Set up your presentation in Keynote

Learn how to choose a theme, add slides, and change the look and aspect ratio of your presentation on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or online at iCloud.com.

Use Keynote on iPhone or iPad

Learn how to choose a theme, add content, change the look of a slide, and more.

Choose a theme and add content

To create a Keynote presentation, first choose a theme. Themes contain predesigned slide layouts, which you can use as a starting point for your presentation.

1. In the presentation manager, tap the Create Presentation button at the top of the screen. If you're currently editing a presentation, tap the back button to open the presentation manager.

2. Tap Choose a Theme, then tap a theme.

3. To add a slide, tap the Add Slide button at the bottom of the screen, then tap a slide layout.

4. To add your own text, double-tap placeholder text.

5. If the slide has a placeholder image and you want to replace it, tap the Replace Media button on the placeholder image, then choose your own image.

Change the slide size

You can change the slide size to fit screens with different aspect ratios. Any existing content might be moved to accommodate the new aspect ratio.

1. Open your presentation in Keynote.

2. On iPhone, tap the More button. On iPad, tap the document name or tap the More button depending on what you see in the toolbar.

3. Tap Presentation Options, then tap Presentation Setup.

4. Tap Slide Size at the bottom of the window, tap a new size, then tap Done.

5. If you choose Custom, enter the slide dimensions, then tap Done.

6. Tap the Previous Slide button or Next Slide button to preview slides in the new size.

7. Tap Done.

Change the look of a slide

To quickly change the look of a slide, you can apply a different slide layout to it. When you change a slide's layout, any content you've already added appears in the new layout.

1. Select one or more slides.

2. Tap the Format button, then tap Layout.

3. Swipe to see all slide layouts, then tap one to apply it.

4. When you're finished, tap the close button.

Change the look of your entire presentation

To quickly change the look of your entire presentation, you can choose a new theme at any time. If you added content, it's placed in the slides of the new theme. Any customizations you've made, like changing the color of text, appear in the new theme.

1. Open your presentation in Keynote.

2. On iPhone, tap the More button. On iPad, tap the document name or tap the More button depending on what you see in the toolbar.

3. Tap Presentation Options, then tap Presentation Setup.

4. Tap Themes at the bottom of the window.

5. Tap a theme or swipe to see more themes.

6. When you're finished, tap Done.

Edit slide layouts

To quickly make changes to multiple slides in your presentation at once, you can edit slide layouts. You can change the layout of a slide, add text, images, and objects. Changes to slide layouts affect the slides in your presentation that use the same slide layout.

1. Tap on the background of a slide, then tap Edit Slide Layout in the menu that appears.

2. In the sidebar, tap a slide that you want to edit.

3. Choose what you want to do — rearrange content, add text, images, and objects.

4. When you’re done editing slide layouts, tap Done in the upper-right corner.

Use Keynote for Mac

Learn how to choose a theme, add content, change the look of a slide, and more.

Choose a theme and add content

1. In Keynote, choose File > New, then double-click the theme you want to use in the theme chooser. If the theme chooser doesn't appear, hold the Option key, choose File > New from Theme Chooser, then double-click the theme you want to use.

2. To add a slide, click the Add Slide button in the toolbar, then click a slide layout.

3. To add your own text, double-click placeholder text.

4. To replace a placeholder image, click the Replace Media button on the placeholder image, then choose an image.

Change the slide size

You can change the slide size to fit screens or projectors with different aspect ratios. Any existing content might be moved to accommodate the new aspect ratio.

1. Click the Document button, then click the Document tab.

2. Choose a slide size from the Slide Size pop-up menu.

3. If you chose Custom Slide Size, enter the slide dimensions, then click OK.

Change the look of a slide

To quickly change the look of a slide, you can apply a different slide layout to it. When you change a slide's layout, any content you've already added appears in the new layout.

1. Click the View button, select Navigator, then select the slides in the Navigator that you want to change.

2. Click the Format button, click Slide Layout, then click a layout to apply it to the selected slides.

Change the look of your entire presentation

To change the look of your entire presentation, choose a new theme at any time. If you added content, it's placed in the slides of the new theme.

1. Click the Document button, then click the Document tab.

2. Click Change Theme.

3. Double-click a new theme.

4. To make sure the customizations that you've made (like text color) appear in the new theme, select “Keep your style changes.”

You can always undo a theme change if you preferred your previous theme.

Edit slide layouts

To quickly make changes to multiple slides in your presentation at once, you can edit slide layouts.

1. From the menu bar, choose View > Edit Slide Layouts.

2. In the sidebar, select a slide layout that you want to edit.

3. Choose what you want to do — rearrange content, add text, images, and objects.

4. When you’re done editing slide layouts, click Done in the lower-right corner.

Changes to slide layouts affect the slides in your presentation that use the same slide layout.

Keynote for iCloud

You can choose a theme when you create a new Keynote presentation online at iCloud.com.

1. In the presentation manager, click the Create Presentation button.

2. Double-click a theme. The presentation opens in a new tab or window in your browser.

3. To add slides, click the Add button in the slide navigator, then click a slide layout.

4. To add your own text to a slide, double-click the placeholder text.

5. To add your own image to a slide, drag an image from your computer to the placeholder image.

If you want to change the look of slides, slide size, or the theme after initially creating your presentation in Keynote for iCloud, open your presentation in Keynote on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.