# How to add presenter notes keynote mac: step by step for Keynote 15.4 and macOS 26

> How to add presenter notes in Keynote on Mac: choose View, then Show Presenter Notes, and type under each slide. Steps for Keynote 15.4.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-presenter-notes-in-keynote
Updated: 2026-11-08

To add presenter notes in Keynote on Mac, click the View button in the toolbar and choose Show Presenter Notes. Then select a slide, click the white notes area under it, and type what you want to say.

## Quick answer

- Click View in the toolbar, then choose Show Presenter Notes.
- Select a slide, click the white notes area under it, and type.
- A small square in the top-right corner of a thumbnail means that slide has notes.
- Notes appear in the presenter display during rehearsal or on a second display.
- Apple's guide lists no keyboard shortcut for this, so use the View menu.

Applies to: Keynote for Mac 15.4 (macOS 26 or later). Time: 5 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Keynote for Mac with your presentation open
- Keynote 15.4, the version Apple's presenter notes guide covers
- macOS 26 or later for Keynote 15.4
- Apple Creator Studio and macOS 26 for Generate Presenter Notes (optional)

## How to Add presenter notes to slides in Keynote on Mac in Keynote on a Mac

1. **Open the presentation.** (File > Open) Open your deck in Keynote for Mac. Double-click the file in Finder, or choose File > Open in Keynote. The slide navigator shows one thumbnail for each slide.
2. **Click View in the toolbar.** (View) Look at the toolbar along the top of the Keynote window. Click View. Apple's guide calls this the View menu button. Tip: If you cannot find View, widen the Keynote window so the toolbar shows all of its buttons.
3. **Choose Show Presenter Notes.** (View > Show Presenter Notes) In the View menu, choose Show Presenter Notes. A white notes area appears under the selected slide in the slide navigator.
4. **Select the slide.** Click the thumbnail of the slide you want to annotate. The notes you type belong to the selected slide only.
5. **Type your cue.** Click inside the white notes area and type. Write what you would say, plus the cue that jogs your memory, such as the first words of your next point.
6. **Look for the notes marker.** Check the top-right corner of each slide thumbnail. A small square there means that slide has presenter notes. Apple's guide describes this marker.
7. **Repeat for every slide that needs notes.** Select each remaining slide and add its notes. Scan the thumbnails for the marker, so no slide goes into the talk without a cue. Tip: Do this in one pass at the end, so you do not miss a slide you added late.
8. **Format the note text.** Select the note text you want to change. Click Format in the toolbar, then use the text controls in the sidebar on the right to change how it looks.
9. **Hide the notes area when you finish.** (View > Hide Presenter Notes) Choose View > Hide Presenter Notes to close the notes area. Apple's guide says to use this option to hide the area. It does not say that hiding removes your notes.
10. **Rehearse with the presenter display.** (Play > Rehearse Slideshow) Choose Play > Rehearse Slideshow. Step through every slide and check that the notes appear in the presenter display. Tip: This menu label comes from a 2017 community thread. If your Play menu uses different words, look for the rehearsal option there.
11. **Generate notes with Creator Studio (optional).** If you have Apple Creator Studio and macOS 26 or later, look for a Generate Presenter Notes button in the toolbar. It is a beta feature for subscribers. Read every generated note before you present. Tip: If you do not see the button, skip this step. Your version or subscription may not include it.

Presenter notes are your private cues for each slide. The audience sees the slide. You see the notes in the notes pane while you edit, and on the presenter display while you present. Good notes help you remember the point, the proof, and the next move.

Presenter notes live in the notes area under each slide in Keynote for Mac. Each slide has its own notes, so you can give every slide a different cue. Nothing you type there appears on the slide itself.

![Person at a Mac laptop preparing presenter notes for a Keynote talk](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-presenter-notes-in-keynote/add-presenter-notes-keynote-mac-1-82ac85.jpg)

## Check your Keynote version before you start

Apple's current guide for presenter notes is written for Keynote 15.4. Check your version in the Keynote app menu, under About Keynote. Keynote 15.4 requires macOS 26 or later, according to Apple's What's new page. Wikipedia also lists 15.4 as the latest stable release.

Keynote now comes in two forms. Apple Creator Studio is a subscription, and it arrived with Keynote 15.1. The non-subscription Mac app got its last update at 14.5, and MacRumors reports it stops receiving features. The View menu steps below come from Apple's guide for 15.4. A 2021 third-party guide lists the same steps, but it names no version. If your menus look different, trust your own screen.

