Inserting a New Slide in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

Like many other tasks you do in PowerPoint, inserting a new slide can be done in multiple ways. You just need to find a way that works best for you. The following steps show you how you can do this simple task in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows:

1. Launch PowerPoint. Within the Presentation Gallery that shows up by default, select the Blank Presentation or any other template/Theme. This will create a new presentation with a single slide, as shown in Figure 1, below. Alternatively, open any existing presentation and proceed with the rest of this tutorial.
2. 
   Figure 1: New presentation in PowerPoint 2016

Tip:

If you want to learn more about the PowerPoint 2016 interface, see our PowerPoint 2016 for Windows interface tutorial.
2. Hereafter, when you want to add new slides, access the Home tab of the Ribbon, and locate the New Slide button, as shown in Figure 2, below.
3. 
   Figure 2: New Slide button
4. If you click the top half of the New Slide button, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, above, you directly add a new slide within the presentation. You can also click the bottom half of the New Slide button highlighted in blue within Figure 2, to summon the Slide Layout drop-down gallery, as shown in Figure 3, below. Then, click any of the layouts available to insert a new slide based on the chosen layout.
5. 
   Figure 3: Slide Layout drop-down gallery
3. Either way, you end up inserting a new slide within the Slides Pane, which displays an orange perimeter, as shown in Figure 4, below, and also can be seen in Slide Area.
4. 
   Figure 4: New slide inserted
5. You can also insert new slides while you are in the Slides Pane. Right-click the empty area (or the empty area between two slides) in the Slides Pane to bring up the context menu, as shown in Figure 5, below. From the context menu, choose the New Slide option to insert a new slide.
6. 
   Figure 5: New slide option
7. Even easier, you can use the Ctrl + M keyboard shortcut to add new slides.


PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

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4. Thereafter, you can add titles, text, pictures, or any other slide objects within the new slides.
5. Make sure to save your presentation.