7 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do With PowerPoint Animations

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PowerPoint animations can make your presentations more dynamic and memorable. But you may not be aware of some of the lesser-known animation features that can take your slides to the next level.

In this article, we’ll uncover 7 hidden gems in PowerPoint to help you create more professional, engaging animations.

1. Access More Animation Options

The Animation pane in PowerPoint only shows a handful of animation effects. But you can access many more options:

Steps:

  1. Go to the Animations tab
  2. Click the arrow at the bottom-right of the Animation pane
  3. Select “Add Animation”

This opens a menu with categories like Emphasis Effects, Exit Effects, Motion Paths and more.

You’ll find around 40 extra animations to choose from.

Animation options in PowerPoint

Preview animations before applying them to your objects.

2. Change Animation Direction and Sequence

Customize the direction and sequence of animations for more dynamic effects:

Steps:

  1. Select the animated object
  2. Open Effect Options
  3. Choose a direction or sequence

For example, the Fly In animation can make objects enter from different spots on the slide based on their position.

Changing animation direction in PowerPoint

3. Add Sound to Animations

Incorporate sound effects like applause, drum rolls and typewriter sounds:

Steps:

  1. Select the animated object
  2. Open the Animation Pane
  3. Click the arrow beside the animation
  4. Choose Effect Options > Sound

This greatly enhances the animation’s impact.

4. Make Animations Loop Continuously

You can make animations repeat non-stop or until advancing slides:

Steps:

  1. Select the object
  2. Open Effect Options
  3. Check the Repeat boxes

For example, an infinitely spinning globe animation.

5. Animate Groups of Objects

Treat grouped objects as a single unit when adding animations:

Steps:

  1. Press Ctrl to multi-select objects
  2. Right-click > Group > Group
  3. Add animation to the grouped objects

This ensures objects move together.

6. Reorder Animations

Customize the sequence animations play:

Steps:

  1. Open the Animation Pane
  2. Click the arrows beside animations
  3. Choose Re-order options

For example, you can make an animation occur earlier or later.

Changing animation sequence in PowerPoint

7. Morph Images into Each Other

Morph images to create dramatic transformations:

Steps:

  1. Insert 2 images
  2. Select 1 image
  3. Hold Shift and select the other image
  4. Go to Transitions tab
  5. Choose the Morph transition

This makes one image fluidly transform into the other.

Morph transition in PowerPoint

By leveraging these lesser-known features, you can create more polished, professional animations to captivate audiences. Experiment with PowerPoint’s animation capabilities to make your presentations pop!

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