google slides cut off in presentation mode

How to Use Present and Edit Modes in Google Slides

Whether you’re new to Google Slides , or already have some tricks up your sleeves like adding fancy fonts and adding backgrounds , it’s important to understand presenter view and edit mode. Just like any digital tool, knowing the best way to use each of these will make your teacher life easier.

Present or Edit: That Is the Question

Edit mode in google slides.

So, what’s the difference between these two options in Google Slides? The answer is pretty simple. “Edit” mode allows you to create and make changes to the slides. This mode isn’t just for you as a teacher though. If you want students to complete any activity, move pieces, or type on a Google Slides presentation, they need to be in Edit mode. (With one exception, but I’ll get to that in a moment.)

Edit mode is the default mode when you create a new slideshow. It’s also the default when you are sharing a presentation with students. Typically, if you want your students to DO anything with the presentation, they will be working in Edit Mode.

Presentation Mode in Google Slides

Presentation mode is exactly what it sounds like. It’s where information is presented full screen. You can play videos and listen to audio through presentation mode, but students can’t complete any activities in present mode. (With one exception, but we’ll talk about that next.)

Presentation mode is great if you want to share information with your students. And, if you are sending them a presentation, you can share it with them so they can’t edit it. Here’s how.

• Copy the share link (in the top, right hand corner of your Google Slideshow.
• Paste it into the address bar.
• Close to the end of the URL, you’ll see the word “edit”. Remove the word edit and replace it with “present”.
• Copy the new URL, and share it with your students.

When students open the URL, it will automatically open in present mode. Be sure not to change any other part of the URL, or it won’t work. Also, I always recommend testing your URL before sending it out to students.

Presentation Mode Exception

I’ve said that you can’t edit activities in presentation mode, but there is one exception. In the Chrome Web Store, there’s a chrome extension (meaning, students will need to be using the Chrome Web Browser), called Fullscreen Interactive Google Slides (TM) . This extension allows students to edit Google Slides activities in present mode! The benefits of this extension is that it removes all of the things from the sides, which makes it less distracting for your students. However, if they’re doing just fine working in edit mode, it’s probably not necessary.

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How to Use the Presenter View in Google Slides

Google Slides, like PowerPoint, has different presentation modes that can come in handy when you’re presenting and you want your slideshow to look smooth. Whether you’re looking for slides only, speaker notes or the Q&A feature, in this new Google Slides tutorial, you’ll learn about these and their respective settings. Ready? Then let’s explore the presenter view! 

Types of presentation modes in Google Slides

Presenter view, start from beginning, present on another screen.

There are three presentation modes in Google Slides. 

If you click the “Slideshow” button or press Ctrl/Cmd + F5, your presentation will start directly without any speaker notes. This is the most widely used and the simplest option.

Next to the “Slideshow” button, there’s a drop-down arrow. Click on it to see the different presentation modes:

In this mode, you’ll be able to see the speaker notes, check the timer and adjust other settings, such as questions from the audience. For more information about the speaker notes, please refer to this  Google Slides tutorial .

To view the different tools, after clicking “Presenter View”, move your mouse to the lower left-hand corner of the screen. You’ll see the slide number, previous and next slide arrows and three dots. Click on the dots and here are your options:

Open speaker notes

This enables the speaker notes and makes them visible. If you click this button, you might exit fullscreen mode. To go back to fullscreen, press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F or click the “Fullscreen” button. For more information, please refer to this  Google Slides tutorial .

Turn on the laser pointer

You’ll see a red dot on the screen, which you can move around to point out any element from your presentation.

Full screen

Click this button (or press Ctrl+Shift+F) to enter or exit fullscreen mode.

Click this button to finish the presentation or just press Esc.

If you click on “Auto-play,” more options will appear: Click “Play” and the slides will advance automatically (by default, every two seconds, but there are other options available. You can also choose to play the slideshow on a loop).

Captions preferences

If you have a mic set up, you can enable captions. Click the drop-down arrow to adjust the size of the text and its position on the screen.

If you click on “more”, you can enable the Audience Q&A panel by clicking on the first option that appears. For more information, please refer to this  Google Slides tutorial .

More: Downloads, printing, info and options

Under the “More” tab, you can also choose different download formats for your slideshow or print it out. This tab also contains a handy list of keyboard shortcuts (if you prefer handling keys to using your mouse) and the possibility to report problems. 

