Make an Object Appear and Then Disappear on a PowerPoint Slide Using Entrance and Exit Animations

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 7, 2023

Applies to: Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)

You can combine entrance and exit animations in PowerPoint to make an object appear and disappear on a slide during a slide show. This can occur automatically or on click. An object is typically a shape, image, text placeholder or text box.

Recommended article: How to Use Morph in PowerPoint to Design Engaging Presentations

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To apply animations, use the Animations tab in the Ribbon:

Animations tab in the Ribbon in PowerPoint.

The expanded Animations Gallery appears when you click the More down arrow in the Animations group:

Animations gallery in PowerPoint.

If you want to apply more than one animation to an object, you will need to use Add Animation in the Advanced Animation group.

Animations are typically added to objects in Normal View (but can be applied in Slide Master View).

In this article, we are using animations to make objects appear and disappear. Check out the article How to Use Morph in PowerPoint to Design Engaging Presentations for other ways to make objects move on or off a slide during a slide show using the Morph transition.

Add an entrance animation to make an object appear

To add an entrance animation to an object to make it appear on click:

  1. Select an object. For text objects, click in the text box or placeholder or click its edge.
  2. Click the Animations tab in the Ribbon.
  3. In the Animations group, click the More down arrow on the bottom right of the Animations Gallery.
  4. Click the Appear entrance animation in the Entrance group. Other common entrance effects are Fly In or Fade.

You can also apply an entrance animation by clicking Add Animation on the Animations tab in the Advanced Animation group.

By default, the object will appear on click during a slide show.

Add an exit animation to make an object disappear

To add an exit animation to an object to make it disappear on click:

  1. Select an object. For text objects, click in the text box or placeholder or click its edge.
  2. Click the Animations tab in the Ribbon.
  3. Click Add Animation in the Advanced Animations group (you must select Add Animation if you are adding more than one animation to an object). A drop-down menu appears.
  4. Click the Disappear exit animation in the Exit group. Other common exit animations are Fly Out or Fade.

Display the Animation Pane

When you apply multiple animations to an object, it's best to display the Animation Pane so you can easily edit the animations.

To display the Animation Pane:

  1. Click the Animations tab in the Ribbon.
  2. Click Animation Pane in the Advanced Animations group. The Animation Pane appears on the right side of the screen.

The Animation Pane will display the animations you have applied. If you have applied an entrance and exit effect, two animation effects will appear in the Animation Pane. You can click the animation effect in the Animation Pane and click the arrow to the right to display a drop-down menu with options or you can select options in the Ribbon for that effect.

In the Animation Pane, a green star appears beside entrance animations and a red star appears beside exit animations as follows:

Animation pane in PowePoint with animations to make an object appear and disappear on click.

Change the way an object starts

Animations are set by default to start on click during a slide show. If you want an animation to start automatically, you will need to change the start setting.

To start an animation automatically, you have two options:

  • After Previous – the animation sequence will begin once a previous animation effect or effects is  completed. The start of a slide show is also a previous effect.
  • With Previous – the animation sequence will begin at the same time as a previous animation effect or effects. The start of a slide show is also a previous effect.

To change the way an animation starts:

  1. Select the animation effect in the Animation Pane.
  2. Click the Animations tab in the Ribbon.
  3. In the Timing group, select an option from the Start drop-down menu.

Set the speed or duration of an animation

When you apply an animation, a duration or speed is automatically set for the animation (in seconds). The default duration is different for each animation effect. The initial duration is often fast and you may want to increase the duration to slow it down.

To set a speed or duration of an animation:

  1. Select the animation effect in the Animation Pane.
  2. Click the Animations tab in the Ribbon.
  3. In the Animations group, enter a time (in seconds) for the animation in the Duration area of the Timing group. You can click the up and down arrows to change the duration or type a duration.

Note the Duration in the example below:

Changing the duration of an animation using the Animations tab in the Ribbon n PowerPoint.

Run a slide show

The final step is to run the slide show to see your object appear and disappear. Simply click the Slide Show button on the bottom right of the screen. Use the right and left arrows to move from slide to slide or start the animations. You can use many other methods to advance a presentation. Check out PowerPoint Slide Show Shortcuts (50+ Shortcuts) for other shortcuts you can use during a slide show.

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Summary
How to Make an Object Appear and Disappear in PowerPoint Using Animations
Article Name
How to Make an Object Appear and Disappear in PowerPoint Using Animations
Description
You can combine entrance and exit animations in PowerPoint to make an object appear and disappear on a slide during a slide show. This can occur automatically or on click. An object is typically a shape, image, text placeholder or text box.
Author
Publisher Name
Avantix Learning

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