How to Pause a Slideshow in PowerPoint

• To pause the slideshow: Press the B key to display a black screen or the W key to display a white screen. Press B or W again to resume the slideshow.
• To jump to a specific slide: Type the slide number + Enter while the slideshow is playing (e.g. 5 + Enter goes to slide 5).

Using the Mouse

• Right-click on the current slide and select Pause from the context menu. Right-click again and select Resume to continue the slideshow.
• Click the Pause button in the toolbar that appears when you move your mouse during the slideshow. Click the Resume button to continue.

Using Slide Actions

• Insert an Action Button shape (in the Shapes menu) and set it to Pause or Resume the slideshow when clicked.
• Alternatively, set slide transitions to pause after x seconds, requiring a mouse click to advance.

Tips

• To disable narration when paused, don’t use the B/W shortcuts. Use the mouse methods instead.
• For full control, use VBA macros to pause/resume and show/hide elements as needed.

Let me know if you have any other questions!