Microsoft productivity suite is one of the most popular groups of apps used by people to make and share documents, presentations, and databases. Using Microsoft OneDrive, users can also share their presentations with friends and coworkers, for them to review and suggest changes.
However, unlike Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint does not have a “track changes” feature. To receive changes and comments and feedback, there is an elaborate set of steps that you need to follow. Here I will discuss how to track changes in Microsoft PowerPoint.
How To Track Changes In Microsoft PowerPoint ?
Since Microsoft PowerPoint does not have this feature inbuilt to track changes, there is a simple trick that you can apply to track changes in your presentation. This involves sharing a softcopy of the presentation you want to share with your desired group and comparing that with the original copy. The steps involved are listed below:
Step 1: Backup Your Presentation
The first thing that you need to do after finishing it is to create a backup of the presentation that you want to be reviewed. In essence, you will now have two copies of the same presentation i.e. the original and a copy.
Step 2: Share The Copy
Now that you have finished the presentation and made a copy of it, it is time to share the presentation with your peers.
- Share the copy you just made to the shared location that you use like OneDrive.
- Send an email containing the link to the presentation to every person that will review it.
Alternatively, open the copy that you made, click on the File menu, and select Invite people.
- Ask your peers to click the Review tab to add comments or make changes to the copy that you shared.
- Ask them to save the changes that they made to the document.
Note: if you are the one making changes
- Select the Insert
- Click Comment.
- A sidebar will appear on the right where you can type out your comments.
Step 3: Track And Review Changes
Now that the reviews have come in, it is time to review the changes that they made to your presentation. Microsoft PowerPoint includes a handy tool called Compare that lets you review your work.
- Go to your original presentation.
- Here, select the Review tab.
- Now click on Compare.
- Next, open the shared PowerPoint presentation version you want to compare your presentation to.
- The sidebar will appear and the differences between the presentations will be noted under Slide Changes or Presentation Changes.
- Now you need to click each change to review the editing that has been made to your presentation.
6. To accept the change, click the ‘Other Authors’ 
checkbox. Doing nothing will ignore the change.
7. Again, select the Review
8. Here click on Show Comments.
-
- A sidebar will appear on the right where you can review the comments made in the presentation.
9. Click Previous 
or Next 
to toggle between the comments made on different slides. You can also reply to the comments in this sidebar too.
10. To delete a comment, click on the cross icon beside the name of the reviewer.
11. Click on the End Review button once you have finished comparing and tracking changes.
Conclusion
Although there isn’t a direct way to track changes from within Microsoft PowerPoint, using this simple workaround you can share and review the PowerPoint presentations that you have made highlighting your best work. If you too were stuck with this dilemma, now you know how to track changes in Microsoft PowerPoint. Did you find this useful? Comment below if you did and we can discuss further the same.
