Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac (version 16.45+) removed the ability to bulk import images into separate slides. This guide shows you how to do it using a macOS Automator script.
Steps
Step 1: Download the Automator script
The script was shared on the Microsoft community forum. Download it from OneDrive:
Step 2: Create the Automator workflow
Follow this video walkthrough to set up the script in Automator:
Step 3: Fix permission errors (if you hit them)
If you get a “Grant File Access” error when running the script, move your images into PowerPoint’s sandboxed folder before running:
1 | /Users/(YourUsername)/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office |
Move your images there, then run the Automator script — it should work without permission issues.
Bonus: Disable VLC snapshot preview thumbnail
If you’re using VLC and want to turn off the snapshot preview popup:
- Open VLC → Preferences → click Show All
- Select Video in the left panel
- Uncheck Display video snapshot preview (scroll down to find it)
- Save and restart VLC