Notes let you write reminders that only you see during a presentation
PowerPoint's notes section sits below each slide and holds text that appears on your screen but not on the projector or audience display. You can use notes to remember what to say, cite sources, track timing, or store details you might need mid-presentation. The notes stay with the file and sync across devices if you use OneDrive or SharePoint.
Notes are different from speaker notes in some other tools — they are built into PowerPoint itself, not a separate feature you have to enable. Every slide has a notes area ready to use, whether you add anything or not.
Key Takeaways
- Open the Notes Page view or Notes pane to see and edit the notes section for each slide.
- Type directly into the notes area below the slide preview, and the text saves automatically to that slide.
- During a presentation, use Presenter View to see your notes on your screen while the audience sees only the slide.
- Notes sync across devices if your file is stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, but not if it is saved only locally.
- You can print notes pages or export them as a PDF if you need a paper copy or a backup outside PowerPoint.
Adding notes in the Notes pane (fastest method)
The Notes pane is the quickest way to add notes while you work. Open PowerPoint and go to the View tab. Click Notes in the ribbon. The screen will split: the slide appears at the top, and a text box labeled "Notes" appears below it.
Click in the notes area and type whatever you want to remember for that slide. The text saves automatically — you do not have to press a button or close a dialog. Move to the next slide using the slide panel on the left, and the notes for that slide will appear in the same notes box. Each slide keeps its own notes separate.
To return to normal editing view, go back to the View tab and click Normal.
Adding notes in Notes Page view (for detailed or formatted notes)
Notes Page view shows one slide per page with a larger notes area below it. This view is better if you are writing long notes, want to format text (bold, bullets, different fonts), or plan to print the notes. Go to View and click Notes Page.
The slide shrinks to the top half of the page, and the notes section takes up the bottom half. Click in the notes area and type. You can use the formatting toolbar to make text bold, italic, or bulleted, just like in a Word document. Use the navigation arrows at the bottom of the screen or the slide panel to move between slides.
Notes Page view is harder to use for quick edits because you see only one slide at a time. Switch back to Normal view when you are done with detailed note-writing.
Viewing your notes during a live presentation with Presenter View
Presenter View shows your notes on your laptop screen while the audience sees only the slide on the projector. Start your presentation by pressing F5 (full screen from the beginning) or Shift+F5 (from the current slide). On Windows, Presenter View starts automatically if you have two displays connected. On Mac, go to Slide Show and check Show Presenter View before you start.
Your screen will display the current slide, your notes below it, a preview of the next slide, and a timer. The projector shows only the current slide, nothing else. You can read your notes, check your timing, and see what is coming next without the audience knowing.
If Presenter View does not start automatically on Windows, right-click the slide during the presentation and select Show Presenter View. On a single-screen setup, Presenter View may not work — you will see only the slide in full screen.
Syncing notes across your devices
Notes stay in the PowerPoint file itself, so they move with the file wherever it goes. If you save your presentation to OneDrive or SharePoint, you can open it on your phone, tablet, or another computer and see the same notes. Changes you make on one device sync to the others.
If you save the file only to your local hard drive, notes exist only on that computer. Moving the file to a USB drive or email does not lose the notes — they travel with the file — but you cannot edit them on another device unless you copy the file there first.
To check where your file is saved, open PowerPoint and look at the top of the window. It will show the file name and the location (OneDrive, SharePoint, or "This PC" for local storage).
Printing or exporting notes
You can print notes pages directly from PowerPoint. Go to File and click Print. In the print dialog, find the dropdown that says Full Page Slides (or similar, depending on your version). Click it and select Notes Pages. PowerPoint will print one slide per page with the notes below it.
To save notes as a PDF instead of printing, go to File, click Save As, and choose PDF from the file type dropdown. Before you save, make sure you are in Notes Page view so the PDF includes the notes. The PDF will show each slide with its notes on a separate page.
There is no built-in way to export only the notes text without the slides. If you need notes as a standalone document, copy and paste them into Word or a text editor.
Troubleshooting notes that do not appear or save
If you cannot see the notes area, you may be in Outline view or Slide Sorter view. Go to View and click Normal or Notes to get back to a view that shows notes.
If notes disappear after you close the file, the file may not have saved. Check that the file is saved to OneDrive, SharePoint, or your local drive (not a temporary location like Downloads). Open the file again and look for your notes. If they are still missing, you may have closed without saving — PowerPoint usually prompts you, but check the file location to confirm.
If Presenter View does not show notes during a presentation, make sure you have two displays connected (on Windows) or have enabled it in the Slide Show menu (on Mac). On a single screen, Presenter View may not work at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see notes on my phone while presenting?
PowerPoint for iPhone and Android does not display notes during a presentation. You can view notes while editing, but not in Presenter View. If you need notes on your phone, open the file in edit mode before you present and keep it open on a second device, or print the notes and keep them nearby.
Do notes print automatically if I print the presentation?
No. By default, PowerPoint prints only the slides. You have to change the print settings to "Notes Pages" before printing if you want the notes to appear on paper. If you print without changing this setting, the notes will not show up.
Can I share notes with other people editing the same presentation?
Yes, if the file is on OneDrive or SharePoint and you have given others edit access. They will see your notes when they open the file. Notes are part of the presentation file, so they are shared the same way the slides are. If you want to keep notes private, save the file locally instead.
What happens to notes if I delete a slide?
The notes for that slide are deleted along with it. There is no way to recover them unless you undo the deletion when ready. If you think you might need the notes later, copy them to a text file or Word document before you delete the slide.
Can I add notes to a presentation someone else created?
Yes, as long as you have edit access to the file. Open the file, go to Notes view, and add your own notes. Your notes will not overwrite anyone else's notes — each person's edits appear in the file together. If the file is on OneDrive or SharePoint, everyone with access can see all notes.