How to play a slideshow on a second display in Keynote on Mac: step by step

A second display can go wrong in three quiet ways. The screen stays on the desktop, the slideshow lands on the wrong screen, or the presenter view never appears. Most of the time the cause is mirroring, where the second display copies your Mac screen instead of extending it. The steps below fix all three, and the sections after them explain what each screen should show.

Before you start: what you need

You need Keynote for Mac 15.4 or later, which requires macOS 26 or later according to Apple. Check your version by opening Keynote and choosing Keynote > About Keynote. The presenter display is older than that. Apple says it arrived in Keynote 11.0 as a separate presenter window with notes, the current slide, and the next slide.

• A cable or adapter that matches your display's input, tested with your Mac before the day
• A display that is switched on and detected by macOS before you open the presentation
• A spare cable or adapter in your bag, in case the first one fails
• A remote or a keyboard in reach, if you advance slides from across the room

Turn off mirroring before you play

Mirroring sends the same picture to both screens. When mirroring is on, there is no separate screen for the presenter display to use. Apple's Keynote for iCloud page makes the same point: without this setting, viewers may see the presenter window. Treat mirroring as the first thing to check, even when the slideshow itself looks fine.

A quick test tells you whether mirroring is on. Look at both screens. If they show the same desktop picture and the same windows, mirroring is on. If the external display shows a different picture or an empty desktop, the displays are extended and you are ready to play. The arrangement lives in System Settings, not in Keynote, so change it there and then return to your presentation.

What shows on each screen

When the slideshow runs in full screen on an external display, Keynote splits the work. The audience display shows only the slide. Your Mac shows the presenter display, which gives you the current slide, the next slide, your notes, and a timer. With more connected displays, the presenter display can also appear on those screens.

If the layout is backward, press X. Keynote swaps the two screens without touching your slides or your notes. It is faster than dragging windows around, and it does not change the order of the slides.

Change what the presenter display shows

Move the pointer anywhere on the presenter display, then click a button at the top to show the toolbar. Display Configuration sits at the top right. From there you show or hide each part of the presenter view. Apple also lists a Use Auto Layout option under Customize Presenter Display.

• Current Slide
• Next Slide
• Presenter Notes
• Ready to Advance Indicator
• Clock
• Timer

Hide the Next Slide if the view feels busy. Keep Presenter Notes on if you read from a script. Keep the Timer on if you need to finish on time. Test each combination during a rehearsal, so the screen fits how you talk.

If you have not written speaker notes yet, the presenter notes guide shows how to add them. Notes you write there appear in the presenter view when Presenter Notes is on.

Keynote for iCloud on a second display

Keynote for iCloud runs in a browser, and the path is different from the Mac app. Apple's steps start with the Play button in the toolbar. You then open the presenter display from the bottom of the slideshow, move the slideshow window, and go full screen. Follow this order.

1. Click Play in the toolbar.
2. Move the pointer to the bottom center of the slideshow and click Open Presenter Display.
3. Drag the slideshow window to the connected display.
4. Click Full Screen in the bottom-center controls.
5. Press ? or click Presentation Shortcuts at the top right of the presenter display to see the keys.

Apple's iCloud page also says to turn mirroring off first, under System Settings > Displays > Arrangement. On Windows, the equivalent is the Extend desktop setting. Apple does not list a browser requirement on that page, so check the iCloud help if one browser behaves differently.

Play in a window instead of full screen

Choose Play > In Window when you need the Mac desktop visible, for example to switch to a demo or a video. The Play menu then offers Show Presenter Display in Window and Hide Presenter Display in Window. You can also use the Show Presenter Display button at the top of the slideshow window.

Use In Full Screen for the talk itself, and In Window for rehearsals or quick checks on your Mac. Switch modes between runs, not in the middle of your talk. A window that moves unexpectedly is harder to recover from on stage.