Your presentation will begin from the first slide (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F5).

Your presentation will be shown on a different screen via a media display device, such as Chromecast. This option will be available only if there’s another screen available. 

Now you’ve mastered the presenter view in Google Slides, which, with a bit of practice, will be a game-changer! Not only will it make you look like a presentation pro, but it will also streamline the process of nailing those crucial talking points. So go out there and strut your stuff – with presenter view on your side, you are unstoppable!  And if you’ve found this tutorial helpful, check out more of them on   our blog !

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How to use Presenter view in Google Slides

• Written by: Emma Trantham
• Categories: Google Slides , Presentation skills
• Comments: 5

The past couple of years have seen a shift in most industries from in-person to digitally delivered presentations. For seasoned presenters and newbies alike, this move comes with the joint complications of presenting to an online audience and getting used to unfamiliar tech. Talk about spinning plates! This blog post covers how to use Presenter view in Google Slides, so that you can be more professional and feel more confident when presenting online.

For tips on how to improve your online presentation skills more broadly, check out our handy guide to moving presentations online .

How to resize and move the Presenter view window in Google Slides

How to time slides in google slides.

How to present in Google Slides Presenter View

How to use Google Slides Q&A

How to present google slides with notes.

Presenter view displays your slides to your audience in one window, and shows you your speaker notes in a separate window. This feature really only works if you have two screens. Without a second screen, the Presenter view window obstructs the view of your slides, so make sure to check that your audience can only see the presentation itself and not your personal speaker notes before you begin presenting!

Here’s how to get Presenter view up and running:

• Click the drop-down arrow next to the Present button in the top-right of your screen.
• Select Presenter view .
• The Presenter view window opens and your presentation will start to play.

To resize the Presenter view window in Google Slides, hover your cursor over any of its corners or sides and wait for the double-sided white arrow to appear. Then click and drag to alter the window to your preferred size and shape. To move the window across your screen, click and hold the very top of the window. To maximize the window to fill your screen, click the maximize button – this sits between the minimize button and the close window button.

Once you’re happy with the size and position of your window, you’re ready to start presenting.

On the left-hand side of the Presenter view window, you’ll see a timer that automatically starts ticking the moment you begin presenting. Press Pause to stop the timer, and Reset to restart it.

The timer button can be especially useful for rehearsing your presentation, or if you need to keep an eye on the clock to make sure that you’re not running out of time during your presentation.

How to present in Google Slides Presenter view

Below the timer, there’s a drop-down bar and a preview window showing the slide you’re currently on. If you click on the bar, you get a list of all your slides and can jump to any place in the deck. To advance from one slide to the next, just click the Previous or Next buttons below. These buttons also provide a visual preview of the previous and next slides, so you always know what’s coming up as you’re delivering your slides, helping you give a seamless presentation.

Presenter view also has a great interactive feature called Q&A that lets audience members ask questions without interrupting your flow. Q&A can be accessed via the Audience tools button on the right-hand side of the Presenter view window.

To begin a Q&A , follow these steps:

• Click Start new to begin a new Q&A session or, if you’ve already started a Q&A session, resume by selecting Continue recent .
• Under the bar Accepting questions from… , there’s an on/off switch. When the switch is on, the bar will turn blue to let your audience know that you’re accepting questions.
• Click this switch again to turn questions off .

A URL appears at the top of the blue bar in your presenter window and across the top of your presentation when Q&A is on. The audience can use this link to submit their questions at any point in the presentation, as long as Q&A mode is on.

This URL takes the audience to a separate tab on their browser where they can ask questions either publicly or anonymously.

Top tip: Send a copy of the link via email or paste it into the chat function of your online call to save your audience from having to type out the URL themselves.

Once someone has submitted their question, it appears in your Presenter view window under the Audience tools tab.

Hitting the Present button interrupts your presentation, and the question will appear on the screen for the audience to see. To return to your slides, press Hide .

Audience members can also up or down vote questions by clicking on the thumb icons. This allows your audience to interact with each other, and lets you know which questions are the most common.

Presenter view shows you your speaker notes on the left-hand side by clicking the button at the right-hand side of the window next to Audience tools .

If you’re struggling to read the text clearly, you can use the plus and minus buttons to adjust your font size.

