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How to Loop a PowerPoint so Slides Repeat Automatically

If you create a PowerPoint presentation that you’d like to show on a kiosk full screen, you can set the slideshow up to loop continuously until Esc is pressed.

Participants in Microsoft PowerPoint training are always keen to learn how to loop a PowerPoint presentation so it automatically repeats. These presentations are useful at trade shows, industry events, or even in your company’s lobby.

Setting up a slideshow to automatically loop is incredibly easy… but don’t tell your colleagues, just enjoy their admiration!

The presentation is finished
The presentation is finished!

Set Up a Presentation to Loop Continuously Until Esc is Pressed

If you want your PowerPoint presentation to automatically advance from one slide to the next, on repeat until Esc is pressed, there are two things you have to do.

  • Automate slide transitions
  • Set your slideshow up to repeat

Read on for step by step instructions relating to both of these tasks.

Set Slide Transitions to Advance Automatically

By default, Microsoft PowerPoint will wait for the presenter to click the mouse button or tap the space bar before advancing to the next slide.

Here is how you automate the process:

  1. From Normal view (or Slide Sorter view), click the up and down arrows in the Advance Slide After: control in the Transitions > Timing group to set the amount of time PowerPoint will wait before advancing to the next slide.
  2. Uncheck the On Mouse Click control (optional).
  3. Click Apply to All.

If you don’t uncheck On Mouse Click, the presentation will advance automatically, but you’ll also be able to press the mouse button to advance the slide.

The Timing group on PowerPoint's Transitions tab
The Timing group on PowerPoint’s Transitions tab

Set the Slideshow to Loop Continuously

After configuring slide transitions to advance automatically, you’ll need to set your slideshow to loop continuously.

  1. Click Set Up Slide Show on the Slide Show tab, in the Set Up group.
    The Set Up Show dialog box appears.
  2. Click Loop continuously until ‘Esc’.
  3. Click OK.
Set Up Show dialog box
The Set Up Show dialog box

That’s it… I told you it was easy!

Start Your Slideshow and Bask in the Looping Goodness!

Click the Slide Show button in PowerPoint’s status bar (or press F5) to begin the presentation from the current slide.

The presentation will advance from one to slide to the next using the settings you configured.

By Michael Belfry

Working as a full-time training consultant, Michael provides Microsoft Office courses to government and private sector clients across Canada.