Touch or Mouse Mode in PowerPoint 365 for Windows

PowerPoint has the Touch/Mouse Mode command, a feature designed to enhance usability across various devices. By toggling between touch and mouse interfaces, users can optimize their experience whether they're on a touchscreen tablet or a traditional desktop. This adaptability not only improves navigation but also contributes to accessibility, making PowerPoint more user-friendly for individuals with diverse needs.

Touch and Mouse Modes
Why Can You Use Touch Mode on a Non-Touch Device?
Turn on Touch Mode in PowerPoint 365
Enabling Touch Mode

Within the PowerPoint 365 for Windows interface, take a closer look at the Customize Quick Access Toolbar drop-down menu, shown in Figure 1, below. Here, you’ll find the Touch/Mouse Mode option, highlighted in red within Figure 1. This handy toggle button lets you switch effortlessly between touch mode and mouse mode.

Figure 1: Touch/Mouse Mode option

Touch and Mouse Modes

So how are Touch and Mouse modes different? Let us understand them better:

• Touch mode is the default mode when using PowerPoint on a touch device such as the Microsoft Surface or other tablets, and lets you use the program even without a mouse.
• Mouse mode is the default mode for PowerPoint 365 when working on a non-touch enabled desktop or laptop.

Why Can You Use Touch Mode on a Non-Touch Device?

Here’s the big question: Why on earth can you switch to Touch mode when your device doesn’t even have a touchscreen? If you're working on a desktop computer, that has no touch-enabled display, what’s the point of Touch mode?

Well, the answer is simpler than you think! Touch mode isn’t just for tapping on a touchscreen. It’s also great for making everything bigger and more spaced out—like larger buttons, menus, and icons—so it’s easier to view them before clicking with a mouse. Think of it as giving your desktop a little extra breathing room for your clicks.

Take a look at Figure 2, below. It shows the PowerPoint 365 interface with Mouse mode turned on. This screenshot was taken on a non-touch device—no swiping or tapping here, just good old-fashioned mouse clicks!

Figure 2: PowerPoint 365 interface with Mouse mode active

Now, look at Figure 3, below. This time, PowerPoint 365 is in Touch mode. See how the Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar are bigger? Plus, there’s extra space around the buttons and commands, making it much easier to tap them.

Figure 3: PowerPoint 365 interface with Touch mode active

Notice something else? The placeholder on the slide shown in Figure 3, above, says Double tap to add title—compared to Click to add title visible in Figure 2, shown previously on this page. But don’t worry—if you’re using a mouse, you can still just click and start typing as usual. Touch mode is flexible like that!

Here’s a neat perk: Even on devices without Touch-enabled hardware, turning on Touch mode makes all the buttons and options bigger. And guess what? That can be a game-changer for accessibility. Larger buttons and more spaced-out option are easier to see and click, making life a little simpler for everyone.

Turn on Touch Mode in PowerPoint 365

Want to enable Touch Mode? It’s super easy!

1. Look for the little down-arrow at the far-right end of the Quick Access Toolbar, highlighted in red within Figure 4, below.
2. 
   Figure 4: Quick Access toolbar
2. Click this arrow, and a menu will drop down. This is the same Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu that you saw in Figure 1, shown previously on this page.
3. From the menu, choose Touch/Mouse Mode. You’ve now added this command to the QAT but have not used it yet. We use the command next!

Enabling Touch Mode

The steps explained in the preceding section add the Touch/Mouse Mode button to the Quick Access toolbar, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 5, below. Clicking this button brings up a drop-down menu with Mouse and Touch options, shown highlighted in blue within Figure 5.

Figure 5: Touch/Mouse Mode button added to the Quick Access toolbar

Now, you can switch the interface between Touch and Mouse mode.