M365 Changelog: PowerPoint for Mac record slide show updates

MC223900 –  Our deployment timeline has changed. Please see the new timeline below.

We are bringing a new workflow and tools PowerPoint for Mac that will make it easy to record a rich slide show session.

If your users do not have Macs, you can safely ignore this message.

Key points

• Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 67104
• Timing: mid-December to the end of February(previously mid-January)
• Roll-out: tenant level
• Control type: user control
• Action: review and assess 

How this will affect your organization

Your PowerPoint for Mac users who have a microphone, speakers, and, optionally, a webcam, will be able to easily record PowerPoint presentations, capturing narration, slide timings, and ink gestures.

The first thing your users will see when they prepare to record a presentation is a new toolbar at the top of the recording view which handles recording controls. When they begin recording a presentation while using a webcam, they will see themselves in the lower right corner of the slide canvas, if they have a webcam and have chosen to record a video of themselves to accompany the narration.

The new recording workflow allows presenters to easily control when they start, pause, resume, and stop recording. It also enables presenter video recording (previously, recording on Mac supported only the recording of presenter audio narration).

By our moving the new inking UI to the main canvas, presenters have easy access to the pen and highlighter tools during recording to highlight parts of the slide, add notes, or diagram elements. With these updates, these inking gestures, including use of the laser pointer, will be captured during a recording session; those motions will play back in the recording. 

What you need to do to prepare

You might consider updating your end user training and documentation.

Learn more:

• Record a slide show with narration and slide timings