Forum Discussion
Can't indent bullet point lists in PowerPoint for Mac
If I insert a text box into a slide and create a bullet point list, I am unable to indent sub-bullet text. However, I am able to indent non-bullet point text. I am also able to indent a bullet point list if I put list in the default body text box (from the presentation master template). It is only if I manually insert a text box and try to do a list. I've had this problem for months and it's really annoying. I'm currently running Version 16.12
Is anyone else having this problem?
Steven Tolboe I solved it. I used Google Slides to type the text how I want it and then copied and pasted that into my Microsoft PPT slide.
I cannot believe how something as basic as an indent on a bullet list is such a struggle for PPT. It's 2024!!!
- Hi!
I have PowerPoint for Mac version 16.87 and have same problem:
If I add a text box into the slide (text box by default has bullet points), I can't indent bullet text.
The indents work in an added text block without bullets and in text blocks added as placeholder on a master slide.
Has anyone found a workaround for this problem?
I would be extremely grateful for a solution! Okay I just came across this problem for Powerpoint 16.57 on my Macbook. I did a lot of digging and I found that the only solution to this problem, if the tab button is not working on bullet points to make sub-bullet points, is to open up a new Powerpoint presentation and copy it onto the new one. Essentially, you are merging the 2 Powerpoints. To do this:
- Open up a new blank Powerpoint presentation
- On the new Powerpoint presentation, click on the HOME tab
- On the HOME tab, you should see the option to add a NEW SLIDE, next to the NEW SLIDE, there should be a drop down arrow, click the drop down arrow and select 'Reuse Slides...'
- Once you click the 'Reuse Slides...' option, it should bring you to your files, so locate and select the Powerpoint file that you want to merge (the Powerpoint where the indent bullet point feature does not work). Click OK after that and the 2 Powerpoints should have merged
This should solve the bullet point not indenting when clicking the TAB key
- Thank you!
This solution worked for me! I had the indentation problem in a non-presentation template.
I copied all the master slides into a new presentation and the bullet list indents started working.
Steven Tolboe on mac go to "tell me" and type in "demote" (make sure you have bullet points already on) then click it and it'll indent for you.
- this works
- All this work just to make a sub-bullet point! The issue has been there since 2019!! MS Office as usual are incapable of fixing a basic problem!!
- It's 2022 and this issue still seems to persist. I'm using version 16.61 (for Mac) and have the same problem.
The tab key simply does not ident the sub-topic, and it remains in the same alignment as the parent topic.- After doing some research it seems that the issue is related to the slide master.
I can't replicate the issue when working from a blank tempalte.
I had this problem. If you display the ruler you can drag the indent, carriage return and add tabs. However, adding tabs seems to have no effect only dragging the start & indent on a line.
Steven Tolboe The layout has to be changed to bullet points rather than body or title layouts. You can do this from the Home tab, use the Layout dropdown, and select the Bullets layout for your bulleted list section.
- This happened to me. I tried opening the presentation in Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox and still couldn't indent the bullets. Starting from a fresh Layout template created bullets that I could indent. Not sure what was wrong with the initial layout but in my case, I should have been using one of our templates anyway.
If you're having this problem, just try starting the slide from scratch.
I use Powerpoint for Mac Version 16.16.14 and can't set up an indent on the second line of the bullet. Very annoying. Are there any workarounds?
It would be helpful to have ALL of the functionality, like the Paragraph Dialog Box and multiple indent options.
Peak_Kurt - I'm having the same problem (version 16.37). The only workaround I've found is to force the bullet to indent by moving the indents on the ruler. Then I use the format painter for any subsequent indented bullets (under regular bullets later in the slide).
gillianbolde I am having the same issue. I just purchased the latest Apple Pro and I can not add or intent bullets in PowerPoint. What is the solution? Does any one have any suggestions?
Steven Tolboe Doesn't work for me as well - looks like there are quite a lot of people with this problem and plenty of posts on this but not a single reasonable fix yet.
Nishal_John I had this issue also. I created my list with indents in word and then copy/pasted. The indents remained. It was faster than trying to force the issue on ppt.
- The issue has been there since 2019!! MS Office as usual are incapable of fixing a basic problem!!
- BenSchorr
Microsoft
Nishal_John What version of PowerPoint are you using?
I am able to do that, i.e. have two levels of bullets with different indent places. One must select the section they want to indent separately before moving the tabs.
Nope, this does not work