## Add notes to a slide, one step at a time

The steps below follow Apple's guide. The notes area stays hidden until you turn it on, so start there. After that, the work is mostly typing. Select a slide, click into its notes, and write what you would say out loud. Repeat for each slide that needs a cue.

- **15.4** Keynote for Mac version covered by Apple's current presenter notes guide ([source](https://support.apple.com/guide/keynote/add-and-view-presenter-notes-tand1a4ee7c/mac))
- **macOS 26** Minimum macOS for Keynote 15.4 and for the Generate Presenter Notes button ([source](https://support.apple.com/guide/keynote/whats-new-tan700f60676/mac))
- **$12.99** Monthly U.S. price of Apple Creator Studio, as reported by MacRumors ([source](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/28/apple-updates-keynote-numbers-pages/))

## What to write in presenter notes

Write notes for the person at the front of the room, not for the audience. Short cues work best. A cue could be the first words of your next point, a figure to double check, or a question to pause on. Long paragraphs are hard to scan when you need to look up quickly.

Here is a pattern that works well. Put the key figure in the note with its source in brackets, then add one sentence on what it means for the audience. When you reach that slide, you glance at the figure and talk. You do not read the slide back to people.

## Format notes so you can read them mid-talk

Select the note text before you format it. Click Format in the toolbar, then use the text controls in the sidebar on the right. Apple's guide describes these controls for changing how presenter notes look. Formatting is only useful if you can read the result from where you stand.

- Choose a size you can read from a lectern without leaning in.
- Bold the first few words of each cue, so your eye finds them fast.
- Keep each cue to one line where you can. Split longer points into two cues.
- Read the notes at full size in rehearsal, then adjust.

## See your notes while you present

Notes appear in the presenter display during rehearsal or on a second display. Apple's guide says you can add or edit notes there too. That helps when you spot a typo halfway through a run. Your audience sees only the slide.

Rehearse before the real talk. Choose Play > Rehearse Slideshow and step through each slide. Check that each cue matches what you plan to say. The menu label comes from a 2017 community thread, so if your Play menu uses different words, look for the rehearsal option there.

## Where presenter notes show up

| Where you present | Do presenter notes show? | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Keynote for Mac, rehearsal | Yes. Notes appear in the presenter display during rehearsal. | Apple Support guide |
| Keynote for Mac, second display | Yes, when the presenter display runs on a separate display. | Apple Support guide |
| Keynote for iCloud, playback | No. Apple says presenter notes are not visible during playback. | Apple iCloud guide |

_Where presenter notes show up, based on Apple's documentation._

## Hide the notes pane without losing your work

When you want more room in the editor, choose View > Hide Presenter Notes. The notes area closes. Apple's guide describes hiding the area, and it does not say that hiding removes your notes. Show the pane again to confirm your cues are still there before you present.

## Generate presenter notes with Creator Studio

Apple Creator Studio adds a Generate Presenter Notes button to the toolbar. Apple's guide says the button needs macOS 26 or later. It is a beta feature for subscribers, and it writes notes from the context in your slides. Read every generated cue before you present, and change anything that is wrong or off tone.

MacRumors reports Creator Studio costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year in the U.S. I did not confirm that price on Apple's own pricing page, so check it there before you subscribe.

![Presenter on stage speaking to an audience with slides behind them](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-presenter-notes-in-keynote/add-presenter-notes-keynote-mac-3-078c57.jpg)

## Mistakes people make with presenter notes

- Typing notes into the slide itself. Notes live in the pane under the slide.
- Scanning thumbnails and missing the marker. Look for the small square in the top-right corner.
- Presenting from Keynote for iCloud and expecting notes. Apple says they are not visible during playback there.
- Skipping rehearsal. Notes that look fine in the editor can be hard to read on a presenter display.
- Trusting a shortcut from a random website. Apple's guide lists none.

## Keyboard shortcuts for presenter notes

Apple's guide lists no keyboard shortcut for showing or hiding presenter notes. Some third-party sites list ⇧⌘P. I could not confirm that in Apple's material, so test it on a copy of your file. If nothing happens, use View > Show Presenter Notes. It takes two clicks and does the same job.

## When notes do not show on the presenter display

Notes that do not show on the presenter display usually come down to display settings. A 2017 Apple Community thread lists several fixes. Turn off display mirroring. Choose the presenter display in the slideshow settings. Press X to swap displays. Check Play > Rehearse Slideshow. The thread is old, and Apple's presenter notes guide does not confirm the current labels.

