Having a timer in your PowerPoint presentation can be extremely useful. There are many use cases for it for instance when you are conducting a workshop, you may want to insert a timer for break time. Likewise, you can also add a timer before the first slide to let your audience know when the presentation will start!
Whatever the case may be, the important question is – how to insert a timer in PowerPoint?
To insert a timer in PowerPoint, you can use add-ins such as “Easy Timer”, “Breaktime”, or “Slice Timer”. You can also create your own timer using the animation feature within PowerPoint using the “Fly out” or “Wheel” animation depending on the type of timer you want to add in PowerPoint.
In this article, we shall do a deep dive on this subject. I will share with you a few easy suggestions first to add a timer to your PowerPoint presentation. Plus, I will also show you how you can build your own timer later in the article!
So, let’s get started!
1. How to Add a Timer in PowerPoint?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can add a countdown timer to a slide either through add-ins or by creating a timer yourself. We shall take a look at the easier process first i.e. using the add-ins.
Then, I will also help you understand how to create your own timer in PowerPoint using animations.
Method 1 – Insert a Timer in PowerPoint Using Add-ins
Using add-ins is the quickest way to insert a timer in a Microsoft PowerPoint slide. These are mostly easy to insert and provide your slides with a professional look.
There are quite a few add-in options for adding a timer to your slides in PowerPoint. I’ve found the following add-ins to be the most effective.
Easy Timer
In the Easy Timer add-in, you can access three different types of countdown timers. You can add either the analog clock, the digital clock, or the bar countdown timer to your slide. All you need to do is insert the timer and set your preferred time.
Slice Timer
The Slice Timer add-in has a very clean look and is easy to use. All you have to do is click on the add-in and it will appear in the opened slide. You can put in your preferred duration for the timer.
Breaktime
The Breaktime timer is specifically designed for taking a presentation break. All you have to do is insert the timer in the slide and select your preferred break time. It also allows you to customize the timer background with various design options.
How to Insert a Timer Add-in in PowerPoint?
To insert a timer add-in in PowerPoint, first click on the “Insert” tab. Then, from the ribbon, click on “Add-in”. From the dropdown, click on “Get Add-in”. A new window will pop up. Search for “timer” using the search bar. Finally, click on “Add” to install the add-in to your PowerPoint.
The complete process is described in a step-by-step process below –
Step-1: Click on the “Insert” menu
The first step is to open the “Insert” menu. To do so, click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen.
Step-2: Click on “Get Add-ins”
In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Add-ins” button to open a dropdown menu. Click on the “Get Add-ins” option. This will open a dialogue box.
Step-3: Click on the “Search box”
In the “Office Add-ins” dialogue box, click on the “Search box” on the upper left side. Type in “Timer” and click on the search icon beside the “Search box”.
You can alternatively search for a specific timer by typing in “Slice Timer”, “Easy Timer”, “Breaktime”, etc.
Step-4: Click on the “Add” button
Now you can click on the “Add” button beside your preferred timer. This will prompt another dialogue box.
Click on the “Continue” box to add the timer add-in.
After this, once the process is complete, the add-in will be loaded to your PowerPoint presentation.
How to Insert a Countdown Timer Using an Add-in?
Now that you have installed the timer add-in in PowerPoint, the next step really is to simply insert a timer on your slides.
Step-1: Click on the “My Add-ins” option
In the “Insert” menu, click on the “Add-ins” option again. Click on the “My Add-ins” option from the dropdown menu.
In the secondary dropdown menu, click on the newly added timer add-in to insert it in the slide.
Step-2: Add the duration to the timer
The next step is to simply add the duration that you want to set for the timer!
Remember, most timer add-ins will have a separate field for hours, minutes, and seconds. So, the right-most field is usually for seconds.
To add a 5-minute timer, click on the middle field, and from the dropdown, click on “5”. Finally, click on “Start“.
And that’s it! You will see the timer doing a reverse counting from 5 minutes!
2. How to Create Your Own PowerPoint Timer?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can also make your own timer, apart from inserting a timer from Add-ins.
To create a custom timer in PowerPoint, first, insert a bar shape on the slide. Then, using the “Fly Out” animation, set the bar shape to disappear from the slide slowly. Adjust the duration of the animation to match the duration of your timer for the best effect.
You can insert a shape from the “Shapes” option and use the “Animation” menu to turn the shape into a “Bar Countdown Timer” or a “Clock Countdown Timer”.
2.1 Method 1 – Bar Countdown Timer
Here’s what a typical bar countdown timer looks like –
Let’s make a similar bar countdown timer which is easier than the above slide to create. Follow the easy steps mentioned below.
Step-1: Click on the “Shapes” option
The first step is to click on the “Insert” tab in the menu ribbon located at the top of the screen. Then click on the “Shapes” option to open a dropdown menu and select a shape under the “Rectangles” option.
Draw the rectangle bar touching the border of the slide on both sides.
Step-2: Remove the Shape Outline
Once you have inserted the shape, you need to format the shape first.
Select the shape. Then, the “Shape Format” tab will appear on the top. Click on it. Next, click on the shape outline option (as indicated in the image above).
From the dropdown, click on the “No Outline” option. This will remove the outline of the shape.
Step-3: Change the Shape Color to White
The next step is to change the shape color to a different color than the background. In this case, since I have a teal background, I’d change the color of the shape to white.
To do that, click on the shape, and open the “Shape Format” tab. Then, click on the “Fill Color” option, and from the dropdown, click on the “White” color.
