Cinema-quality presentations for everyone by Apple

Apple Keynote for Mac

Apple Keynote for Mac

  -  Freeware
Apple Keynote for Mac (also known as Keynote) is a powerful presentation software designed for Mac computers, offering a wide range of features to help users of all ages and technical knowledge levels create stunning and engaging presentations.

With its intuitive interface, large offering of professional templates, and highly modular on-screen objects, this app makes it easy for anyone to add beautiful charts, edit photos, and incorporate cinematic effects into their slides.

Whether you're a student, teacher, business professional, or anyone looking to create presentations, this software provides a simple and effective way to bring your ideas to life.

Developers of this app have made sure it is particularly useful for those who need to create presentations frequently, such as educators, marketers, and sales professionals.

Its ability to collaborate with others in real time, regardless of the device or platform, makes it an ideal tool for team projects and presentations.

Additionally, it also features seamless integration with other Apple devices and services, such as iCloud and Continuity Camera, allowing for a smooth workflow across different devices and platforms.

The best thing yet, this app is deployed automatically on all modern Mac devices as a preinstalled service, enabling all Mac users access to easily create slides and presentations whenever needed. In the event of app deletion or file corruption, it can be easily downloaded again or reinstalled for free.

Main Features
  • Themes and Templates – Access a wide variety of built-in themes and customizable templates.
  • Slide Design – Take full control over text, images, charts, tables, and other media in slides.
  • Transitions and Animations – Create engaging and interactive presentations with a large offering of cinema-quality transitions and animations.
  • Collaboration – Engage in real-time collaborative workflows on all compatible platforms – Mac, iPhone, iPad, and PC.
  • Comprehensive Import Options – Create presentations using already available data, with full support for PowerPoint, PDF, and video.
  • Presenter Options – Manage presentations with a standalone presenter display function that allows users to see notes, context, and additional data during the presentation.
  • Powered by iCloud – Have a piece of mind that all your valuable presentations and data will be backed up and ready for instant retrieval from secure cloud storage.
  • Export with a Single Click – Export presentations in all modern formats, including Microsoft PowerPoint, PDF, HTML, image files, text, and videos, with streamlined sharing with AirDrop, Mail, and Messages.
Installation and Setup

To install Keynote, users can simply open the App Store on their Mac and search for Keynote, or simply follow the provided secure link offered by FileHorse.

Once installed, users can launch the app and start creating presentations immediately without any need for additional customization and setup.

How to Use

Once inside the app, users can start creating new presentations by selecting a theme or template and then adding slides, text, images, and other media as needed.

Starting from scratch is also a viable tactic, especially for users who want to experiment and naturally create a unique visual style for their presentations.

The app offers a range of tools and features to help users customize their slides, including transitions, animations, and collaboration tools.

The main canvas editor provides streamlined access to an incredible variety of tools, including a chart manager, a library of over 700 editable shapes, a Media Browser for importing audio/photo/video files, an interactive gallery module, a background remover, and many others.

Users can also export their presentations in various formats and share them with others.

User Interface

The Keynote interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, with a clean and simple layout that makes it easy to navigate and create presentations.

The app is divided into different sections, including a slide navigator, a slide editor, and a presenter display. Users can easily switch between these sections to manage their presentation.

FAQ

What is Apple Keynote?
It is an official presentation software designed by Apple for use on Mac computers.

Is it safe?

Yes. This is a trusted and secure app from Apple, with regular updates to ensure the app and data it manages remains safe and out of the hands of unauthorized users both locally and in the cloud.

What`s New

As of the time of this review, the latest version of this app was v14.0 which was introduced in the first days of April 2024. Some of the newly added features in this version were as follows:

- Streamlined in-app notification service.
- Optimized collaboration.
- A new set of slide color templates (Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light, and Minimalist Dark).
- File export enhancements.
- Easier management of text in slides.
- Improved compatibility with slide transitions with Microsoft PowerPoint file format.
- Stability and performance improvements.

Alternatives

Microsoft PowerPoint – The world’s most popular presentation software, offered as part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service.

