You can group shapes, pictures, or other objects (but not text boxes). Grouping lets you rotate, flip, move, or resize all shapes or objects at the same time as though they were a single shape or object.
The attributes of all of the shapes in a group can be changed at one time, such as adding a shape fill or effect, or an effect to a picture. You can ungroup a group of shapes at any time and then regroup them later.
Group shapes, pictures, or other objects
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Press and hold Ctrl while you select the shapes, pictures, or other objects to group. More than one shape, picture or object must be selected in order to enable the
Tip:Â For help selecting a shape or picture, see Select a shape or other object.
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On the Shape Format or the Picture Format tab, select Group and choose Group again.
Tips:Â
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To group multiple SVG icons together you have to convert them to shapes first. For more information on converting them to shapes, see: Convert an SVG image to an Office shape.
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After you make your group, you can still work with a single item in the group. Select the group, and then choose the item to select it.
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The Shape Format or Picture Format tabs only appear on the ribbon when you have a shape or a picture selected.
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Select the group that you want to ungroup.
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On the Shape Format or the Picture Format tab, select Group and choose Ungroup.
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Select any one of the shapes, pictures, or objects that were previously in a group.
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On the Shape Format or the Picture Format tab, select Group and choose Regroup.
Note:Â If you converted a SmartArt graphic to individual shapes, you can't convert them back to a SmartArt graphic or regroup them.
Here are some reasons why the
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Only one shape or picture is selected. Make sure you have multiple shapes or pictures selected. You can't use the Group tool with SVG icons, so those don't count.
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To group SVG icons together you have to convert them to shapes first. For more information on converting them to shapes, see: Convert an SVG image to an Office shape.
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Your selection includes a table, worksheet, or GIF image. The
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If you are using PowerPoint, you might have tried to group something with the title placeholder text ("Click to add title") or with the content placeholder ("Click to add text").
In the above example, the blue square and the green circle can be grouped together. But the shapes cannot be grouped with the placeholder text.
To get the
Note:Â If none of this enables the
Group shapes, pictures, or other objects
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Press and hold command while you use the mouse or touchpad to select the shapes, pictures, or other objects that you want to group.
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On the Shape Format or the Picture Format tab, selectÂ
Note: If you don't see the Shape Format and Picture Format tabs be sure at least one shape or a picture is selected.
Microsoft 365 may display one or both of these tabs, depending on the types of objects that are currently selected in a page.
If
After you make a group of objects, you can still work with an individual item in the group by selecting the group, and then selecting the item to select it.
Note:Â If the Group button is unavailable, verify that you have more than one object selected. If you can't select an additional object, verify that none of the objects that you want to add to the group has Word Wrap set to In Line with Text.
You might want to move a group but leave one shape or picture behind, or you might need to make extensive changes to one shape without changing the other shapes in the group. To do this, you first dissolve, or ungroup, the grouping of objects.
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Select the group that has the object or objects that you want to separate from the others.
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On the Shape Format tab or the Picture Format tab, selectÂ
If
Microsoft 365 dissolves the group, leaving the individual objects in their current location and selected.
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Select any one of the shapes, pictures, or objects that were previously in a group.
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On the Shape Format tab or the Picture Format tab, selectÂ
Note:Â If you converted a SmartArt graphic to individual shapes, you can't convert them back to a SmartArt graphic or regroup them.
Here are some reasons why the
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Only one shape or picture is selected. Make sure you have multiple shapes or pictures selected. You can't use the Group tool with SVG icons, so those don't count.
-
Your selection includes a table, worksheet, or GIF image. The
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If you are using PowerPoint, you might have tried to group something with the title placeholder text ("Click to add title") or with the content placeholder ("Click to add text").
In the above example, the blue square and the green circle can be grouped together. But the shapes cannot be grouped with the placeholder text.
To get the
Note:Â If none of this enables the Group button for you, search the Answers forum or post your questions there.
Group shapes, pictures, or other objects
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Press and hold Ctrl while you select shapes, pictures, or other objects to group, or press Ctrl+A to choose all objects.
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Select
Note:Â More than one shape, picture or object must be selected in order to enable the
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Select a group of shapes, pictures, or other objects.
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On the Shape tab, select
