Slideshow Remote Control – Impress Remote User Guide

LibreOffice Impress Remote is an open-source application available for the Android and iOS operating systems, which lets you control LibreOffice Impress slideshows with a mobile device.

Impress Remote Icon

Impress Remote displays slide thumbnails in the device screen with any corresponding notes below. Flick your finger on the screen to go forward or backward in the presentation. You can also display a mosaic of slides to jump directly to the desired one for easier presentation dynamic.

The connection between the computer running the LibreOffice Impress presentation and the mobile device is done through Bluetooth or a network link.

Impress Remote Features

Impress Remote is a very useful application to let you control slideshows at a distance of the computer, enabling you to walk while doing your presentation. Its main features are:

Requirements:

Computer:

Mobile device:

Downloading and Installing Impress Remote in Your Mobile Device

Download Impress Remote from the Google Play Store or the Apple Store by searching for “Impress Remote” in the search box. Be sure that the results bring Impress Remote from The Document Foundation (TDF). Install Impress Remote in the mobile device as with other mobile applications.

Impress Remote Settings

With Impress Remote enabled in the mobile device and in the Computer page, access the Setting page by tapping the right corner of the screen. The following settings are available:

Connecting the Computer to the Mobile Device

Enable Bluetooth on both the device and the computer and pair them. Refer to the instructions manuals of your device and your computer operating system to know how to enable Bluetooth, set up a Bluetooth identifier and pair devices. Once the pairing is established, the mobile device is ready to control the presentation.

Alternatively, you can connect through a network (including Wi-Fi). In this case, both the computer and the device must be connected to the same network.

Enabling Impress Remote control in LibreOffice Impress

To run an Impress slideshow, you must allow Impress to be controlled by the mobile device. Proceed as follows:

  1. Open LibreOffice Impress.

  2. Go to Tools – Options – LibreOffice Impress – General. You should see the screen depicted in the figure below.

  3. In the presentation options, select the Enable remote control checkbox and click OK.

Close LibreOffice Impress and start it again.

Impress General Options Dialog

Controlling the slideshow:

tip

Disable screen saving and screen locking from the mobile device as indicated above before running a slideshow. Ensure that the mobile device has enough battery power for the show’s duration with the screen on.


  1. Make sure both device and computer are already paired via Bluetooth or network connection.

  2. Open the presentation you want to show in LibreOffice Impress.

  3. Open the Impress Remote application on the mobile device and select the Bluetooth ID of the computer.

  4. Once you clicked on the computer’s name, it will automatically load the presentation slides on the Impress Remote with the notes section.

  5. Flick your finger left or right on the mobile screen to change the slides. Slide notes are in the bottom part of the mobile screen.

  6. Optionally, set the timer for defining each slide’s display time from the mobile application.

  7. The slides can also be changed with the volume keys on the mobile device. To enable it, open the settings and enable volume key actions in the Impress Remote.

Some Impress Remote mobile screenshots:

Impress Remote: initial thumbnail shown

Alternate mode: all slide thumbnails for direct selection or jumping. The current slide has a red selection cursor

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