Why can't I select and change the text in the footer?
Applies ToPowerPoint for Microsoft 365 PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 for Mac PowerPoint 2024 PowerPoint 2024 for Mac PowerPoint 2021 PowerPoint 2021 for Mac PowerPoint 2019 PowerPoint 2019 for Mac PowerPoint 2016

Problem: You're unable to select and change the text in the footer at the bottom of your slides.

Solution: If you can't directly edit footer text, it's probably the case that the footer placeholder has been turned off in Slide Master view. To change that situation, you can open Slide Master view and make changes there, as described below. 

  1. On the View tab, select Slide Master.

    Use the View tab in PowerPoint to switch to Slide Master view

  2. In the thumbnail pane, check each item for the footer text you want to change. (The footer may be on the slide master—the top item in the thumbnail pane—or it might be on one or more of the slide layouts—the items indented under the master in that thumbnail pane.)

    Slide Master thumbnail in Slide Master View

  3. In the thumbnail pane, select an item that has the footer. 

  4. On the ribbon, click the Footers option so that the check box is selected:

    On the Slide Master tab, in the Master Layout group, select the Footers box.

  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, as needed, for other slide layouts that have the footer you're concerned with. 

See Also

What is a slide master?

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