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[Article] Using subtitles in Microsoft PowerPoint online
Nathan Roberts (SN)
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Applies to: Microsoft PowerPoint online
Microsoft PowerPoint allows you to use subtitles when you are presenting your presentation. This setting is powered by Microsoft’s speech service. You can even translate what you are saying into another language.
Before you enable this feature, you must have a microphone connected to the computer and give permission for PowerPoint app to use it.
Activating this feature
When you have opened your PowerPoint on a web browser, please navigate to Slide Show on the ribbon.
When you have selected the slide show option, you will see the options for the presentation when it is presentation mode.
Along the menu bar, you will see an option called “Always Use Subtitles”
To enable subtitles, you must click onto the option which will highlight the button to show this is enabled.
Once enabled, you will be able to start your presentation. When you start speaking, the subtitles will appear on your screen. To disable subtitles, just click onto the button again. This will return the colour of the button back to white and will disable the subtitles on your presentation.
Enabling your microphone
By default, the browser will block the web app/web page from accessing hardware on your PC. This will include hardware such as your microphone and camera. This means you must enable the web app/website to access your microphone. When you connect your microphone to the computer or go to present, it should request access to your microphone.
If this request appears, please click onto allow
What happens if I don’t get a request from the website/web app?
If this doesn’t appear, please click onto the padlock icon on your address bar at the left-hand side of the URL.
Please make sure that the microphone is set to allow. If it is blocked, please click onto the drop-down option for the microphone and change it to allow.
Subtitle settings
To access the subtitle settings, you will need to click onto the arrow pointing down on the right-hand side of the option to enable subtitles.
Changing the language, you are speaking
You can change the language you are speaking in PowerPoint. To do this, please click onto the setting called “Spoken language”.
This will expand a drop-down menu at the right-hand side showing a list of languages to choose from.
The preview languages are being tested. This means that they may not work as expected. If they don’t work, please submit feedback to Microsoft so they are able to work on this.
Changing the language displayed
You can change the language that is displayed in the captions on screen. To do this, please click onto the setting called “Subtitle language”
This will expand a drop-down menu on the right-hand side of the option that will display a list of languages to choose from.
Once you click onto a language, it will save this and close the menu. Each time you open a PowerPoint presentation and present with subtitles. It should remember the language selected.
Position of text
You can set the position of the subtitles when presenting. To do this, please select from one of the options in the setting menu.
Once you have chosen a location, the menu will close, and the setting will be applied. By default, it will display at the bottom of the presentation.
Audio settings
You can access audio settings where you can choose which microphone to use. To access this setting, please click onto “Audio settings”.
This will open the settings on the right-hand side of your screen in a pane.
You will be able to choose which microphone you want to use.
Thank-you for reading this article. I hope this article was helpful. If it was, please upvote the article. If you have further suggestions to this article, please comment them underneath.
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Article Info:
- 10.04.25 - Article written
- 05.07.25 - Article brought over from the Microsoft Community
Microsoft 365 and Office | PowerPoint | For business | Windows
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