: "Open, File name." The focus is on the File name text field in the Open dialog box.
-
Navigate to the picture you want, and then press Spacebar to select it.
-
To insert the selected picture in your presentation, press Alt+O.
Add pictures from the internet
-
On a slide on which you want to add a picture, press Alt+Windows logo key+N, F, and then F. The Search Bing Images dialog box opens, with the focus on the search field.
-
Type your search words and press Enter.
-
Press the SR key+Left or Right arrow key until you hear the picture you want to insert, and then press Enter to select the picture. You hear: "Checked."
-
Press the Tab key until you hear "Insert button," and then press the SR key+Enter.
Add a table in a slide
-
In your presentation, go to the slide content area where you want to insert the table.
-
Press Alt+Windows logo key, N, T. You hear: "One x one, table."
-
To select the number of rows and columns in the table, press the arrow keys until you hear the combination you want, and then press Enter. The table is inserted in the slide.
Insert rows or columns to a table
-
Go to the table cell above, below, or next to where you want the new row or column to appear.
-
To go to the Table Tools Layout tab, press Alt+Windows logo key, J, L. You hear: "Table tools, selected layout tab item."
-
Do one of the following:
-
To add a row above the cell, press V.
-
To add a row below the cell, press E.
-
To add a column to the left of the cell, press L.
-
To add a column to the right of the cell, press I.
-
Add a border to a table
-
Select the table to which you want to add a border. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells.
-
To select a border style, press Alt+Windows logo key, J, L, and then B. You hear: "Borders, menu." Use the Up or Down arrow key to browse the styles. The styles are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
-
The border is added to the table, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Change the look of a table
You can use the options in the Table Tools Layout tab to change the way your table looks. You can, for example, apply a Table style, or change its background color.
Apply a table style
-
Select the table to which you want to apply one of the available formatting styles. To select a table, in the slide area, press the Tab key until you hear with Narrator and NVDA: “Table.” With JAWS, you hear "Object placeholder," followed by the text in the cells.
-
To go to the Table Styles menu, press Alt+Windows logo key, J, L, and then A. You hear the current table style.
-
To browse the table styles, use the arrow keys. The styles are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
-
The table style is changed, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Add or change the background
-
Select the table in which you want to change the background color.
-
To go to the Shading menu, press Alt+Windows logo key, J, L, and then H. You hear the current background color.
-
To browse the background colors, use the arrow keys. The colors are announced as you move. To select, press Enter.
-
The table background color is changed, and the focus moves to the upper-left corner cell of the table.
Insert a shape or SmartArt
-
Navigate to the slide content area where you want to insert a SmartArt graphic.
-
To go to the SmartArt menu, press Alt+Windows logo key, N, M. You hear: “SmartArt, menu.”
-
To browse the SmartArt categories, use the Up or Down arrow key. The categories are announced as you move.
-
To browse for SmartArt within the selected category, use the arrow keys. The SmartArt descriptive names are announced as you move.
-
To select a SmartArt, press Enter. The SmartArt graphic is created and inserted in the selected slide, with the focus on the first editable text box.
Tip: You can use the options in the Format and Design tabs to change the appearance of SmartArt. To go to the Format tab press Alt+Windows logo key+J, and then O. To go to the Design tab, press Alt+Windows logo key+J, and then S.
See also
Use a screen reader to work with slides in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to save your presentation in PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to show your presentation with PowerPoint
Use keyboard shortcuts to create PowerPoint presentations
Use keyboard shortcuts to deliver PowerPoint presentations
Basic tasks to create a presentation in PowerPoint with a screen reader
Use a screen reader to explore and navigate PowerPoint
Use a screen reader to create a presentation from a template in PowerPoint
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.