Google Slides – A free online presentation alternative that is deeply connected with various Google Cloud offerings.

LibreOffice Impress – An open-source presentation software that offers a range of features and tools.

Pricing

This is a 100% free app.

Languages

Apple has translated this popular app into more than 30 international languages:

English, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian Bokmål, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
 
System Requirements

This software requires a Mac computer running macOS 13.0 Ventura, or newer.

PROS
  • Easy to use.
  • Large offering of powerful features.
  • Seamless integration with Apple services.
  • Extensive import/export options.
  • Remote presentation control with iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch devices.
  • Free for use.
CONS
  • Lack of comprehensive help documentation, tutorials, and resources by Apple.
  • Not available on Windows and Linux computers.
Conclusion

Apple Keynote for Mac is a powerful and easy-to-use presentation software that offers a range of features to help users create engaging presentations.

Its seamless integration with other Apple devices and services makes it an attractive option for those looking for presentation software. It is free, regularly updated, and can easily import/export data in all modern presentation formats.

Note: Requires a Mac computer with an Intel processor.

  • Apple Keynote 14.2 Screenshots

    The images below have been resized. Click on them to view the screenshots in full size.

    Apple Keynote 14.2 Screenshot 1
  • Apple Keynote 14.2 Screenshot 2
  • Apple Keynote 14.2 Screenshot 3

What's new in this version:

Apple Keynote 14.2
- See HDR images and movies in greater dynamic range on supported displays. (Requires macOS Sequoia)
- Play your slideshow during a FaceTime call or video conference to automatically start sharing your presentation window. (Requires macOS Sequoia)
- Additional bug fixes and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 14.1
- Get inline predictions that complete the word or phrase you're typing
- Control where the presenter display appears when rehearsing a presentation with multiple displays connected
- Additional bug fixes and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 14.0
- Add a new look to your slides with the Dynamic Color, Minimalist Light, and Minimalist Dark themes
- Streamlined in-app notifications inform you when a person joins a collaborative presentation for the first time
- Preserve file format and full quality when adding HEIC photos taken on iPhone or iPad
- Press and hold the Command key to select noncontiguous words, sentences, or paragraphs
- Improved compatibility for slide transitions when importing and exporting Microsoft PowerPoint files
- Additional stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 13.2
- Bring new dimension to your presentations with 3D objects in USDZ format
- Play embedded animations within USDZ files or use Magic Move to animate 3D objects across slides
- Add motion to your presentation with new dynamic themes and live video slide layouts
- Remove external borders on charts imported from Microsoft Office files


Apple Keynote 13.1
- Add scalable vector graphics (SVGs) to your presentations and preserve visual quality at any size
- Break apart imported SVG images and save them to your shapes library for future use
- Show subtotal summary labels in stacked bar, column, and area charts
- Easily switch to your slideshow window when sharing Keynote on a FaceTime call


Apple Keynote 13.0
- Export and send a copy of your presentation in a different format right from the Share menu
- Includes improvements and bug fixes for collaboration activity
- Viewing a Keynote Live presentation is now supported only in a web browser


Apple Keynote 12.2.1
- bug fixes and improvements


Apple Keynote 12.2
- An all-new activity view shows recent changes in collaborative presentations, including when people join, comment, and make edits
- Get notifications when others join or make changes in your shared presentations
- Share a presentation in Messages to instantly start collaborating with your team and see updates right in the Messages conversation (Requires macOS 13)
- Send a message or start a FaceTime call right from a collaborative presentation (Requires macOS 13)
- Now use the File menu to manage your shared presentation or send a copy
- A new option lets you automatically remove an image’s background to isolate its subject (Requires macOS 13)
- Remove or replace the background of live video for a dramatic effect


Apple Keynote 12.1
- Add subtle movement and visual interest to your presentation with dynamic backgrounds that move continuously as you transition from slide to slide
- Select from new animated themes featuring dynamic backgrounds
- Skip or unskip all slides in a collapsed group


Apple Keynote 12.0
- Use Shortcuts on macOS Monterey to create or open presentations, rehearse a slideshow, or start presenting


