Formatting Issues

How to Fix PowerPoint Group Option Greyed Out for Text Box

Maira Mehtab Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to select a text box and a picture simultaneously to group them, and the Group option is unavailable.

How to Fix PowerPoint Group Option Greyed Out for a Text Box

Product: PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to group a text box and an image together for easier movement or formatting on a slide.
Observed behavior: Holding the Ctrl key and selecting the second object causes the first object to become unselected, leaving the Group option greyed out.

Before you start

Ensure both the text box and the picture are inserted as independent elements rather than being embedded inside a slide's default text placeholder.

Solution 1Recommended

Change Layout Options to Make Objects Floating

Convert the text box and picture into floating objects so they can be selected simultaneously for grouping.

In many Office applications, objects cannot be grouped if one or more of them are set to an 'In Line with Text' wrapping style. They must be formatted as floating objects to be selected together.

Select the text box

Click directly on the text box that you wish to group with your picture.

Change text wrapping

Look for the Layout Options icon next to the object, or navigate to the Format tab on the ribbon. Set the text wrapping to an option other than 'In Line with Text' (for example, choose 'Square', 'Through', or 'In Front of Text').

Select both objects

Hold down the 'Ctrl' key on your keyboard and click on both the picture and the newly formatted text box.

Group the selection

With both objects selected, navigate to the 'Shape Format' or 'Picture Format' tab, click on the 'Group' menu, and select 'Group'.

Change Layout Options to Make Objects Floating

Grouping Successful: Once grouped, you can move, resize, and apply formatting to the combined objects as a single unit without them shifting out of alignment.

Efficient Slide Editing

Group Objects Seamlessly in WPS Presentation

WPS Presentation provides a highly compatible and user-friendly environment for editing slides. You can easily manage object layouts and group text boxes with images using intuitive tools and shortcuts without selection errors.

1. Insert Elements: Open your slide in WPS Presentation and insert your text box and picture from the 'Insert' tab.
2. Select Multiple Objects: Hold down the 'Ctrl' or 'Shift' key and click on both the text box and the picture.
3. Group the Selection: Right-click the selected items and choose 'Group', or simply use the keyboard shortcut 'Ctrl + G'.

Select and group multiple objects with ease using standard shortcutsPerfect format compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx) filesRich built-in graphics, alignment tools, and layout options

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I select multiple objects in PowerPoint even when holding Ctrl?

This usually happens if one of the objects is formatted as 'In Line with Text'. To fix this, change the object's text wrapping or layout setting to a floating option like 'In Front of Text'.

What is the keyboard shortcut to group objects?

Once multiple floating objects are selected, you can group them quickly by pressing 'Ctrl + G' on your Windows keyboard. To ungroup them later, you can press 'Ctrl + Shift + G'.

Can I group default slide placeholders with other shapes?

Standard slide placeholders (like the default title or bulleted list boxes generated by the slide layout) often cannot be grouped with standard shapes or pictures. You must use standard text boxes inserted via the Insert tab for grouping.

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