A PowerPoint text box can look impossible to remove when the cursor is inside the words or the object sits behind another shape. The fix is to select the text box object itself, then delete it from the slide, the Selection Pane, or the slide master when the box belongs to a layout.
Start with the fastest delete method, then move to the options for hidden boxes, grouped template objects, footers, borders, and backgrounds.
Delete a normal text box
Click the border of the text box you want to remove. Clicking inside the box places the cursor in the text, so Delete removes characters instead of the box.
Press Delete. PowerPoint removes the selected text box from the slide.
If Delete removes letters instead of the box, click the border again or use the Selection Pane method below.
Switch from text editing to object selection
Press Esc when text inside the box is selected.
Press Tab to move forward through slide objects.
Press Shift plus Tab to move backward through slide objects.
Stop when the text box object is selected.
Press Delete to remove it.
Keep moving with Tab or Shift plus Tab if PowerPoint selects the wrong object first.
Find a hard to click box in the Selection Pane
Use the Selection Pane for text boxes hidden behind other objects or placed too close to another shape.
- 1.Go to Home, choose Select, then open Selection Pane.
- 2.Or press Alt plus F10.
- 3.Select the text box item in the pane.
- 4.Press Delete.
Remove a box in PowerPoint for the web
Use this when you are editing in a browser and selecting the object on the slide is awkward. PowerPoint for the web can also remove the box through the Selection Pane.
Select one or more shapes on the slide.
Go to Home or Shape, open Arrange, then choose Selection Pane.
Select the text box item in the pane.
Press Delete.
Remove several text boxes at once
On Windows, hold Ctrl while clicking each text box you want to remove. You can also hold Shift while clicking multiple shapes that contain text.
On Mac, use Command-click to select multiple objects.
After the right boxes are selected, press Delete.
If hand-selecting several objects gets messy, open Home, choose Select, open Selection Pane, then delete the boxes from there.
Ungroup a template object first
This fixes text trapped inside a grouped template element.
Select the group that contains the text box or text object.
Go to Shape Format or Picture Format.
Open Group, then choose Ungroup.
Select the separated text box or the object that contains the text.
Press Delete.
Edit the slide master when the box will not move
The most common cause is that the text box or placeholder lives on the slide master or layout instead of the normal slide.
Go to View, then choose Slide Master.
In the left thumbnail pane, select the slide master or layout that contains the unwanted text.
Select the placeholder or text box border, then press Delete.
Go to Slide Master, then choose Close Master View.
If the slide still shows the old layout, go to Home, open Layout, and reapply the changed layout.
Clear footer text, borders, or background only
Footer text is controlled separately from a normal text box. Go to Insert, choose Header & Footer, open the Slide tab, clear the Footer box, then choose Apply for one slide or Apply to All for every slide.
To keep the words but remove the visible border, select the text box and go to Shape Format, then Shape Outline, then No Outline. On some Windows ribbon layouts, the path appears as Format, then Shape Outline, then No Outline.
To keep the text box but remove its colored background, select the text box or shape and go to Shape Format, then Shape Fill, then No Fill. On some ribbon layouts, the path appears as Format, then Shape Fill, then No Fill.
On Windows 11 version 22H2 and later, use voice access instead of Windows Speech Recognition when controlling PowerPoint by voice.
Cut or hide the box instead
Use this when you are not ready to permanently remove the text box. Cutting removes it from the slide and puts it on the clipboard, while hiding keeps it in the file and makes it invisible.
To cut the selected text box, click its border.
Press Ctrl plus X on Windows or Command plus X on Mac.
You can also right-click the object and choose Cut.
To hide the box without deleting it, open Home, choose Select, then open Selection Pane.
Select the object and choose the Hide object eye button.
Choose the eye button again to show the text box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Delete remove the words but not the text box?
Your cursor is inside the text box, so PowerPoint is editing text. Click the border of the box, or press Esc to select the object, then press Delete.
Can I remove a text box from every slide at once?
If it is footer text, use Insert > Header & Footer, clear Footer, then choose Apply to All. If it belongs to a master layout, remove it in View > Slide Master.
How do I remove only the outline around a PowerPoint text box?
Select the text box, then go to Shape Format > Shape Outline > No Outline. This keeps the text box and the text in place.
Can I delete a PowerPoint text box on iPad?
Yes, with an external keyboard. Select the text box object, then press Del.