Apple Keynote 11.2
- Live video makes presentations even more engaging by letting you use the camera in your Mac to show yourself right on your slides—in a window or fullscreen
- Connect multiple cameras for different live video angles
- Add a live feed of a connected iPhone or iPad screen
- Multi-presenter slideshows allow participants to take turns controlling a shared presentation from their own device
- New slideshow controls provide easy access to the slide navigator, keyboard shortcuts, live video sources, or multi-presenter controls while presenting
- Radar charts help you visually compare multiple variables at once to easily show similarities and differences in your data
- Flexible collaboration allows participants to add others to a shared presentation*
- Instant translation lets you translate selected text in up to 11 languages and add the translation to your presentation with a click*
- Create new presentations from the app icon in the Dock
* Requires macOS Monterey


Apple Keynote 11.1
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 11.0.1
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 11.0
- View your presenter notes, current slide, and next slide in a separate window while presenting
- Thumbnail images in the build order window make it easier to edit complex sequences
- Updated media browser offers enhanced search options and new content categories such as Recents, Portraits and Live Photos
- Ability to add phone number links to table cells, text objects, and shapes
- AppleScript functionality to change a presentation password or open password-protected presentations


Apple Keynote 10.3.9
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 10.3.8
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 10.3.5
- Refined new design on macOS Big Sur
- Stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 10.2
- Play YouTube and Vimeo videos right in your presentations*
- Use Play in Window for Recorded Slideshows
- Movie export now supports a wide selection of formats and frame rates
- Enhance your presentations with a variety of new, editable shapes
* May not be available in all regions


Apple Keynote 10.1
- Use the new “Play Slideshow in Window” option to have access to other applications while presenting locally or via video conferencing
- Movies can now play through slide transitions. Add the same movie to multiple slides to play from one slide to the next
- Use the Align to Path option to have objects stay pointed in the correct direction while following a motion path
- Easily add captions and titles to images, videos, shapes, and other objects


Apple Keynote 10.0
- Add a Keynote presentation to a shared iCloud Drive folder to automatically start collaborating. Requires macOS 10.15.4
- Edit shared presentations while offline and your changes will upload when you’re back online
- Select from a variety of gorgeous new themes to help you get started
- Easily access your recently used themes in a redesigned theme chooser
- Print or export a PDF of your presentation with comments included
- Add a drop cap to make text stand out with a large, decorative first letter
- Enhance your presentations with a variety of new, editable shapes
- New “Keyboard” text build in and build out animatio


Apple Keynote 9.2.1
- Stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 9.2
- Easily add HEVC-formatted movies to presentations, enabling reduced file size while preserving visual quality
- Jump to a specific slide in your presentation using a new menu command
- Add accessibility descriptions to audio, video, and drawings
- Improved accessibility of exported PDFs


Apple Keynote 9.1
- Edit master slides while collaborating on a presentation
- Style your text by filling it with gradients or images, or by applying new outline styles
- Place images, shapes, and equations inline in text boxes so they move with text
- Using face detection, subjects in photos are intelligently positioned in placeholders and objects


Apple Keynote 9.0.2
- This update addresses an issue that caused closed captions for videos to fail to play during a slideshow


Apple Keynote 9.0.1
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 9.0
- Create and share an animated GIF by exporting one or more slides
- Automatically sync custom shapes and themes to all your devices using iCloud
- Slides with custom wider aspect ratios now display better in the slide navigator, light table, and presenter display
- Improved performance while collaborating on presentations
- Edit grouped objects while collaborating
- Support for vertical text in shapes and text boxes in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages


Apple Keynote 8.3
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Apple Keynote 8.2
- Support for Dark Mode gives Keynote a dramatic dark look. Toolbars and menus recede into the background so you can focus on your content. Requires macOS Mojave
- Support for Continuity Camera allows you to take a photo or scan a document with your iPhone and have it automatically appear in your presentation on your Mac. Requires macOS Mojave and iOS 12
- Easily record, edit, and play audio right on a slide
- Enhance your presentations with a variety of new editable shapes
- Performance and stability improvements


Apple Keynote 8.1
- Add mathematical equations using LaTeX or MathML notation
- Give charts a new look with rounded corners on columns and bars
- Enhance your documents with a variety of new editable shapes
- Improved compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint
- Improved support for Arabic and Hebrew


Apple Keynote 8.0.1
This update contains stability and performance improvements.


