Presenter View gives you a private control screen while the audience sees only the slide show. It shows your current slide, upcoming slide, speaker notes, timer, and presentation tools.
Does this affect you?
Use this for PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2021, and PowerPoint 2019 on Windows or Mac when presenting with a second monitor, projector, or online meeting setup.
Turn on Presenter View with a second screen
This is the normal conference-room or classroom setup.
- Connect the projector or second monitor.
- Set Windows or macOS to Extend displays, not Duplicate or Mirror.
- Open the presentation and go to Slide Show.
- Check Use Presenter View.
- Use the Monitor dropdown to choose the audience display if needed.
- Start from the beginning or current slide.
Your laptop should show Presenter View while the external display shows only the full-screen slide. If both screens show the same thing, check the operating system display mode first.
Use Presenter View on one screen
This is useful for rehearsal or certain online presentation setups.
- Start the slide show.
- Right-click the slide.
- Choose Show Presenter View.
- On Windows, Alt+F5 can open Presenter View directly.
With only one screen, Presenter View fills that screen. That is fine for practice, but not for a live room unless the audience has a separate slide view.
More control
Share the correct window online
In a meeting app, share only the audience-facing slide show window if possible, not your entire desktop. Some Teams presentation modes automatically keep Presenter View private.
Use the Presenter View tools
Presenter View includes notes, next-slide preview, timer, pen or pointer tools, zoom, and an all-slides grid for jumping without showing the audience your navigation.
Fix notes showing to the audience
Use Swap Displays in Presenter View, or return to Slide Show > Monitor and choose the correct display for the audience-facing slide show.
Fix missing Presenter View
Confirm the second display appears in Windows Display Settings or macOS Displays, then restart PowerPoint after connecting the display if PowerPoint still sees only one screen.
Sources
- Microsoft Support – Start the presentation and see your speaker notes in Presenter view (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Set up Slide Show (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Use Presenter view in PowerPoint (2024)