Formatting Issues

How to Change PowerPoint Slide Numbers to Arabic Numerals

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 1, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to display automatically generated slide numbers in Arabic numerals rather than standard English digits in a PowerPoint presentation.

How to Change PowerPoint Slide Numbers to Arabic Numerals

Product: Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Formatting a presentation for an Arabic-speaking audience where slide numbers must appear in native Arabic numerals.
Observed behavior: Slide numbers default to English numerals, and PowerPoint lacks a dedicated, built-in option to change the numbering language independently.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrator privileges on your Windows computer, as changing the native digits behavior requires modifying system-wide Region and Language settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Windows Region Settings to Use Native Digits

Since PowerPoint relies on the Windows operating system for number formatting, setting Windows to contextually use native digits will allow Arabic slide numbers to generate correctly.

PowerPoint does not feature a specific toggle for slide number languages. Instead, it pulls numeral formats from your Windows system settings. By installing an Arabic language pack and configuring your system's region settings to respect native digits, PowerPoint will automatically output Arabic numerals when the corresponding keyboard is active.

Install the Arabic Language Pack

Go to Windows Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region. Click 'Add a language', search for Arabic, and install the language pack and keyboard.

Access Region Settings

Open the Windows Control Panel, navigate to 'Clock and Region', and click on 'Region'.

Modify Additional Settings

In the Region dialog box, click on the 'Additional settings...' button at the bottom of the Formats tab.

Set Native Digits to Context

Locate the 'Use native digits' dropdown menu at the bottom of the Numbers tab. Change this setting to 'Context', then click Apply and OK.

Re-insert Slide Numbers in PowerPoint

Switch your system's input language to Arabic using the taskbar language icon. Open PowerPoint, navigate to the Insert tab, and insert the slide numbers again.

Manual Editing: If the numbers still appear in English after modifying system settings, you may need to type the Arabic numbers manually on each slide, as PowerPoint limitations can sometimes override system context.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't PowerPoint have a direct option to change the slide number language?

PowerPoint is designed to rely on the underlying Windows system settings and installed language packs for numeral display, rather than having an isolated setting dedicated solely to slide numbers.

Can I format the appearance of slide numbers directly on the Slide Master?

Yes, you can navigate to View > Slide Master in PowerPoint to change the font, size, color, and position of the slide number placeholder, though changing the numeral language itself still depends on system input settings.

What should I do if changing the native digits setting doesn't work?

If the system settings approach fails, your best workaround is to manually type the Arabic numerals in a text box on each slide. You can also submit feedback directly to Microsoft requesting better native support for slide number languages.

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