How to automatically play a presentation and time slides in Keynote

If you’re creating a presentation in Keynote that you want to play automatically without any interaction, this is easier to do than you might think. You can set up the slideshow to start playing when you click and then go through each slide automatically. And with this, you may want to display those slides for specific amounts of time.

To help you create the perfect slideshow, this tutorial shows you how to set up a self-playing presentation and time your slides in Keynote.

Auto-play presentation and time slides in Apple Keynote app

Set up self-play and slide timing in Keynote

Setting up your presentation to automatically play and change the time spent on slides is done in the same spot. So that makes this easy!

On iPhone or iPad

Open your presentation in Keynote on your iPhone or iPad and then do the following:

  1. Tap the More (three-dot icon) button on the top right.
  2. Scroll down and select Settings.
  3. Tap Presentation Type and select Self-Playing.
  4. In the Delay boxes on the bottom, use the sliders to change the times in seconds for Transitions and Builds.
  5. Tap Done.
Self-play Slide Timing Keynote iPhone

On Mac

Open Keynote on your Mac to your presentation and then follow these steps:

  1. Click the Document button on the top right.
  2. In the Presentation Type box, select Self-Playing.
  3. In the Delay boxes to the right, use the arrows or enter times in seconds for Transitions and Builds. These refer to slide transitions and build effects.
Self-play Slide Timing Keynote Mac

Even though you have each slide delay set up for the self-playing option on Mac, you can keep certain slides on display for a longer or shorter amount of time if you like:

  1. Click the Animate button on the top right.
  2. In the Start Transition box, select Automatically.
  3. In the Delay box to the right, use the arrows or enter a time in seconds for the slide transition delay.
Change Slide Timing Keynote Mac

Using the self-playing presentation option is terrific for events or activities where you don’t want to have to interact with the slideshow. And Keynote on both iOS and Mac makes it simple.

Do you have any Keynote tips for our readers that you’d like to share? If so, help them create the perfect presentation by sharing your comments below!

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