Switching between Mentimeter and PowerPoint

Perhaps the easiest way of using Mentimeter and PowerPoint together is to present from both tools, switching between the windows as needed. The simplest way to do this is to present Mentimeter and PowerPoint from individual windows while retaining access to your taskbar.

Doing this for Mentimeter is easy; press F on your keyboard when you have started the presentation to exit full-screen mode. Setting it up in PowerPoint needs only a little more work. Before your session, open the presentation in PowerPoint and select Slide Show from the top menu, then Set Up Slide Show, then Browsed by an individual (window).

A screenshot of the settings in powerpoint to browse from an individual window.

You can then present from PowerPoint but still have access to your taskbar to quickly switch to Mentimeter.

Please note: If you’re using an Apple computer (instead of Windows), you can maximise your windows above your dock by double clicking on the top bar of both your browser window and PowerPoint window.

Screenshot of presenting a powerpoint presentation from an individual window.

Alternatively, you can press Alt + Tab (or Command + Tab on a Mac) on your keyboard whilst presenting. This will allow you to switch between Mentimeter and PowerPoint whilst they are in full screen.

Importing PowerPoint slides into Mentimeter

If you want to use slides you have previously created in PowerPoint but would like to present using Mentimeter only, you can import PowerPoint slides into Mentimeter using the following steps:

  1. Before importing your PowerPoint slides, you may want to hide some slides that you don’t want to appear in the Mentimeter presentation. To do this, open the presentation in PowerPoint, right-click on any slides you want hidden and select “hide slide”.


    Hide slide option in PowerPoint.

  2. Open Mentimeter, create a new presentation and select New slide > Import slides. A window will open asking you to choose the presentation you want to import.

    A Mentimeter dialogue box asking you to choose a PowerPoint presentation.

  3. The slides from the presentation will be imported as static images. This means they will not retain any of the animations or transitions from PowerPoint.

    Please note: You will also need to add alt text to the imported slides. To do this, select a slide > Edit and in the right-hand menu, select Update image.



    Edit menu on a slide in Mentimeter. There is an option labelled 'Update image', where you can add alt text.

Mentimeter PowerPoint add-in: Pros and cons

As well as being used as a stand-alone activity or alongside PowerPoint, Mentimeter can be integrated into a PowerPoint presentation using the PowerPoint Mentimeter add-in.

A screenshot of how the Mentimeter add in appears when a PowerPoint presentation is being edited

With the add-in, Mentimeter questions can sit in your PowerPoint presentation, so you don’t have to switch between two windows to use both tools. This creates a seamless experience which keeps all of the affordances of PowerPoint with the added interactivity of Mentimeter.

However, it’s worth noting that some staff members have experienced a delay in being able to install the add-in. This is because the relevant permission needs to be added to your account manually, in a process performed once each month.

We have also had reports that after some time, the add-in has disappeared from some users’ PowerPoint add-in options. This matter is currently being investigated and this page will be updated when we receive further information.

Available Mentimeter question types with the PowerPoint add-in

Not all of Mentimeter’s question types are available in the PowerPoint add-in:

Available ✅

  • Multiple Choice
  • Open Ended
  • Word Cloud
  • Scales
  • Ranking
  • Quiz (Select Answer, Type Answer and Leaderboard)

Not available ❌

  • Q&A
  • Pin on Image
  • 2 by 2 Grid
  • Guess the Number
  • Quick Form
  • 100 points

Get the PowerPoint add-in

The PowerPoint add-in can be downloaded via the Mentimeter website. It’s a quick and easy process. Watch the video or read the instructions below to learn how:

  1. Go to the Mentimeter PowerPoint add-in page. Here you can learn more about the add-in.
  2. Select the link to download the add-in. You will be redirected to the Microsoft Office store.
  3. Log in to Microsoft 365 using your University email address.
  4. When the download has finished, click “Open in PowerPoint”.
  5. On PowerPoint, a slide with the add-in will open and you will be prompted to log in to Mentimeter. Choose “Log in with SSO”.
  6. Search for “University of Manchester” and log in with your usual IT account login details.