How to Hide PowerPoint Live Arrows and Slide Controls in Teams
Question details
The user wants to hide navigation arrows and slide controls from viewers during a PowerPoint Live presentation.
- Product
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Presenting a slideshow using the PowerPoint Live feature in a Microsoft Teams meeting.
- Observed behavior
- Viewers can see the navigation arrows and slide count at the bottom left, even when audience interaction is disabled.
Ensure you have your PowerPoint presentation open locally on your desktop before uploading it to the Microsoft Teams meeting, as these settings must be configured within the file itself.
Use Kiosk Mode to Hide Controls
Configure your presentation to run in Kiosk mode, which automatically hides the navigation controls for viewers while in full screen.
This method is ideal if you want a clean, full-screen presentation for your audience without the built-in lower-left controls appearing on their screens.
Open your presentation in PowerPoint and navigate to the 'Slide Show' tab located on the top ribbon.
Click on the 'Set Up Slide Show' button in the Set Up group.
In the Set Up Show dialog box, look under the 'Show type' section. Select the 'Browsed at a kiosk (full screen)' radio button and click 'OK'.
Save your file and share it via PowerPoint Live in your Microsoft Teams meeting. The arrows and slide counts will no longer be visible to the audience.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts During Presentation
Instantly hide the arrows and slide controls manually using a keyboard shortcut during a standard slide show.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide the arrows from viewers but still see my speaker notes?
When using Kiosk mode, the presentation is forced into a full-screen loop without standard presenter controls. To maintain speaker notes while presenting cleanly, consider sharing only the slideshow window (instead of using PowerPoint Live) while keeping Presenter View active on a secondary monitor.
What exactly does 'Browsed at a kiosk' mean in PowerPoint?
This setting is designed for unattended presentations, such as those at trade show booths. It runs the presentation in full screen and disables standard click-to-advance navigation, meaning viewers can only navigate if you have added specific hyperlink buttons to the slides. It also naturally hides standard navigation toolbars.
Why do viewers see these controls even when I disable interaction in Teams?
Microsoft Teams' PowerPoint Live integration natively displays a navigation bar to viewers for accessibility purposes. Disabling interaction stops them from freely moving through the deck on their own, but it doesn't remove the UI elements. Changing the show type to Kiosk mode in the source file overrides this default behavior.
Does pressing Ctrl+H hide my mouse pointer permanently?
No, pressing Ctrl+H hides the navigation controls and the mouse pointer temporarily during a slide show. Moving your mouse will usually bring the pointer back, or you can press the 'A' key to deliberately restore the pointer and the controls.
