Clickers and keyboard shortcuts
Any presentation clicker that works in PowerPoint or Google Slides works here: they send the same keys. These are all the shortcuts.
Step by step: your phone as the slide remote
- Tap Phone remote. In the studio, tap Phone remote at the top. A QR code and a 7-letter code appear.
- Scan it with your phone. Point the phone’s camera at the code. The remote opens in the browser: no app to install. It connects directly, or with no internet over a hotspot.
- Next, back, jump. The big button moves to the next slide. The phone shows the current slide, the next title and your speaker notes in large text.
- Point, black out, keep time. Hold a finger on the slide preview and a laser dot follows it on the big screen. Black the screen when you want eyes on you, and keep an eye on the talk timer.
While presenting
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| → ↓ Space Page Down N | Next slide |
| ← ↑ Page Up Backspace P | Previous slide |
| Number, then Enter | Go to that slide |
| Home / End | First / last slide |
| B or . | Black screen on or off |
| W or , | White screen on or off |
| S | Switch between slides and presenter view |
| T / R | Start or pause / reset the timer |
| F | Full screen |
| Esc | End the presentation |
In the studio
| F5 | Present from the first slide (Shift+F5: from this slide) |
| Ctrl+Enter | Present from this slide (Shift too: presenter view) |
| Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y | Undo / redo |
| Ctrl+D | Duplicate the slide |
| ↑ ↓ | Previous / next slide |
On a Mac, use ⌘ for Ctrl. Clickers with a “blank screen” button usually send B or ., which Presenter Cue understands.
Which clickers work
Most presentation clickers (Logitech, Kensington, Targus and unbranded USB clickers) pretend to be a keyboard and send Page Up and Page Down, or the arrow keys. Presenter Cue listens for all of those, so a clicker that works with PowerPoint works here, with no setup. Many clickers also have a “black screen” button that sends B or .; that works too.
Foot pedals and other controllers
Bluetooth page-turner pedals made for musicians send the same keys, so they work for presenting hands-free. Game controllers and keyboards with programmable keys work if you map a button to the right arrow key.
Shortcuts worth learning
- Number + Enter jumps to a slide: the fastest answer to “can you go back to the chart?”.
- B blacks the screen for discussion; press it again to bring the slide back.
- T starts or pauses the timer if you started early.
- F goes full screen if the browser didn’t.
If the clicker does nothing
- Click once on the presentation window so it has focus; key presses go to the active window.
- Check the clicker’s USB receiver is in and its battery is charged.
- Some clickers have a mode switch for “slides” and “mouse”; choose slides.
Questions
My clicker’s laser and volume buttons do nothing.
Lasers are built into the clicker, so they work on their own. Volume and media buttons aren’t sent to web pages.
Can a clicker work with the phone remote?
Yes. Pair the clicker with your phone or your computer: both work.
Does the laser in my clicker show on screen?
A clicker’s physical laser shows on a projector screen but not on large TVs or video calls. The phone remote’s laser pointer draws a dot on the slide itself, which shows everywhere.
Can I go back to the first slide quickly?
Press Home to go to the first slide and End to go to the last.
Do shortcuts work in the audience window?
Yes. Keys work in presenter view and in the audience window, and both stay in step.
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