Change One Shape to Another in PowerPoint for the Web

As we all know, shapes can often look very similar to each other. This similarity can sometimes lead us to using the wrong shape for a project, which can be a huge time waster. For example, you may create a 5-pointed star when you need a star with 4 or 8 points. Or you may have worked on a shape and applied effects, animations, and fills to it, only to later realize that you used the wrong one or that the client wants a different shape. In cases like this, you may think it’s best to delete the existing shape and start over again. However, we’re here to tell you that there’s no need to do so! Why? That’s because there is an easier option to change existing shapes. Well, that’s not entirely true in PowerPoint for the Web, but with a little help from desktop versions on Windows or the Mac, you can do so.

Follow these steps to change any existing shape to another, in PowerPoint for the Web:

1. Open the presentation that contains the shape you want to change, as shown in Figure 1, below.
2. 
   Figure 1: Presentation opened in PowerPoint for the Web
2. Now, click the Editing button on the top-right, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 2, below. Doing so opens a drop-down menu. Within this menu, click the Edit Open in Desktop App option, as shown highlighted in green within Figure 2.
3. 
   Figure 2: Open in Desktop App

Open in Desktop App Missing?

The Open in Desktop App option is only available if you are using a web browser to open your presentation in PowerPoint for the Web, and you have a desktop version of PowerPoint installed on the same computer. Also, this option is not available if you are using PowerPoint for the Web on a phone or tablet.



3. Doing so will launch your PowerPoint desktop app on Windows or Mac. You can change the shape within the desktop application by following the steps shown in these linked tutorials:
4. Change One Shape to Another in PowerPoint 365 for Windows
   Change One Shape to Another in PowerPoint 365 for Mac
4. Once you have changed shapes in the desktop version of PowerPoint, close the presentation and get back to the browser-based PowerPoint for the Web. You might see an All done window, like what you see in Figure 3, below. Click the Continue here button, highlighted in green within Figure 3.
5. 
   Figure 3: Continue editing the presentation
5. This action will open the updated presentation in PowerPoint for the Web, as shown in Figure 4, below. You can see that the 10-pointed star is now changed to a heart shape.
6. 
   Figure 4: One shape changed to another