Set up a PowerPoint Presentation That Loops or Repeats Continuously
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated November 12, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)
You can set up a PowerPoint slide show to loop or repeat automatically. A looping presentation can be used at events, trade shows or even in a reception area in an office. The easiest way to set up a slide show to loop or replay continuously is to apply automatic transitions and then configure Slide Show settings.
Recommended article: 5 PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts to Run a Slide Show
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Screenshots in this article are from PowerPoint 365 but are similar in older versions of PowerPoint.
Step 1: Apply transitions to automatically advance slides during a slide show
Transitions occur between slides when you run a slide show.
To apply transitions to automatically advance slides during a slide show:
- In Normal View or Slide Sorter View, display or select a slide.
- Click the Transitions tab in the Ribbon.
- Select a transition in the Transitions gallery (such as Fade).
- Click Effect Options and choose the desired option. Effect Options change depending on the transition you selected.
- In the Timing group, click the arrows beside Duration to set the timing you want (in seconds) for the transition. You may also type a duration.
- In the Timing group, under Advance Slides, deselect or uncheck On mouse click and beside After, select or click the up and down arrows to set the timing to transition to the next slide. You may also type a duration.
- In the Timing group, click Apply to All.
In the Transitions tab in PowerPoint, you can select the type of transition (such as Fade) as well as timing options:
Step 2: Set up a presentation to loop during a slide show
To set up a PowerPoint presentation to loop during a slide show:
- Click the Slide Show tab in the Ribbon and then click Set Up Slide Show. A dialog box appears.
- Under Show type, if you select Presented by a speaker (full screen), the speaker or those watching the slide show will have control over when they advance slides. This is the default setting for slide shows. If you select Browsed by an individual (window), those watching the slide show do NOT have control over when slides advance. If you select Browsed at kiosk (full screen), those watching the slide show do NOT have control over when slides advance and the presentation automatically loops until those watching press Escape (Esc).
- Under Show options, select Loop continuously until 'Esc'. You will be able to select this option if you selected one of the first two options under Show type.
- Click OK.
Below is the Set Up Show dialog box with Presented by speaker selected and looping enabled:
If you want to set specific timings for slides to advance or to add narration, check out the article How to Run a PowerPoint Slide Show Automatically (Set Up a Self-Running Presentation). If you have audio or video in the presentation, you'll need to set the media to play automatically (on the Playback tab in the Ribbon) and animations will also need to be set to run automatically.
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More resources
How to Embed a YouTube Video in PowerPoint
How to Hide and Unhide Slides in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)
How to Insert Video in PowerPoint (from a File on Your PC or a Shared Drive)
PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts to Play and Control Video During a Slide Show
How to Add Animation in PowerPoint (Animate Images, Text and Other Objects)
Related courses
Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft PowerPoint: Design for Non-Designers
Microsoft PowerPoint: Animations Bootcamp
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