People are passionate about their favorite apps. That includes the tough choice between top presentation apps Apple Keynote and Microsoft PowerPoint. To bridge the gap, it helps to learn how to convert PowerPoint to Keynote.
I find myself switching back and forth between the two apps, but I can see why users have strong preferences. Keynote's interface is intuitive. While PowerPoint makes working with Excel a breeze, a key feature for many power users.
You might need to convert PowerPoint to Keynote presentations to include everyone. It's easier than you think to convert presentation files, so you never have anyone left out of opening and working with a presentation. Let's learn how to do that together.
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Now, it's time to learn about converting PowerPoint to Keynote.
How to Convert PowerPoint (PPTX) to Mac Keynote Presentations (Video)
Want to walk through opening a PowerPoint presentation in Keynote together? Play the screencast that you see below to learn how to convert a PowerPoint to a Keynote presentation.
Want to learn more? Keep reading below to learn how to convert PowerPoint to Keynote presentations. We'll also show you how to correct for any incompatibilities as you go.
How to Convert from PowerPoint to Keynote
If you're wondering whether Keynote can open in PowerPoint, this section should answer that question.
In this example, we're going to convert a PowerPoint presentation and open it up in Apple's Keynote presentation app.
Throughout this tutorial, you're going to see me use a PowerPoint presentation that's pre-built from the Envato Elements library. Elements is an all-you-can-download service for creatives that includes:
- presentation template
- stock photos
- and much more
Explore Presentation Templates
When you don't have the time to design something from scratch, it's a lifesaver to grab a template from Elements instead. Start with a presentation template, drop in your details, and presto! You've created a presentation much more quickly than building one from scratch. Learn more about using Keynote presentation templates.
In this tutorial, I use the Paradox PowerPoint template from Envato Elements. Paradox is a beautiful presentation template. But unfortunately, it's only available in a PowerPoint version. Since we can convert PowerPoint to Keynote presentations, we'll learn how to make it cross-compatible in this tutorial.
1. Open a PowerPoint Presentation in Keynote
It turns out that opening a presentation in Keynote is easier than you might think. It's clear that Apple has acknowledged their role as the second player in the presentation app market. They know that it'll take some time to catch up to PowerPoint's market share.
So, opening up a PowerPoint presentation in Keynote is pretty straightforward. On your Mac, open PowerPoint and browse to the PPTX or PPT file. Then, click on Open to launch into Keynote.
Now, you'll see the presentation in Keynote. You might see some warnings about items that didn't translate well to Keynote, but don't worry about that for now.
I'm always impressed by how well this conversion process typically works. For example, embedded audio, images, and video worked perfectly in my testing. Unless those files are unusual or specific file formats, the conversion typically takes care of perhaps 90% of the work. Once the conversion is complete, save an updated version of the file as a .keynote file.
Keynote will automatically take care of the majority of the work in the conversion step. But that might not be the only step you need to take to prepare your presentation for use in Keynote. Keep reading to adjust everything else.
2. Review the Warnings
You might have noticed when you open a PowerPoint presentation in Keynote that there are some warnings about how the "PowerPoint presentation may look different." Keynote flags issues that might have occurred during the conversion.
Let's look at how to correct and change the presentation so that it converts as smoothly as possible between the two apps.
3. Replace Fonts
This issue isn't specific to converting PowerPoint presentations to Keynote. But you're likely to see this issue when converting. You need to replace fonts if you don't have them installed on your Mac.
When you download presentation templates from Elements, it's likely that the author uses free fonts available online. So, check the documentation and download those available fonts if that's the case.
To replace a font, click on the Replace Fonts... button on this pop-up window. You'll get the chance to select replacements from the drop-down menu. If you know a similar typeface, you can select it from this drop-down to replace all instances of it in your Keynote presentation. You can see an example in the screenshot below.
If you don't have access to the fonts that the PowerPoint author used, you might need to make substitutions. On the Replace Fonts menu, choose alternate fonts from the drop-down options.
4. Check Charts and Graphs
PowerPoint has some advanced charting features thanks to its tight integration with apps like Excel. Stacked bar charts, pie charts, and so much more are easy to create in PowerPoint. Keynote makes it easy to chart too, but the formats don't translate one for one.
The problem is that when you try to bring these charts over to Keynote, they don't convert smoothly. This aspect is just one area where the conversion sometimes misses the mark.