Step-4: Create a Copy of the Shape and Change the Shape Color
In this next step, we shall create a copy of the shape and change the color of this shape to something other than white and the slide background.
To create a copy of the curved rectangle, click on the shape. Then, copy and paste the shape on the slide using the Ctrl+C (for copy) and Ctrl+V (for paste) shortcuts.
Once the copy is created, select the second shape by clicking on it. Then, click on the “Shape Format” tab. From the ribbon, click on the “Fill Color” option.
From the color dropdown that appears, choose a color other than white and that of the slide background.
Step-5: Align the Shapes Together
The next step is to make sure that the two shapes align on top of each other. We shall use the align tool in PowerPoint to accomplish this.
First, select the two shapes together by holding the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard, and clicking once on both the shapes one by one.
Then, click on the “Shape Format” tab. From the “Align” option, first, click on the “Align to Left” option. Then, click on the “Align” tab once again, and from the dropdown, choose the “Align to Top” option this time!
You will notice that both the shapes are now overlapping with the colored shape on top of the white one.
Step-6: Click on the “Animations” menu
Now we shall add the animations. To do that, first, make sure that only the colored shape on the top is selected.
Then, click on the “Animations” option in the menu ribbon. In the “Animations” menu, click on the “Add Animations” option.
After that, click on the “Fly Out” option under the “Exit” animation section from the dropdown menu.
Step-7: Click on the “Effects” option
The next step is to click on the “Effects” option in the “Animations” menu. In the dropdown menu under the “Effects” option, click on the “To Left” option.
This will apply the fly out animation effect to the shape and it will fly out towards the left part of the slide.
Step-8: Select your preferred duration
Now all you have to do is click on the “Duration” box in the “Timing” section. Enter the duration of the animation.
Remember – the duration of the animation should be the same as the length of the timer. Type in your preferred time for the timer. It will now appear as a “Bar Countdown Timer” in the “Slide Show” view.
Here’s a quick preview of how this bar countdown timer looks –
2.2 Method 2 – Clock Countdown Timer
You can also add a clock countdown timer in the Microsoft PowerPoint slide. Here’s what it shall look like –
Now let us understand how to build this clock-shaped circular countdown timer in a step-by-step manner.
Here’s what we need to do –
Step-1: Click on “Shapes”
The first step is to create a clock shape. Click on the “Insert” menu from the menu ribbon. Then click on the “Shapes” option and select the “Oval” shape from the “Basic Shapes” section in the dropdown menu.
Then, hold the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and drag the cursor in one direction. This will help you create a perfect circle on the slide.
Step-2: Remove the Shape Outline
In the next step, you need to remove the outline of the shape.
To remove the shape outline, first, select the shape. Then, click on the “Shape Format” tab. Next, click on the “Shape Outline” button. Finally, from the dropdown, click on the “No Outline” option.
Step-3: Change the Shape Color to White
Now, we need to change the shape color to white. Changing the color will help you separate the circle from the background.
To change the color of the shape to white, first, select the shape. Then, click on the “Shape Format” tab. Next, click on the “Fill Color” option. Finally, from the dropdown, select the color of your choice.
In this case, we shall click on the “White” color option.
Step-4: Create a Copy of the Circle and Change the Shape Color
Now, in this step, we shall use the copy and paste functions in PowerPoint to create a copy of the circle that we just created.
Then, change the color of this new circle to something other than that of the slide background and white.
Step-5: Align the Two Circles
Now, we shall align the two circles such that they fit on top of each other.
To do that, hold the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard and select the two circles by clicking on them just once one-by-one.
Then, click on the “Shape Format” tab and click on the “Align” tool. From the dropdown, first, click on the “Align to Left” option. Then, click on the “Align to Top” option.
This will ensure that both the circles align properly.
Step-6: Insert a Line
The next step is to click on the “Shapes” option again and click on the “Line” option in the “Lines” section. Then, insert a small line at the 12 o’clock position.
Step-7: Insert more lines
Repeat the process mentioned in step 7 and add more lines such that the lines make the shape appear like a clock.
Step-8: Add the “Wheel” Animation
Now, we shall add the animation.
On the slide, first, select the colored circle shape on the top. Click on the “Animations” tab in the menu ribbon.
In the “Animations” menu, click on the “Add Animations” button to open a dropdown menu. From there, click on the “Wheel” option from the “Entrance” section.
Step-9: Set the Animation Duration
Now all you have to do is click on the “Duration” box in the “Timing” section in the “Animations” menu. In the “Duration” box, type in your preferred time for the clock countdown timer.
3. How to Insert a 5-minute Timer in PowerPoint?
In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can easily set the duration of the timer inserted in a slide. The best and the fastest way to insert a 5-minute timer in PowerPoint is by using an add-in.
Step-1: Click on the “Easy Timer” add-in
In the menu bar at the top of the screen, click on the “Insert” option. Then click on the “Add-ins” option and select “Easy Timer” under the “My Add-ins” option in the dropdown menu. This will insert a timer in the slide.
Step-2: Click on the “Duration” box
In the Easy Timer box in the slide, click on the “Duration” box. Click on the downward-facing arrow in the “Minutes” box and select “05” from the dropdown menu.
Then click on the arrow pointing downwards in the “Seconds” box and select “00” from the dropdown menu. This will be automatically saved.
You can also insert a 5-minute timer in PowerPoint either by using the other add-ins mentioned earlier in this article or by creating your own timer manually. All you have to do is set the duration to 5 minutes.
Credit to Wayhomestudio (on Freepik) for the featured image of this article (further edited).