Can I lock a shape or object in PowerPoint? Yes!

With PPT Productivity you can now lock shapes, images or other objects in PowerPoint! Standard PowerPoint does not offer this feature.

How to lock objects in PowerPoint?

With PPT Productivity's PowerPoint Shape Locker function you can lock any object, shape, image or placeholder on a slide.  ‘Locking’ the object prevents you (or others!) from accidentally moving it.  With the shape locker feature you can lock a picture in PowerPoint. You can lock a table in PowerPoint. You can lock any object that you can add to the slide.

You can also lock objects to your Master Slide layouts with the ShapeLocker feature for PowerPoint! This means if someone accesses the master slides in a presentation, the shape lock will prevent them from accidentally moving, removing or editing the object. A great example is to lock copyright text in PowerPoint. For example, to make sure the copyright text appears on all slides in a presentation, you can add this to the master slide and lock it into position.

Can I unlock shapes that have been locked?

Yes! Shapes that have been locked in your PowerPoint presentation can be unlocked easily if you are using PPT Productivity Power Tools.

• Simply select the slide/s containing the locked shape(s) you need to unlock, then click ‘Unlock shapes’ (Found beneath the Lock Shape icon on the PPT Productivity Ribbon).
• The file will again close momentarily and reopen. Previously locked shapes (on your selected slide(s) will now be unlocked and can be moved and edited like any other shape or object.
• Note: you do need PPT Productivity Power Tools software installed to be able to unlock shapes which have been locked by this feature.

How can I get the PowerPoint Shape Locking functions?

Standard PowerPoint does not give you the ability to lock shapes or objects on your slides.  If you are already using PPT Productivity Power Tools, you should see the new Shape Locking tool appear on the top ribbon on the PPT Productivity tab in the ‘Shapes’ group.

If you can’t see the new button, go to the help menu and select ‘Check for new software’ to download the latest version of PPT Productivity, then relaunch PowerPoint. Please note – in some organizations, upgrades to the software are controlled by your IT team.  If you’re unsure, contact us and we can check what the process is in your organization for accessing updates.