Now you know how to use Presenter view . Your fingers can dance across the keyboard as you present with panache! To find out about other ways to present your Google Slides deck, such as Present on another screen , or how to download your deck in an alternative format, why not check out our Ultimate Guide to Google Slides . Or, if you need to present on a non-standard sized screen, our How to change slide size in Google Slides post might have the answers you’re searching for!

Emma Trantham

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Wondering how to share a Google Slides presentation? Good news! It’s a pretty simple process. As Google Slides exists completely online, sharing your presentation with others isn't limited to an email attachment. This post will show you how to share Google Slides presentations in five ways, there’s definitely something here for you!

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Excellent job explaining. Thanks for your help and time.

When I am using Presenter View, my animations work but my fade transitions do not. How do I fix that?

I’m not sure we’ve ever come across this problem before. Have you tried toggling the fade transitions off and back on again? Hope that helps!

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Google Slides cheat sheet: How to get started

How to use google slides to create, collaborate on, and lead business presentations..

Need to build a slide presentation for a meeting, training, or other event? Google Slides is an easy-to-use web app that comes with the essential tools and more. It stores your presentations in the cloud with Google Drive. Anyone with a Google account can use Slides and Drive for free, and they’re also included with a Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) subscription for business and enterprise customers. There are Google Sheets mobile apps for Android and iOS, too.

This guide will help you become familiar with the Google Slides web interface and show you how to start a new presentation, upload a Microsoft PowerPoint file to edit in Google Slides, collaborate with others on your presentation, and finally, present it to others.

Create or open a presentation

Log in to your Google or Workspace account. Then:

From Google Slides : At the top of the home page, you’ll see a “Start a new presentation” header, with a row of thumbnails underneath. To start a new, blank presentation, click the Blank thumbnail. To start a new presentation in a template, select one of the thumbnails to the right or click Template gallery toward the upper-right corner, then click any thumbnail on the page that appears.

The Google Slides home page. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Below the “Start a new presentation” area you’ll see a list of presentations that are stored in your Google Drive or shared with you. To open a presentation, click it in this list.

The list of your presentations appears in reverse chronological order starting with the presentation you most recently opened. Clicking the “AZ” icon at the upper right of this list changes the sort order to Last modified by me , Last modified , or in alphabetical order by presentation title. You can also browse to a specific folder by clicking the folder icon next to the “AZ” icon.

From Google Drive : Presentations stored in your Google Drive are listed in the main window of the Drive home page. To see a listing of presentations that others are sharing with you, click Shared with me in the left column. From either list, double-click a presentation to open it in Google Slides.

To start a new, blank presentation, click the New button at the upper-left of the screen and then click Google Slides .

If you want to use a template to start a new presentation, click the New button, then move the cursor over the right arrow next to Google Slides and select From a template . The template gallery for Google Slides will open; click a thumbnail to start a new presentation in that template.

Creating a new presentation from Google Drive.

From Google Slides or Drive: You also can use the search box at the top to find presentations in your Google Drive or shared with you. Enter words or numbers that may be in the presentation you’re looking for.

Upload a PowerPoint presentation to Slides

You can edit a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation in Google Slides, but first you must upload it to Google Drive.

From Google Slides: Click the folder icon ( Open file picker ) that’s above and toward the right corner of your presentations list. On the panel that opens, click the Upload tab. Drag-and-drop your PowerPoint file (.ppt or .pptx) onto this panel, or browse your PC’s drive to select it.

From Google Drive: Click the New button, then File upload , and select the PowerPoint file from your PC’s drive and click Open .

Traditionally, when you uploaded PowerPoint files to Google Drive, they were automatically converted to Slides format. That’s still the case when you upload PowerPoint files via the Google Slides home page .

However, Google now supports the ability to edit Microsoft Office files in their native format. By default, any .pptx files that you upload via Google Drive will remain formatted as PowerPoint documents. You can edit and collaborate on a PowerPoint file right in Slides, with all changes made by you or your collaborators saved directly to the PowerPoint file.

On the Google Slides and Drive home pages, native PowerPoint files will be denoted with an orange “P” icon, and when you open a native PowerPoint file in Sheets, you’ll see a “.PPTX” flag to the right of the document title.

Native PowerPoint files show the PowerPoint icon (top) instead of the Google Slides icon (bottom).

