Use bidirectional text

Keynote also supports bidirectional text, so you can enter and edit text written from left to right (such as in English or Chinese) and from right to left (such as in Arabic or Hebrew). You can use bidirectional text in paragraphs, shapes, and table cells.

Note: You can use any Keynote theme to create a bidirectional presentation, but to see themes designed specifically for another language, you must set the primary language of your computer to that language (in System Preferences, click Language & Region, then set the language). When you create a new presentation, you see themes for that language.

Change paragraph text direction

  1. Click in a paragraph or list, or select text in a paragraph or list.

  2. In the Format  sidebar, click the Text tab.

  3. In the Alignment section, click  the Paragraph direction button.

    The insertion point moves to the other side of the object, and the paragraph direction changes.

    The bidirectional button in the Alignment section of the Format sidebar.
  4. Enter text, then press Return at the end of the paragraph.

    The next paragraph continues in the same direction. To change its direction, click  the Paragraph direction button.

If you select multiple paragraphs with different text directions and then click  the Paragraph direction button, the paragraphs are formatted to match the first paragraph in the selection.

See alsoChange a presentation’s language and formattingCreate a presentation with the formatting of a different languageSet up a keyboard or other input source for another language