How to Pin a PowerPoint File to Quick Access Across Devices

You want a specific PowerPoint file to appear at the top of the Open menu every time you launch PowerPoint, whether you are on a desktop, laptop, or tablet. The built-in Quick Access list in PowerPoint relies on the Windows Recent Items system and your Microsoft account, but the list does not sync automatically across devices by default. This article explains how to pin a PowerPoint file to Quick Access in Windows 10 and Windows 11, how to make that pinned file appear on another device, and what limitations you should expect.

How PowerPoint Quick Access Pinning Works

The Quick Access list in PowerPoint is the list of files that appears when you click File > Open. This list has two sections: Recent and Pinned. The Recent section shows files you opened recently, sorted by date. The Pinned section shows files you manually pinned using the thumbtack icon that appears when you hover over a file name in the Recent list.

Pinning a file in PowerPoint stores a shortcut in the Windows Recent Items folder. This folder is located at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent. The shortcut contains the file path and the pin flag. Because this folder is part of the local user profile, it does not roam between devices unless you use a Microsoft 365 work or school account with Enterprise State Roaming enabled. For most home and business users with a Microsoft account, the Recent Items folder stays on the local machine.

The exception is files saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. When you open a cloud file from the Recent list, PowerPoint records the file’s cloud identifier, not just the local path. The pin state for cloud files is stored in your Microsoft 365 roaming settings. This means a file pinned from a cloud location can appear in the Pinned section on another device signed into the same Microsoft 365 account.

Steps to Pin a PowerPoint File to Quick Access on Windows 10 and Windows 11

The steps are identical for Windows 10 and Windows 11. You do not need to modify the registry or install any add-ins.

1. Open PowerPoint and go to File > Open
   Click the File tab in the upper-left corner of the PowerPoint window. Then click Open in the left navigation pane.
2. Locate the file you want to pin
   The Recent list displays the files you have opened recently. Scroll down to find the file. If the file is not in the Recent list, click Browse and open the file from its folder. After opening it, return to File > Open. The file now appears in the Recent list.
3. Hover over the file name and click the pin icon
   Move your mouse pointer over the file name in the Recent list. A small thumbtack icon appears to the right of the file name. Click the thumbtack. The icon changes to a filled pin, and the file moves to the Pinned section at the top of the list.
4. Verify the file is pinned
   The file now appears under the Pinned heading. You can click the file name to open it directly from this list.

To unpin a file, hover over the pinned file and click the filled thumbtack icon. The file returns to the Recent section.

Pinning a File That Is Not in the Recent List

If the file has never been opened in PowerPoint on the current device, you cannot pin it directly from File > Open. You must open the file at least once. Click Browse, navigate to the file, double-click to open it, then close it. The file now appears in the Recent list, and you can pin it using the steps above.

How to Sync Pinned Files Across Devices Using OneDrive or SharePoint

To make a pinned file appear on another device, the file must be saved to OneDrive or SharePoint. Local files stored on drive C do not sync across devices.

1. Save the PowerPoint file to OneDrive or SharePoint
   In PowerPoint, click File > Save As. Choose OneDrive (personal or work) or SharePoint. Give the file a name and click Save.
2. Open the cloud file from the Recent list on the first device
   Click File > Open. Find the cloud file in the Recent list and open it. This step registers the cloud identifier in your Microsoft 365 roaming settings.
3. Pin the cloud file
   With the file open, click File > Open again. Hover over the cloud file in the Recent list and click the pin icon.
4. Sign into the same Microsoft 365 account on the second device
   On the second device, open PowerPoint. Make sure you are signed in with the same Microsoft account or work/school account that you used on the first device.
5. Check the Pinned list on the second device
   Click File > Open. The Pinned section should show the cloud file you pinned on the first device. It may take a few minutes for the roaming settings to sync. If the file does not appear, close and reopen PowerPoint.

This method works for PowerPoint 2019, PowerPoint 2021, and Microsoft 365 versions of PowerPoint on Windows. It does not work for PowerPoint for Mac or PowerPoint for the web, because those versions use a different recent-files system.

Limitations and Things to Avoid

Pinned Local Files Do Not Roam

If you pin a file stored on your local hard drive (for example, C:\Users\YourName\Documents), that pin exists only on the device where you created it. The shortcut in the Windows Recent Items folder is not part of the Microsoft 365 roaming profile. To access the file on another device, you must either copy the file to a cloud location or manually pin it again on the second device.

Enterprise State Roaming Is Required for Full Roaming

Organizations using Microsoft 365 Enterprise can enable Enterprise State Roaming in the Azure AD admin center. When this feature is turned on, the Windows Recent Items folder syncs across domain-joined devices. This allows local file pins to roam. Check with your IT administrator before relying on this feature.

Pinning Does Not Work for Files Opened From Email Attachments

When you open a PowerPoint file directly from an email attachment in Outlook, the file is saved to a temporary folder. PowerPoint does not add this temporary file to the Recent list. To pin a file from an email, save the attachment to OneDrive or a local folder first, then open it from that location.

Clearing the Recent List Removes All Pins

If you clear the Recent list in PowerPoint (File > Options > Advanced > Display > Show this number of unpinned recent files > set to 0), all pinned files are removed. You must pin each file again after restoring the list.

Item	Local File (C: drive)	Cloud File (OneDrive / SharePoint)
Can be pinned in File > Open	Yes	Yes
Pin syncs to another device	Only with Enterprise State Roaming	Yes, via Microsoft 365 roaming settings
File must be opened first	Yes	Yes
Works on PowerPoint for Mac	No	No

You can now pin any PowerPoint file to Quick Access on your current device using the thumbtack icon in File > Open. For cross-device access, save the file to OneDrive or SharePoint before pinning. As an advanced tip, enable the keyboard shortcut Alt+F then O to jump directly to the Open pane, where you can hover and press the context menu key to pin the selected file without using the mouse.