[FIXED] FYI: Bug in PowerPoint for Mac version 16.79.1 breaks setting colors in VBA

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This bug appears to be fixed in PowerPoint for Mac version 16.79.2.
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The latest version of PowerPoint for Mac as of this writing (16.79.1), run on an Intel Mac (or an Apple Silicon Mac using Rosetta), sets the incorrect value when changing colors in VBA.

Say for example you want to change the color of the shape to white, like so:

Code:

ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes("rectangle").Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 255, 255)

When running the macro, affected versions of PowerPoint for Mac sets the blue value (the third number) incorrectly. Instead of the shape turning white, you get yellow, or RGB(255, 255, 138) instead.

At best, your project will not appear as intended. At worst, your project will break if your project depends on shapes being specific colors for conditional checks.

Workarounds

If someone reports an issue with your project caused by this PowerPoint bug, you have two options to resolve their problem.

1. Instruct the user to downgrade PowerPoint for Mac to version 16.78.3. Downgrade instructions:
   
   1. Uninstall PowerPoint by dragging the PowerPoint application to the trash.
      
   2. Go to this Microsoft page and download the PowerPoint package for 16.78.3.
      
   3. Run the installer.
      
   4. Once installed, make sure "Automatically keep Microsoft apps up to date" is unchecked in Microsoft AutoUpdate.
      
   
   NOTE: DO NOT DO THIS IF POWERPOINT WAS INSTALLED THROUGH THE MAC APP STORE! The Mac App Store version uses a different update distribution channel. Users who installed PowerPoint through the Mac App Store unfortunately cannot downgrade and will need to wait for Microsoft to release a patch.
   
   
2. Update your project to reference colors in long format.
   
   For example, rewrite the above code snippet as follows:
   
   

   Code:

   ActivePresentation.Slides(1).Shapes("rectangle").Fill.ForeColor.RGB = 16777215

   
   The long data type number 16777215 is another way to express RGB(255, 255, 255). Running this macro on affected versions of PowerPoint for Mac will indeed change the shape's color to white.
   
   To convert your RGB colors to long format:
   
   1. Create a temporary macro that contains the RGB color in a message box, like so:
      
      

      Code:

      Sub rgb_to_long()
   MsgBox RGB(255, 255, 255) ' Replace the numbers with your RGB values!
End Sub

      
      
   2. Run the macro, note the number on the message box, and replace all references of the RGB color with that number.
      
   
   
   

Hopefully this helps you in case anyone reaches out to you about your project acting strange! It was a nightmare trying to reproduce the bug reports I received with my project because I didn't realize the same version of PowerPoint can act differently on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs...

I will follow up this post if or when Microsoft fixes this bug with PowerPoint for Mac.

Excellent workaround, Tim!

This bug appears to be fixed in PowerPoint for Mac version 16.79.2.

It has come to my attention that the Mac App Store version of PowerPoint has NOT been updated to version 16.79.2...

It is possible Microsoft will skip over to the next version (16.80) for the Mac App Store. Microsoft historically releases Office updates the 2nd Tuesday of the month, so there should be an update available by December 12, 2023.

Very frustrating, Microsoft!

PowerPoint for Mac version 16.80 released today on both Microsoft's website and the Mac App Store. The bug remains fixed in this version.