How to use the Content Hub in Keynote on Mac: steps for Keynote 15.4

What the Content Hub is and where it lives

The Content Hub is a library of Apple-curated photos, illustrations, graphics and backgrounds. You open it from inside Keynote, so you never download a file and drag it in. Apple's marketing page says the same library is also reached from Pages, Numbers and Freeform.

Content Hub is a subscriber feature. Keynote 15.1 brought it into Apple Creator Studio in early 2026, alongside Pages and Numbers. Creating, viewing, editing and real-time collaboration don't require a subscription, according to Apple's What's New page.

So the short version is this. You can insert premium Content Hub images without paying. The catch is the watermark, and a subscription removes it.

What it costs and what a subscription adds

Apple Creator Studio costs $12.99 a month or $129 a year for new subscribers, after a one-month free trial. Students and educators pay $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year after verification. These are US dollars, taken from Apple's own pricing page.

Buying a new iPad or Mac gets you three months free. After that, the price is the same. Standard plans can be shared with up to five other family members through Family Sharing.

The subscription also comes with limits. Macworld reports that subscribers can generate up to 50 AI images and 50 presentations of about 10 slides each per month. Those limits cover AI features. Apple's notes don't say that the Content Hub library has a monthly cap.

Check your Keynote and macOS versions first

Content Hub needs a recent Keynote. Keynote 15.1 added it as a subscriber feature. Keynote 15.3 made replacing images from the Content Hub easier for everyone. Keynote 15.4 is the current version.

Apple's pages don't agree on the macOS number, though. Apple's What's New page says Keynote 15.4 needs macOS 26 or later. Its Creator Studio support page says full Creator Studio functionality comes with macOS 27. TidBITS listed different numbers for Keynote 15.1 altogether. Start with the What's New page, then check the others if something is missing.

Add a premium image to a slide

Open the deck and select the slide that needs the picture. Keynote places the new image on the slide you are viewing, so check the thumbnail first. A wrong slide is an easy mistake to make.

The Content Hub button is an icon in the toolbar. Apple's help doesn't name it in words, so you may need to check a few icons before you find it. It sits near the object buttons, the ones that add things such as tables and charts.

When the dialog opens, look for the object categories across the top. Apple's help says to click one. It doesn't list the categories by name, so browse until one fits the slide.

Pick the right category and image

Search, filters and layout are not documented. If nothing fits, switch categories instead of scrolling one long list. That's quicker, and it helps you see what the library holds.

Pick an image that leaves room for your text. A photo with a clear side works best for a title slide. Test two or three options on the slide before you commit to one.

Replace an image you already placed

You don't need to delete a picture to swap it. Keynote can replace it in place, which saves you from resizing the new one. Apple says the new image keeps the original dimensions.

There are two routes. The first is the Replace Image button in the bottom-right corner of a media placeholder. Click it, choose the image, then double-click it. The second works on any selected image. Open the Image tab in the Format sidebar and click Replace.

Replacement can fail when an image is locked or grouped. Remove the lock or ungroup it first, then try again. Apple's help gives that as the cause, so check it before you try anything else.

Select and work with several images

Hold Shift and click each image you want. Keynote selects them together, so you can work with several at once. This is handy when a slide needs a row of pictures.

Apple's help doesn't list every action that works on a multi-selection. If you aren't sure, test one image first, then apply the same change to the group.

Remove watermarks with an Apple Creator Studio subscription

A watermark is the visible sign of a Content Hub image used without a subscription. Apple says anyone can use premium images, but you need a subscription to remove the watermark. TidBITS adds a licensing limit. Content Hub items can't be used as standalone files outside Creator Studio apps.

To subscribe, open the Keynote menu and choose Get Apple Creator Studio. Then complete the prompts. To cancel or change a plan later, open the Keynote menu and choose Manage Subscription. That option opens the App Store.

If your subscription doesn't show when you manage it, sign in to your Apple Account in the App Store. Apple's help says to check that first.

What happens when the subscription ends? Apple says you keep access to Keynote, Pages, Numbers and Freeform without the intelligence features. You also keep your projects and files. Apple's pages don't say whether watermarks come back on images you already placed, so check those slides before you present.

Common problems and what to check

• Button missing: right-click the toolbar, choose Customize Toolbar, and drag the Content Hub icon back on. Then click Done.
• Watermarks on images: subscribe through Keynote > Get Apple Creator Studio, then confirm you're signed in to the App Store.
• Replace won't work: remove any lock or ungroup the image first, then try again.
• Feature missing: check macOS. Keynote 15.4 needs macOS 26 or later, and Apple ties full Creator Studio functionality to macOS 27.
• Keynote for iCloud: Apple's pages don't confirm Content Hub support on the web. Use the Mac app for this step.

Mistakes people make with the Content Hub

• Looking for a keyboard shortcut. Apple documents none for the Content Hub, so use the toolbar button.
• Assuming a watermark-free image without a subscription. Free use still gets the watermark.
• Deleting an image and adding a new one, then resizing it again. Replace the image instead, so the dimensions carry over.
• Trying to export a Content Hub image as its own file. The license keeps it inside Creator Studio apps.
• Checking only the Keynote version. macOS matters too, and Apple's pages disagree on the number.

Keyboard shortcuts and what Apple documents

Apple's help documents no keyboard shortcut for opening the Content Hub. Don't search a shortcut list for one. The toolbar button is the documented way in.

Shift-click is the only shortcut-style step in this guide. Hold Shift and click images to select several at once. Apple's help covers that step directly.

Stock video and what is coming next

Apple's October 27, 2026 newsroom release says Content Hub expands to Apple-curated stock video across Keynote, Pages and Numbers. It says the update arrives on the App Store in November, as a free update for existing subscribers.

This guide doesn't confirm that the video update has shipped. If you need video in a deck, check the App Store update list first. The photo steps in this guide work the same way either way.

Where to go next with your slides

Once an image is on the slide, you may want to change its shape. How to mask an image in Keynote on Mac covers three ways to do that. If you use a picture as the slide background, How to add a background image in Keynote on Mac shows the steps.

When the deck is final, export it as a PDF so the layout stays fixed on another computer. If you aren't subscribed, look at the watermark in the PDF before you send it.

If your slide also needs motion, How to animate an object in Keynote on Mac covers the steps. Play the slide once before you present, and check that the picture still looks right.