## Next steps after your notes are ready

Rehearse the whole deck once, from the first slide to the last. Stop wherever a cue makes you hesitate, and rewrite it. Then present once from the Mac you will actually use, with the display setup you will actually have, so there are no surprises on the day.

For a guided walk through Keynote menus on your own screen, see the [Keynote assistant page](https://www.lazur.app/apps/keynote). Teachers building lesson decks can read the [Keynote for teachers page](https://www.lazur.app/for/teachers/keynote).

![Laptop on a desk with a slide deck open, ready for presenter notes](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/add-presenter-notes-in-keynote/add-presenter-notes-keynote-mac-2-4b3a15.jpg)

## If it does not work

- **Show Presenter Notes is missing from the View menu** Confirm you are in Keynote for Mac, not Keynote for iCloud in a browser. Check your version under Keynote > About Keynote. Apple's steps are written for 15.4, which requires macOS 26 or later.
- **Notes do not show on the second display** Turn off display mirroring. Then choose the presenter display in the slideshow settings. A 2017 thread names Keynote > Preferences > Slideshow, but current versions may say Settings, and Apple's guide does not confirm that label. Press X to swap displays, a fix from the same thread.
- **Notes are missing when you play from Keynote for iCloud** Apple's Keynote for iCloud guide says presenter notes are not visible during playback. Present from Keynote for Mac if you need notes on screen.
- **The notes area disappeared** Choose View > Show Presenter Notes again. The pane returns under the selected slide. Click through the thumbnails and look for the marker to confirm each note is still there.
- **No Generate Presenter Notes button in the toolbar** The button belongs to Apple Creator Studio, which needs Keynote 15.1 or later and macOS 26 or later. The non-subscription Mac app stopped getting new features at 14.5, so it does not offer the button.
- **A website says ⇧⌘P shows presenter notes** I could not confirm that shortcut in Apple's guide. Test it on a copy of your file. If it does nothing, use View > Show Presenter Notes.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where is the View button, and what is my next click?”: Lazur circles the View button, then waits for your click before it points at Show Presenter Notes. (Walks you through it)

## FAQ

### Do presenter notes show in Keynote for iCloud?

Not during playback. Apple's Keynote for iCloud guide says presenter notes are not visible when you play the presentation there. Present from Keynote for Mac if you need your notes on screen.

### Is there a keyboard shortcut for presenter notes?

Apple's guide lists none for Show or Hide Presenter Notes. Some third-party sites give ⇧⌘P. I could not confirm it, so test it on a copy before you rely on it.

### Which Keynote version has the Generate Presenter Notes button?

Apple ties the button to Apple Creator Studio and macOS 26 or later. MacRumors reported the Creator Studio update, Keynote 15.1, on January 28, 2026.

### Do notes show on a second display?

Yes, when the presenter display runs on a separate display. Apple's guide says notes appear in the presenter display during rehearsal or on a separate display.

### Can I format presenter notes?

Yes. Select the note text, click Format in the toolbar, and use the text controls in the sidebar on the right to change how the notes look.

### Is Keynote 14.5 fine for presenter notes?

The non-subscription Mac app got its last update at 14.5, and MacRumors reports it stops receiving features. Apple's steps here are written for 15.4, so check your own menus before you present.

### Do I need Keynote 15.4 to add presenter notes?

Not necessarily. Apple's What's new page says the presenter view window with notes arrived in version 11.0. Apple's current steps are written for 15.4, so use them as a guide and check the View menu on your own version.

## Sources

1. [Add and view presenter notes in Keynote on Mac (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/guide/keynote/add-and-view-presenter-notes-tand1a4ee7c/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
2. [What's new in Keynote on Mac (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/guide/keynote/whats-new-tan700f60676/mac), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
3. [Keynote for iCloud User Guide (Apple Support)](https://support.apple.com/bn-in/guide/keynote-icloud/gilb26d091f8/1.0/icloud/1.0), Apple, checked 2026-11-08
4. [Presenter notes will NOT show in Keynote (Apple Community)](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8150029), Apple Community, checked 2026-11-08
5. [Apple Updates Keynote, Numbers, and Pages Apps With New Free and Paid Features, MacRumors](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/28/apple-updates-keynote-numbers-pages/), MacRumors, checked 2026-11-08
6. [How to Add Presenter Notes in Keynote on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, macReports](https://macreports.com/how-to-add-presenter-notes-in-keynote-on-mac-iphone-and-ipad/), macReports, checked 2026-11-08
7. [Keynote (presentation software), Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keynote_(presentation_software)), Wikipedia, checked 2026-11-08