If you’d rather have Google convert PowerPoint files to Slides format automatically when you upload them via Google Drive, click the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the Drive home screen and select Settings from the drop-down menu. In the Settings box next to “Convert uploads,” check the checkbox marked Convert uploaded files to Google Docs editor format .

Work in a presentation

When you open a new or existing presentation, its first slide appears in the main window of Google Slides. Here’s a breakdown of the toolbars, menus, panes, and sidebars that appear around your presentation.

The left pane shows thumbnails of all the slides in your presentation. Click a thumbnail, and the slide it represents will appear in the main window, where you can edit it.

The Google Slides editing interface. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Your presentation’s title appears along the top of the screen. To change it, click anywhere inside the title and start typing.

The menu bar below your presentation’s title has a complete set of tools for working with presentations. These are the main submenus to know:

• File has commands for taking action on the whole presentation, including Print, Rename, and Share.
• Edit lists the standard editing commands such as copy, cut, paste, delete, duplicate, and find and replace.
• View lists several ways that you can view your slides as you design and edit them. This includes arranging them into a grid, previewing them as a slideshow, or zooming in on them. You can also watch the transition effect that takes place between slides when they’re played in a slideshow.
• Insert lets you add several objects to your slides, including charts, diagrams, pictures, tables, and text. You can also add links to YouTube videos or sound or video files that are stored in your Google Drive.
• Format lets you change the look of your slides. Certain functions on this submenu become clickable depending on whether you’ve selected an image or text on a slide, or selected the slide itself.
• Slide is where you can add, delete, or duplicate a slide that you’ve selected. You can also add a preset layout to a slide, change its background or theme color, or add and edit a transition effect that takes place between slides when your presentation is played as a slideshow.
• Arrange lists tools that let you group or reorder objects on a slide in relation to another. For example, you can place an image behind another image or group an image and a block of text together to make them easier to move at once.
• Tools leads to several miscellaneous functions. These include letting you record a voice clip to go with a slide, running a spell checker, and showing you a list of objects in your presentation that are linked to other files.

The toolbar directly above your presentation puts commonly used commands in easy reach. From this toolbar, you can click buttons to add to a slide or change its background, comments, layout, objects (images, lines, shapes, text), text style, theme colors for the whole presentation, transition effects during a slideshow, and more. The buttons on the toolbar change depending on whether you’ve selected image or text on a slide or the slide itself.

Notice that there’s no Save button in the toolbar — or anywhere in Google Slides. That’s because Slides automatically saves any changes you make to your presentation.

Speaker notes: Along the bottom of each slide you’ll see an area marked Click to add speaker notes . Here you can type in brief notes to remind yourself what to do or say when the slide is being shown. Only you will see these notes when you show your presentation to an audience.

Themes sidebar: When you start a new blank presentation, the Themes sidebar opens on the right side of the screen. (You can also open this sidebar at any time by clicking Theme on the toolbar above your presentation.) Themes apply the same fonts, colors, and other design elements to all the slides in a presentation, giving it a consistent look and feel. Click a thumbnail in this sidebar to change your presentation to that theme.

Create and manage slides

Here are the basic things to know about working with slides in a presentation.

Add a new, blank slide to your presentation: Click the + button at the left end of the toolbar above your presentation. Alternatively, if you click the down arrow next to the +, you can choose a layout to use as the basis for a new slide.

Click the down arrow next to the + button in the toolbar to choose a layout for a new slide.

Apply or change a slide’s background: Select the slide’s thumbnail in the left sidebar and click Background on the toolbar above your presentation. On the panel that opens, you can change the slide’s background color or use an image file from your Google Drive, Google Photos account, or PC as the background.

Apply or change a slide’s layout: Select the slide’s thumbnail in the left pane, then click Layout on the toolbar above your presentation. On the panel that opens, select the layout you want to apply to this slide.

Apply or change a slide’s transition: Select the slide’s thumbnail in the left sidebar and click Transition on the toolbar above your presentation. In the Motion sidebar that opens along the right side of the screen, you can apply or change the animated transition effect that is played before this slide.

Choosing a transition style in the Motion pane.

Move a slide to a different spot in the slideshow sequence: Click and hold its thumbnail in the left sidebar, drag it up or down to another place in the sequence, and release it.

