Removing notes from PowerPoint: a game changer for Mac

I have been juggling a significant teaching load this year. I generally use PowerPoint as a visual aid for teaching; and, for my own purposes, often use the ‘notes’ function in PowerPoint.

For accessibility, I distribute PowerPoints as an editable file – not a PDF – on the learning management system, but this often means my notes need to be removed before the PowerPoints are distributed. Deleting notes across PowerPoints is time-consuming and repetitive – there has to be a better way.

There is – and it is a game changer.

For those using a PC, there is a fairly simple solution to delete all notes: https://www.howtogeek.com/730732/how-to-delete-all-presentation-notes-at-once-in-microsoft-powerpoint/

On a Mac, it is more complicated – that PC “Remove All” option is missing!

Instead, I found a solution on this forum: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/delete-all-powerpoint-notes-on-a-mac/65933775-73d6-4f6e-b76c-444e1f1d05b8

In PowerPoint on Mac:

• Save a version of your PowerPoints for distribution / uploading (so your notes are safe for next year in a different file)
• Go to Tools > Macro > Visual Basic Editor
• In the Visual Basic Editor, right click on your file, and select Insert > Module
• In the module, paste:
  • Sub Zap()
  • Dim osld As Slide
  • For Each osld In ActivePresentation.Slides
  • With osld.NotesPage.Shapes(2)
  • If .HasTextFrame Then
  • .TextFrame.DeleteText
  • End If
  • End With
  • Next osld
  • End Sub
• Press the “play” (Run Sub/UserForm) button on the ribbon at the top of the Visual Basic Editor.
• When you save your PowerPoints, you will be prompted to “Remove Macros and Save”.

And – like magic – your notes will be removed.