Simply put, you might need to re-create new charts in Keynote. This is one type of content that doesn't convert easily. Both presentation platforms have implemented different ways of doing charting. It's only natural that it doesn't always work perfectly.
5. General Review and Adjust
As I reviewed my converted PowerPoint presentation, it was clear that several objects and text boxes needed to be repositioned slightly.
When you convert files from one format to another, it's critical that they stay "true to form." That means that the presentation appears the way you expect it. There might be other issues that aren't flagged in the pop-up warning when you first convert.
Review every slide before you present it to an audience. You want to avoid anything looking off or not working when you share a presentation with an audience.
Another Option: Use PowerPoint Online
Throughout this tutorial, we've been converting the presentation from PowerPoint to Keynote. The basic idea here is that doing this accommodates users who don't have access to Microsoft PowerPoint. Converting the presentation is one option.
But this isn't the only way to include others in working with the presentation. If you don't want to convert an existing presentation, you can let others into edit by using free alternatives.
That's where PowerPoint Online comes into play. Available for free with a Microsoft account, you can jump over to Office365.com to get started. Upload your PPTX or PPT presentation, invite other users, and they can edit the presentation online. As long as they've got a web browser, they can work with the presentation.
For a more detailed write-up to learn how to use PowerPoint Online, check out the tutorial below to see it in action:
This approach doesn't technically convert the presentation across formats. But it does help you achieve the goal of inviting others to work with your presentation. If the conversion process directly isn't working, think about turning to PowerPoint Online.
5 Trending PowerPoint Templates for Keynote Presentations - For 2023
We’ve learned how to open PPTX files on Mac. In moments, you can use your favorite Microsoft PowerPoint templates with Apple Keynote! It’s a great way to be creative.
Now, let’s look at five of the best premium PPT templates from Envato Elements that you can edit in Keynote. These help you make a winning impression when you present in 2023!
1. Athetic - Creative PowerPoint Presentation
Are you searching for a creative PPT deck that works perfectly in Keynote? Athetic has you covered. New for 2023, this template has 40 slides inside. With master layouts, bulk edits are a breeze, helping you keep a consistent style.
2. Jisan - Business PowerPoint Template
Jisan is an elegant 2023 PowerPoint template for business. It includes a trio of color themes in pink, green, and blue. You can also choose between standard and widescreen slide layouts. This helps slides best fit the display you plan to use.
3. Bolo PowerPoint Template
With fun, colorful layouts, Bolo delivers a dash of quirky style to your next presentation. This is a flexible template that’s easy to adapt to any topic. You’ll enjoy hundreds of custom icons to help illustrate your ideas in a fashionable, cool way.
4. Geative - Creative PowerPoint Presentation
With 40 slides inside, Geative is a creative and modern slideshow template for 2023. Drag-and-drop placeholders make quick work of adding photos and videos. Resizable graphics ensure that you can make each slide your own, fast.
5. Minimo PowerPoint Template
Minimo serves up clean, modern styling throughout the deck. Choose between five color themes, and enjoy the 30 slides included with each. Gallery and portfolio slides are included to help show off your work. Don’t forget to build out the custom infographics too!
Learn More About Presentation Tools
In this tutorial, we covered how to convert PowerPoint to Keynote presentations. It turns out that Apple's Keynote app has built-in functionality to help you handle PowerPoint presentations easily.
Want to learn more about Microsoft PowerPoint or Apple Keynote? Either way, we've got you covered in the Envato Tuts+ library. Check out any of the tutorials below to level up your presentation skills:
How to Add Diversity to Your PowerPoint Presentations
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How to Cite PowerPoint Presentations in APA & MLA Formats
10 Common Memes That'll Make Any Presentation More Relatable
We've got the perfect complement to this tutorial, which will walk you through the complete presentation process. You can get The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations when you subscribe to the Tuts+ Business Newsletter. Discover how to write your presentation, design it like a pro, and prepare it to present powerfully.
Now You Know How to Convert PowerPoint to Keynote
Were you wondering: can Keynote open in PowerPoint? If so, you should have your answer.
You've just learned some techniques for converting PowerPoint to Keynote. Knowing this will give you more presentation options. You can open PPTX on macOS's favorite tool, Keynote.
Now that you've seen top PowerPoint templates practice the conversion yourself. Practice opening PowerPoint in Keynote and testing how the feature works.
Editorial Note: This tutorial was originally published in November of 2018. It's been updated and a video added with help from Andrew Childress.