Fix a presenter display that does not show

One Apple Community thread describes a laptop screen that went black in full screen over HDMI, on macOS 13.5. The top reply suggested a checkbox under Keynote > Preferences > Slideshow, labeled Enable Presenter Display in full screen. Apple staff did not reply, and the thread is closed. Treat that reply as a user suggestion, not an Apple instruction.

Apple's current list for Keynote > Settings > Slideshow includes Show pointer when using the mouse or trackpad, Show slideshow controls when pointer is at the bottom of the screen, and Show presenter display in other applications. It does not list a Presenter Display toggle for the full screen case. That checkbox could not be confirmed in the current app, so do not count on it.

If your Mac screen goes black in full screen, try Play > In Window as a fallback. Then test with the exact cable and adapter you will carry on the day. A setup that works at your desk can still fail on a different adapter.

Projector and TV setups

Projectors and TVs often run at a different resolution than your Mac screen. Check the display settings in System Settings > Displays if the slide looks cropped or blurry. Pick the resolution the display recommends when you can. A slide that looks sharp in the editor should look the same in full screen, so test with the real screen before the talk.

Keyboard keys for running the show

Apple's Mac guide names keys in words rather than with symbols, so this page does not give ⌘, ⌥, ⌃, or ⇧ combinations. The keys below are the ones Apple documents for playback.

• Space bar or Right Arrow: advance to the next slide
• Left Arrow: go back or reset a build
• A number, then Return: jump to that slide
• X: swap the slideshow and the presenter display
• Esc: stop the slideshow

Practice the number jump at home. It is easy to type the wrong number under pressure, and a wrong slide in front of an audience is hard to hide.

Keynote version and macOS requirements

Version numbers matter here because the presenter display has changed over the years. Apple's What's New page gives the history in short form. Use this list to see which version added each change.

• 11.0: a separate presenter window with notes, current slide, and next slide
• 11.2: slideshow controls, keyboard shortcuts, and multi-presenter controls
• 14.1: control over where the presenter display appears when rehearsing with multiple displays
• 15.4 for Mac: requires macOS 26 or later

The 15.4 changes add Creator Studio themes, beta intelligent slide generation, request access to collaborate, and Siri questions about Keynote. None of them change the second display steps on this page.

Is Keynote free for this?

Yes. Apple says Keynote remains free for all users and comes included with new Mac purchases. Keynote 15.1 joined Apple Creator Studio, but creating, viewing, editing, and real-time collaboration do not need a subscription.

Creator Studio costs $12.99 per month or $129 per year in the U.S., with a one-month free trial for new subscribers. It adds premium templates, themes, Content Hub, and beta intelligence features. Nothing in the second display steps needs it. Check Apple's newsroom for current pricing before you subscribe.

Mistakes people make on the day

The most common mistake is testing on the built-in screen only. Everything works there, then the projector shows the desktop. Test with the external display connected, using the same cable you will bring to the event.

The second mistake is starting from the wrong slide. The slideshow begins on the slide you select, so click the right one before you choose Play. The third is forgetting that Presenter Notes can be off. A blank presenter view looks broken, but it is only a toggle.

Rehearse the setup before the talk

Rehearse in the same room, with the same display and cable, if you can. Choose Play > In Fullscreen, check the presenter display, then press X once to see what changes. Press X again to return the layout you want.

Apple added control over where the presenter display appears when rehearsing with multiple displays in Keynote 14.1. If you use more than one extra screen, check that control before the event, not during it.

Next steps after the slideshow works

If you want a backup in case the display fails, export the deck as a movie. The guide How to export a Keynote presentation as a movie on Mac covers that. If you teach, the Keynote for teachers page covers lesson slides and presenter view.

If you want to write notes by voice, the dictation guide for Keynote speaker notes shows the steps. Set dictation up before the rehearsal, not on the morning of the talk.

If the presenter display still will not appear, gather your macOS version, Keynote version, cable type, and mirroring setting. Apple Support and the Keynote community forums are good places to ask, and those details make an answer much faster.