Apple Keynote 8.0
- Collaborate in real time on presentations stored in Box. Requires macOS High Sierra
- Use donut charts to visualize data in an engaging new way
- Add an interactive image gallery to view a collection of photos
- Enhance presentations with a variety of new editable shapes
- Additional options for reducing the file size of presentations


Keynote 7.3.1
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Keynote 7.3
- New ability to filter the object list by typing object names
- Performance and stability improvements


Keynote 7.2
- Enhance your presentations using a library of over 500 professionally drawn shapes
- Reply to comments and join threaded conversations
- New auto-correction and text replacement options save time while typing
- Scroll anywhere with new pan and zoom options
- Edit presenter notes while displaying slides in Light Table view
- Improved support for Hebrew and Arabic languages
- The Stock and Currency functions now return data from the previous market day’s close


Keynote 7.1.1
- This update contains stability and performance improvements


Keynote 7.1
- New Object List makes it easy to select, edit, and organize objects even on complex slides
- New option to display presenter notes on black background makes them easier to read while presenting in low-light settings
- Easily replace fonts throughout an entire presentation
- New leader lines make pie charts easier to read
- Quickly open password-protected presentations using Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar
- New stock and currency functions provide up-to-date securities data in tables
- Post interactive presentations on Medium, WordPress, and other websites
- Import Keynote 1.0 presentations
- Customize dates, times, and currencies for your language or region


Keynote 7.0.5
- Support for Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro lets you easily edit text, shapes, tables and charts
- Control Slideshow playback using Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro
- Stability and performance improvements


Keynote 7.0
- Keynote Live lets you present a slideshow that viewers can follow from their Mac, iPad, iPhone, and from iCloud.com
- Open and edit Keynote ’05 presentations
- Use tabs to work with multiple presentations in one window
- Wide color gamut image support
- Real-time collaboration (feature in beta)
- Edit a presentation with others at the same time in Keynote on Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iCloud.com
- Share your presentation publicly or with specific people
- See who else is in a presentation
- See participants’ cursors as they’re editing


Keynote 6.6.2
- This update contains stability improvements and bug fixes.


Keynote 6.6.1
- Resolves an issue with presentations that feature links on master slides
- Addresses problems exporting presentations as images
- Additional bug fixes
- Stability and performance improvements


Keynote 6.6
- Multitask while editing using new Split View in El Capitan
- Open Keynote ’08 and ’06 presentations
- Shared Keynote presentations can now be previewed on iOS and Android browsers
- Force click images and get haptic feedback as you edit using Force Touch trackpad
- New build animation: Line Draw
- New Apple-designed themes: Modern Type, Exhibition, Drafting
- Easily access recently used fonts in the Fonts menu
- Enhanced support for OpenType font features like small caps, contextual fractions, alternative glyphs and more
- View Collections, Moments, Favorites and Shared Albums from Photos in the Media Browser
- Add reference lines to charts
- Create table, chart and shape styles from an image
- Easily edit presenter notes with VoiceOver
- VoiceOver can now read presenter notes during slideshows
- Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
- Add and review comments with VoiceOver
- Full bidirectional support for Arabic and Hebrew
- Additional AppleScript options for PDF export
- Additional AppleScript options for PowerPoint export
- Improved PowerPoint compatibility for charts, text overflows, non-rectangular masks, animation mapping, and theme import and export
- Improved PowerPoint export


Keynote 6.5.3
- This update contains stability improvements and bug fixes


Keynote 6.5.2
- This update contains stability improvements and bug fixes


Apple Keynote 6.5
- All-new design inspired by OS X Yosemite
- Instantly switch between iPad, Mac, and iPhone with Handoff
- Support for iCloud Drive
- Updated file format makes it easier