Turn Off or Disable PowerPoint's Snap to Grid
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated October 22, 2021
Applies to: Microsoft® PowerPoint® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)
When you move an object on a PowerPoint slide, the object will normally snap to an invisible grid by default. This can be irritating so you may want to temporarily override the snap to grid behavior or turn off snap to grid permanently.
Recommended article: How to Align Shapes, Pictures and Other Objects in PowerPoint
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Temporarily override snap to grid using Alt
To move an object and temporarily override "snap to" settings, simply press Alt while dragging the object. Ensure that you are dragging the object by a border, not a handle.
This Alt + drag trick also works in combination with the Ctrl key when dragging so if you press Alt + Ctrl and drag an object, a non-snapping copy of the selected object will be created.
Temporarily override snap to grid by nudging
If you select an object and then press Ctrl + an arrow key, the object will be nudged in the direction of the arrow and will not snap to grid.
Permanently turn off snap to grid
You can turn off snap to grid permanently for a presentation using the Grid and Guides dialog box:
- Click the View tab in the Ribbon.
- In the Show group, click the dialog box launcher on the bottom right corner of the group. A dialog box appears. Alternatively, you can right-click in a slide and select Grid and Guides from the context menu.
- Uncheck Snap objects to grid. If you click Set as Default, snap to grid will be turned off for all presentations. Otherwise, snap to grid will be turned off only for the current presentation.
- Click OK.
Below is the Grid and Guides dialog box:
Each method has its benefits and you'll be able to place an object exactly where you want it.
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More resources
10 Great PowerPoint Drawing Tricks and Shortcuts
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How to Group and Ungroup in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)
How to Hide and Unhide Slides in PowerPoint (with Shortcuts)
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Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced
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