How to remove speaker notes from all slides in PowerPoint
Speaker notes are saved in the file and are visible to anyone who opens it in Normal view. On Windows the Document Inspector removes the notes from all slides at once. On Mac there is no single command, so you either clear them slide by slide or send a PDF without notes.
Windows: Document Inspector
- Save a copy first. Removed notes cannot be restored.
- Go to File, Info, Check for Issues, Inspect Document.
- Keep Presentation Notes ticked and select Inspect.
- Select Remove All next to Presentation Notes.
Mac
- Open View, Notes to see the notes pane.
- Clear the notes on each slide, or
- Export a PDF without notes if the recipient does not need to edit the deck.
What the manual way misses
- Before deleting, it is worth knowing what was in the notes. E-mail addresses, internal links and TODO markers are the usual problems.
- Notes are only one place where text hides. Hidden slides and hidden objects are not touched.