Delete a slide: Right-click its thumbnail in the left sidebar and select Delete from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, select its thumbnail and select Edit > Delete from the menu bar or just press the Delete key.

Share and collaborate on a presentation

Presentations are often a group effort, with several team members contributing to and polishing a presentation. In Slides, it’s easy for multiple collaborators to work on a presentation together.

First, you need to share the presentation. When you’re viewing your presentation in Google Slides, click the Share button at the upper-right. Or, from your Google Drive homepage, click to highlight the presentation that you want to share. Then, in the toolbar toward the upper right, click the Share icon (a head-and-shoulders silhouette with a +).

Either way, the “Share” panel will open.

Setting permissions for a file being shared privately.

Share a presentation privately

In the entry box, enter the email addresses (or names of your Google Contacts) of the people with whom you want to share. By default, the people you invite to your presentation can edit it and reshare it with others.

To change access permissions for invitees: Click Editor to the right of the entry box and choose another option from the drop-down menu. Commenter means they can view your spreadsheet and add comments but can’t change it. Viewer means they can view your presentation but can’t edit it or add comments.

To prevent your presentation from being reshared, downloaded, or printed: Click the gear icon at the upper-right of this panel. On the smaller panel that opens, uncheck the boxes by Editors can change permissions and share and Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy .

When you’re done setting permissions (and, optionally, typing in a message to your invitees), click Send , and everyone you’ve added will receive an email with a link they can click to access the document.

The shared presentation icon.

A presentation you’ve shared (or that others have shared with you) will have an icon of two silhouetted heads next to it in the presentations list on your Google Sheets and Google Drive home pages.

To limit or change a person’s access to your presentation: With the presentation open in Google Slides, click the Share button at the upper-right. Or, from Google Drive, highlight the presentation and click the Share icon.

The Share panel reopens showing a list of all the people you’ve invited, along with their permission status. Click the down arrow to the right of a person’s name, change their permission level or remove their access entirely, and click Save .

You can change permissions for people you’ve shared a presentation with on an individual basis.

If you have a Google Workspace subscription, another option is to select Give temporary access and, next to Access expires , select a date within one year of the current date. If you set an expiration date for a person that you’ve assigned as Editor, their access will be downgraded to Commenter on the expiration date.

Share a presentation publicly

Most business users will want to share presentations privately with select colleagues or clients, but you do have the option to share a presentation publicly. At the bottom of the Share panel is a “General access” area where you can copy a link to the document. By default, this link is restricted to those you invite to the document. To change it to a public link, click Restricted and select Anyone with the link from the menu that appears.

Click Copy link and the link to your presentation will be copied to your PC’s clipboard. You can share this link by pasting it into a chat message, document, email, forum post, or most other means of online written communication. Anyone who clicks this link will be able to view your presentation online. (Be aware that anyone can copy and reshare this link.)

To allow anyone in the public to comment on or edit your presentation: At the bottom right of the Share panel, click Viewer and select Commenter or Editor from the drop-down menu. Then click the Done button. Now the web link to your presentation will let anyone who clicks it add a comment or edit it.

Sharing a spreadsheet publicly.

To turn off public sharing for your presentation: Bring up the Share panel again. Near the bottom, click Anyone with the link and select Restricted from the menu, then click the Done button.

Note: You can apply both public and private sharing methods to your presentation. For example, you could allow the public to only view your presentation, but allow specific people that you’ve invited to comment on or edit it.

Collaborate on a presentation

The people you’ve shared a spreadsheet with can view or work on it at the same time as you or at other times. Remember that people who have Editor privileges to your presentation can change all aspects of it. Having multiple people making changes to a presentation can get confusing. In most cases, setting everyone to Commenter is the best way to collaborate in Slides: People can attach comments to a slide or to objects in a slide, but their comments won’t alter your presentation’s information or design.

To add a comment to a slide: Right-click its thumbnail in the left sidebar and select Comment from the menu that opens. Alternatively, you can select its thumbnail and select Insert > Comment from the menu bar or click the Add comment button (a speech balloon with a + sign).

A blank comment card with your name on it opens to the right of the slide in the main window. On this card’s entry line, type a brief comment, and when you’re finished, click the Comment button.

Typing in a new comment.

To add a comment to an object on a slide: Right-click the object (a block of text, chart, image, picture, etc.) and select Comment from the menu that opens. Alternatively, you can select the object and select Insert > Comment from the menu bar.

