Keynote

Get started with Keynote on iPad

Keynote makes it easy to create beautiful and engaging presentations with fun animations, interesting transitions, and professional polish.

The theme chooser, showing a row of categories across the top that you can tap to filter the options. Below are thumbnails of predesigned themes arranged in rows by category, starting with Basic at the top and followed by Dynamic, Minimal, and Bold. A See All button appears above and to the right of each category row. The Cancel button is in the top-left corner.

Begin with a theme

Creating a slideshow? Start with a theme, then modify it however you want. Themes include predesigned slide layouts that have placeholders for your own content. Go to the Keynote app on your iPad, tap Choose a Theme (or ), then tap a theme.

The Keynote app in Slide Only view with the Media menu opened from the toolbar.

Add photos, movies, and more

You can add objects such as photos, movies, shapes, and charts to your presentation. To add an object, tap one of the object buttons in the toolbar, then select an object from the menu. You can also tap to add objects from the Content Hub.

The Keynote app in Slide Only view with the Animation controls at the bottom of the screen.

Bring your presentation to life with animations

Animations help your slideshow appear more dynamic by moving objects onto, off, or around the slide. Tap the object you want to animate, tap , tap Animate, then tap Add Build In, Add Action, or Add Build Out. Tap an animation effect in the list, then tap Done.

The Keynote app with the Transition controls at the bottom of the screen.

Use slide transitions

Transitions give your slideshow a more seamless appearance as you move from one slide to the next during a presentation. To add a transition, tap a slide twice in the slide navigator, tap , tap Transition, tap Add Transition, tap a transition effect, then tap Done.

The Keynote app with the Export options open in the Actions Menu in the toolbar.

Export your presentation

You can save a copy of your presentation as a Keynote file or in another format, such as PDF, PowerPoint, a movie, and more. To export your presentation, tap in the toolbar, tap Export, then select the format you want to use.

The Keynote app with the presenter view showing. The current slide appears in the center of the screen. A toolbar appears at the top of the screen with the slide counter on the left, the presentation timer in the middle, and Draw, Layout, and Exit buttons on the right.

Play your presentation

To practice your presentation, tap in the toolbar, then tap Rehearse Slideshow. When you’re ready to deliver your presentation to an audience, tap the slide you want to begin with in the slide navigator, then tap in the toolbar. Tap the slide to advance through the slideshow, or swipe right to go back a slide.

Want to learn more?

This guide helps you get started using Keynote 15.1 on your iPad. (To see which version of Keynote you have, go to Settings > Apps > Keynote.)

To explore the Keynote User Guide, tap Table of Contents at the top of the page, or enter a word or phrase in the search field.

Keynote 15.1 for iPad requires iPadOS 18 or later. Keynote is available in the App Store and requires an Apple Account to download. Features are subject to change, and some may require internet access. Additional fees and terms may apply.

Helpful?

Keynote User Guide for iPad