A countdown timer for PowerPoint — no add-in required

A floating, always-on-top timer that overlays your slides during a live presentation. Works with PowerPoint and Keynote, on Mac and Windows — nothing to install into the deck itself.

Why this isn't a PowerPoint plugin

Most "PowerPoint timer" tools are add-ins installed directly into PowerPoint — which means they only run on Windows, since PowerPoint on macOS doesn't expose the APIs an add-in needs to draw a timer inside a slide. KUMA Timer takes a different approach: instead of living inside PowerPoint, its Presenter View is a separate floating window that stays on top of whatever is full-screen — PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, a PDF deck. Nothing to install into your presentation, and it works the same way on Mac and Windows.

How it works

Always-on-top overlay. The floating window stays visible over PowerPoint or Keynote even in full-screen slideshow mode.
Doesn't steal keyboard focus. Your presentation clicker keeps advancing slides normally while the timer runs.
Optional transparent background. Show just the digits and controls, with the slide underneath visible through the rest of the window.
Drag to move, drag the edge to resize — font size scales automatically to fill the window.
Hover reveals controls — Start/Stop, Pause, −1m, +1m — without leaving your slides.

Setting it up

Open KUMA Timer and set your duration
Go to Settings → Display → Enable Presenter View Mode — the floating window appears
Position and resize it (e.g. a corner of your laptop screen)
Start your PowerPoint or Keynote slideshow as normal
Press Start on the floating window, or trigger it remotely via OSC or Bitfocus Companion
The countdown stays visible throughout — your clicker keeps working

On the first launch on macOS, you'll see a one-time permission prompt to let KUMA Timer briefly bring your presentation back into focus after you click a Presenter View button — full details in the documentation.

Running a full live show rather than a single presentation — multiple segments, a crew watching a confidence monitor, show-control integration? See the stage timer software feature overview.

Also driving video cues from a PowerPoint deck? That's a different feature — KumaPoint is a Windows-only add-in that reads the playback position of an embedded video in a slide and streams it to KUMA as a broadcast-style TCR source, for shows that follow a VT rather than a countdown. See KumaPoint in the documentation →

Try it: the free browser timer works instantly if you just need a quick countdown on a screen right now. For Presenter View overlaying your live presentation, download KUMA Timer and run the 30-day free trial.

Download KUMA Timer See pricing — £8 one-off

FAQ

Is there a PowerPoint timer plugin for Mac?

Not as a true PowerPoint add-in — PowerPoint on macOS doesn't expose the APIs a plugin would need. KUMA Timer's Presenter View sidesteps that entirely: it's a separate floating countdown window that stays always-on-top of PowerPoint or Keynote in full-screen, without being installed into the slide deck. It works identically on Mac and Windows.

How do I show a countdown timer on my PowerPoint slides?

Open KUMA Timer, set your duration, and enable Presenter View Mode in Settings → Display. A small floating window appears that stays on top of PowerPoint even in full-screen slideshow mode. Start your slideshow as normal — the countdown stays visible and your presentation clicker keeps working, since the overlay never steals keyboard focus.

Does the timer work with Keynote and Google Slides too?

Yes. Because Presenter View is a separate floating window rather than an add-in built into one specific app, it overlays any full-screen presentation — PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides in a browser, or a PDF deck.