Remote Control for Prezi and LibreOffice Impress

Prezi and LibreOffice Impress rarely get the same clicker attention PowerPoint and Keynote do, but both are common enough in classrooms, agencies and open-source-friendly workplaces that a working prezi remote control setup matters just as much. The two work quite differently underneath, so this guide covers each on its own terms.

Prezi: not a normal slide deck

Prezi's zooming, path-based canvas is not a simple sequence of slides, which means remote control for it has to handle path navigation, zoom and canvas movement, not just next and previous. Cliqer supports Prezi two ways depending on whether you run it in a browser or as a desktop app.

Prezi in a browser (recommended)

When Prezi runs in a web browser, Cliqer uses native browser communication to control it without extensions or special setup on most platforms:

• macOS: Chrome, Safari, Brave, Edge, Chromium, Arc, Opera and Vivaldi all get full native control. Firefox gets basic keyboard-based navigation.
• Windows: Internet Explorer and Edge Legacy work immediately via COM automation. Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera, Vivaldi) need a remote debugging flag enabled at launch for full control, Firefox falls back to keyboard simulation.

Prezi desktop app

If you use Prezi's standalone desktop application rather than the browser version, Cliqer controls it through standard keyboard emulation, which means the Prezi window needs to stay the active, focused window for reliable control, unlike the native browser method.

What is and is not supported in Prezi

LibreOffice Impress: straightforward keyboard control

LibreOffice Impress is a more conventional slide-based presentation tool, and Cliqer controls it the same way most desktop clickers do: by emulating standard keyboard shortcuts like arrow keys and spacebar. Setup is simple:

1. Install Cliqer on your Windows or macOS host computer, from the download page.
2. Open your .odp file in LibreOffice Impress and start the slideshow.
3. Connect your presenter device using the room link or QR code.
4. Control your presentation, keeping Impress as the active window for the most consistent results.

Because this method relies on keyboard emulation, Impress does need to stay focused, similar to Prezi's desktop app, unlike PowerPoint or Keynote where Cliqer's deeper macOS integration allows focus-independent control.

Troubleshooting Prezi control

Troubleshooting LibreOffice Impress control

• Slides not advancing: Confirm Impress is the focused window, this method depends on it more than PowerPoint or Keynote do.
• Works at your desk but not in the venue: Check the room's Wi-Fi is not blocking the connection, our corporate firewalls post explains what typically causes this and how Cliqer routes around it.
• New presentation file behaves oddly: Occasionally a specific .odp file has embedded macros or unusual formatting that interferes with keyboard shortcuts, testing with a fresh file usually isolates the cause.

Why open-source and alternative tools matter here

Plenty of presenters do not get to choose their software, procurement policy, licensing cost or a team's existing habits decide it for them. LibreOffice Impress is common in education and public-sector settings specifically because it is free and open source, and a remote control tool that ignores it forces those users back to a keyboard. The same logic applies to Prezi in agencies and marketing teams that lean on its non-linear format for pitch decks. Supporting both properly, alongside PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides, means one tool covers a team regardless of what each person happens to present in.

Choosing between browser and desktop Prezi

If you have a choice, Prezi in a browser with native communication is the more reliable option, since it does not require keeping the window focused and works across more platforms without setup. The desktop app is worth using if your Prezi file needs offline access or specific desktop-only features, just budget a moment to make sure it has focus before you start clicking.

Whichever software you settle on, the underlying idea is the same one behind any internet clicker: commands travel over your internet connection rather than a short-range radio, so range and remote presenters stop being a concern. If you are still deciding what kind of remote fits your setup at all, hardware, phone or internet: presentation clickers compared is the place to start.

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Get your remote working today

Whichever tool your deck lives in, Cliqer's setup takes minutes. Try it free from the download page, or compare it against other options for your whole team on our comparison page and the pricing page.