Remove Animations in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

Before You Remove Animations

Removing an animation in PowerPoint is a simple select-and-delete task. However, before you remove any animation, do ascertain why you want to remove it. Do remember that some animations can take hours to fine-tune and perfect. Here are some obvious questions to consider before removing animations:

Do you want to remove both the animation and the slide object that is animated?
Or do you want to just remove the animation, and let the slide object be?
Or maybe, you don't want to remove the animation or the slide object. Do you want to change the animation to another suitable animation effect?
Finally, do you want to just disable animations without removing them?

If you want to remove animation from a particular slide, but still need it to use elsewhere, make a duplicated copy of the slide and save it to use as needed in the future.

Here are the answers:

If you choose 1, then you need not read the rest of this tutorial. Just delete the animated slide object such as a shape, and any animation added to that object is gone too.
If you chose 2, then you need to read the rest of this page.
If you chose 3, then look at our Change Animations in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows tutorial.
If you chose 4, please look at our Enable or Disable PowerPoint Animations in Slide Show View page.

Now that you have established what you want to do, removing an animation is very easy. Follow these steps to remove any existing animation in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows:

Select the slide object that has one or more animations applied. Refer to our Adding an Animation in PowerPoint 2016 tutorial to learn how you can add animation.

Shape or Slide Object?

Although we are using a shape within this example, the same technique will work to add animation to any slide object within PowerPoint.

Access the Animations tab of the Ribbon, and within the Animation gallery, click the None option, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 1. This removes all animations applied to the slide object at one go.
Figure 1: None option to be selected to remove the animation
Do you have more than one animation assigned to the selected slide object, as shown highlighted in blue within Figure 2, below? You can remove a particular animation from within the Animation Pane. To bring up the Animation Pane, first access the Animations tab of the Ribbon. Then, click the Animation Pane button, highlighted in red within Figure 2.
Figure 2: Animation Pane button
Doing so opens the Animation Pane, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 3, below within the PowerPoint 2016 interface. Do note that the Animation Pane button, highlighted in red within Figure 2, above, is a toggle option. You click once to summon the Animation Pane and click the same button again to close the Animation Pane.
Figure 3: Animation Pane within PowerPoint interface
Within the Animation Pane, select the animation you want to remove. Right-click the selected animation to bring up a drop-down list, and choose the Remove option, as shown highlighted in red within Figure 4, below.
Figure 4: Remove option to be selected
Alternatively, select the animation to be removed in the Animation Pane (or on the slide) and press the Delete key on the keyboard. If you removed the wrong animation by mistake, quickly press the Ctrl+Z shortcut key to undo.
PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you want more keyboard shortcuts?

Explore our PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts and Sequences Ebook that is updated for all PowerPoint versions.
Save your presentation.

Remove All Animations in a Presentation?

Do you want to remove all animations from your slides? Is there a magic button somewhere in PowerPoint that can get rid of all animations altogether? Yes, you can do this easily in PowerPoint using some simple VBA code, says John Wilson. Read more in our VBA Code: Remove Animations in PowerPoint page.

Remove Animations in PowerPoint 2016 for Windows

Learn PowerPoint

Before You Remove Animations

Shape or Slide Object?

PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts

Remove All Animations in a Presentation?

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