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Can Participants Annotate PowerPoint Live Slides in Microsoft Teams?

Khadija Khan Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users want to know if multiple meeting participants can simultaneously annotate slides while presenting via PowerPoint Live in Microsoft Teams.

Can Participants Annotate PowerPoint Live Slides in Microsoft Teams?

Product: Microsoft Teams / PowerPoint Live
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Collaborating and co-annotating presentation slides during a Microsoft Teams meeting.
Observed behavior: Microsoft Teams PowerPoint Live does not currently provide a built-in feature for all participants to annotate slides simultaneously.

Before you start

Ensure you are using the latest desktop version of Microsoft Teams, as some collaboration and control features may be limited in the web version or on mobile devices.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Give/Take Control Workaround

Since simultaneous annotation is not supported, participants can request control one by one to use the annotation tools on the PowerPoint Live slide.

This method allows individual participants to interact with the slide using the presenter's annotation tools. It is best suited for small meetings where only one person needs to annotate at a time.

Start PowerPoint Live

As the presenter, click the 'Share' button in the Teams meeting controls and select a presentation under the 'PowerPoint Live' section.

Request Control

The participant who wishes to annotate must click the 'Request Control' button located at the top of the Teams meeting window.

Approve the Request

The presenter will see a prompt on their screen and must click 'Allow' to grant control to the participant.

Annotate the Slide

The participant can now use the laser pointer, pen, or highlighter tools found in the PowerPoint Live toolbar below the slide.

Sequential Annotation Only: This workaround does not enable simultaneous annotation by all participants. Control must be passed between users individually.

Solution 2

Share Your Screen with Built-in Teams Annotation

Use the standard screen sharing option instead of PowerPoint Live to enable simultaneous annotation for all meeting participants.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Present and Collaborate Effectively with WPS Office

If you frequently encounter limitations with Microsoft Office tools, consider using WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, lightweight, and free alternative that offers seamless presentation features and rich built-in annotation tools, making it easy to share your screen and collaborate with your team.

1. Open Your Presentation in WPS Office: Launch WPS Presentation and open your .pptx file.
2. Start Slide Show: Click 'Play' in the top menu to enter full-screen slide show mode.
3. Annotate While Sharing: Right-click during the presentation to access 'Pointer Options' and select a Pen or Highlighter to draw directly on the slides while sharing your screen in any video conferencing app.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Microsoft planning to add simultaneous annotation to PowerPoint Live?

Currently, there is no official built-in PowerPoint Live feature that supports simultaneous annotation, and no similar capability appears on the public Microsoft 365 roadmap. Microsoft is reviewing user feedback for potential future updates.

Why can't participants see the 'Request Control' button during my presentation?

The 'Request Control' button may be missing if the participant is joining from an unsupported device (such as the Teams web app on an unsupported browser) or if your organization's IT policies have disabled the Give/Request Control feature in Teams meetings.

Can I revoke control after approving a participant's request?

Yes. The presenter and the participant share control, meaning the presenter can always take over. To completely revoke the participant's access, the presenter can click 'Cancel Control' at the top of the meeting window.

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