PowerPoint (Windows Desktop): Align commands no longer keep the “anchor” object fixed (selection order ignored)

Question

Issue summary
When aligning two shapes, PowerPoint moves the wrong object (or both objects), and alignment appears to be based on the leftmost/rightmost object rather than the object I intended to use as the anchor. Historically, alignment behaved as though the first selected object remained fixed and other objects aligned to it.

Question:

• Is there a way to explicitly set a key/anchor object for alignment so that it never moves?
• If not, has there been a behaviour change/regression in recent PowerPoint updates regarding alignment and anchor object selection?

Answer 1

Hi @Siya,

Based on my experience with Microsoft 365, I haven't used the option that allow Alignment based on first selected object. However, refer to your sharing other customers' experience sharing in Alignment - which object moves? : r/powerpoint, it's likely that PowerPoint used to provide the feature of alignment based on the first selected object, but it is no longer available now.

(This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.)

The current PowerPoint’s native Align commands don’t provide a selected object as anchor control but choosing what you’re aligning relative to (to the slide or to the selection). When you use Align Selected Objects, PowerPoint treats the outermost object(s) as the anchor reference, for example:

• If you align Top, the topmost object is treated as the anchor and the others move to meet it.
• If you align with Distribute Horizontally, the leftmost and rightmost objects are considered as the anchors, and the middle objects are spaced between them.

Since PowerPoint doesn’t expose a lock for anchor object, you can try using an add-in as a workaround. For example, PPT Productivity does provide an add-in with an option to “Align to first selected shape rather than outmost shape” through shortcut keys. You can find more details refer to PPT Productivity PowerPoint addin

(This is a non-Microsoft website. The page appears to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the site that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the site before you decide to download and install it.)

Microsoft is listening and relies on user feedback for prioritizing features to provide better customer experience when using Microsoft Office. That's why I'm optimistic about future enhancements that this feature will come back to PowerPoint. I strongly recommend you share your feedback directly with the Microsoft engineering team via Microsoft 365 Feedback Hub > Send Feedback and describe your suggestion in detail. The product team actively reviews customer suggestions to identify areas for improvement and prioritize future updates. Your input does play a vital role in shaping the future of Microsoft products.    

As community moderators, I kindly ask for your understanding that my access to internal development details is limited. My primary role is to guide users toward the appropriate resources and support channels. While I may not have influence product design decisions and have limited access to internal development details, I’ll continue doing our best to support you within the scope of my responsibilities.      

Thank you for your understanding and corporation. If you have any concerns or questions in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Not only will I be happy to assist you, but all moderators in the Q&A forum will also do their best to provide support and guidance.  

Thank you for being a valued customer and for reaching out on the Microsoft Q&A forum.  

Wishing you a wonderful day ahead.  

---

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread