Microsoft has announced a new feature for PowerPoint for Windows that allows users to lock select objects on their slides. This update is currently rolling out in preview to Office Insiders, and it will soon be available for all users.
The new feature will provide an option to lock any object like shapes and pictures on a slide to prevent others from accidentally moving or editing them. “Have you modified objects without meaning to while working on a presentation? By locking objects such as shapes, icons, pictures, 3D models, connectors, ink, you can now ensure that there won’t be any mishaps. In order to modify an object, you will have to unlock it first.” the company explained in the blog post.
To lock an object in PowerPoint for Windows, users will need to right-click the shape and then select the “Lock” option available in the context menu. Finally, users will be able to unlock any object by heading to the Selection pane and clicking the “Unlock” icon available next to the object name.
Microsoft noted that the shape attributes are kept locked even when the presentation file is opened on another PC. Moreover, the object will retain its locked state in all the older Office versions that support this option.
Overall, the ability to lock objects should help business and education customers create PowerPoint templates that follow specific guidelines and rules. However, the feature is only available for Office Insiders on Windows, and it’s not clear if it is also coming to the web and Mac client.