To draw someone’s attention to a comment: As you’re composing the comment, type the @ symbol and begin typing their name, then select the person from the list of suggested Google contacts that appears. They’ll receive an email notifying them of the comment and linking to it.

To read, reply to, or remove a comment: A slide that contains a comment is denoted in the left sidebar with a speech balloon by its thumbnail. Click the slide’s thumbnail to make the slide appear in the main window, and you’ll see all its comment cards on the right.

To reply to a comment, click its card. The card will expand to reveal an entry line where you can add a comment in response.

Replying to a comment.

Clicking the checkmark at the upper right marks the comment card as “resolved” and removes the card from the presentation. Clicking the card’s three-dot icon opens a menu that lets you edit or delete your comment.

To see a list of all comments: Click the Open comment history icon (the speech balloon) to the left of the Slideshow button. A sidebar will open along the right side of the screen; it lists all the comment cards in your presentation. When you click a comment on this list, the view of your presentation in the main window will jump to the cell where the comment is located and open its comment card.

The Comments pane lets you quickly review all comments and jump to specific ones.

For more details about collaborating on your presentation, including what it’s like to collaborate in real time, see “ How to collaborate on a document ” in our Google Drive guide. You can also collaborate on a presentation in Google Chat; that’s covered later in this story.

Recover older versions of a presentation

It’s easy to go too far when making tweaks to a presentation. Fortunately, it’s also easy to roll back to an earlier version of the presentation. Click File > Version history > See version history . This opens a panel on the right that shows a list of older versions of your presentation.

Using Version history to view an earlier version of a presentation. (Click image to enlarge it.)

To view an earlier version of your presentation: Click the date for it in the list. That version of the presentation will then appear in the main window.

To restore an earlier version so it replaces your current presentation: With the version you want to restore showing in the main window, click the yellow Restore this version button at the top of the screen. The restored version will then appear at the top of the version history list.

To give an older version a unique name: Click on its date. You’ll be prompted to type in words to replace the date. (The date and time will then appear in smaller size underneath the new name.)

Give a presentation

When it’s time to play your presentation to an audience, Google Slides has two modes: Slideshow and Presenter view. Slideshow mode essentially shows what your audience will see. Presenter view mode provides additional tools for your eyes only that run alongside Slideshow mode.

Slideshow mode: Click the Slideshow button at the upper-right corner of the screen. Google Slides will expand to full-screen view and show the slide that’s currently in the main window. (If you want to start the slideshow from the first slide in your presentation, click the down arrow to the right of the Slideshow button and select Start from beginning .)

The control bar in Slideshow mode lets you click through the slides, turn on auto-play, use a laser pointer effect, and more. (Click image to enlarge it.)

When you move the on-screen pointer to the lower-left corner of your presentation, a control bar appears. You use this to click forward and back through the slides. Clicking the three-dot icon on the control bar opens a menu with other controls, such as starting auto-play and adjusting how quickly it moves from slide to slide.

On this menu, Turn on the laser pointer turns the mouse pointer into a simulated red laser dot. Captions preferences — available only if you’re using a Chrome browser or Chromebook — lets you turn on real-time, automatic transcribing of your words as you say them (English only) and shows them to your audience as on-screen captions. Open speaker notes takes your presentation out of full screen and opens a separate “Presenter view” window, as described below.

Presenter view mode: Click the down arrow to the right of the Slideshow button and select Presenter view . This shows the presentation in your browser window and launches a separate window that assists you while you’re giving your presentation.

Presenter view lets you (but not your audience) see your speaker notes while presenting. (Click image to enlarge it.)

From the Presenter view window, you can jump to any slide in your presentation, read the speaker notes you wrote for a slide, and control the Q&A feature. There’s also a timer that you can set to remind yourself how much time you’re spending showing a slide — or the entire presentation — to your audience.

Click the AUDIENCE TOOLS tab to use the Q&A feature, which lets you take questions from your audience. To open questions for a slideshow, click the Start new button. A web link appears at the top of your presentation. An audience member watching your presentation on their computer, phone, or tablet can click/tap that link, which will take them to a page where they can type a question for you. You’ll see the question  in your Presenter view window, and you can choose whether to show their question to the rest of your audience during the presentation. To close questions for a presentation, turn the switch from ON to OFF .

Audience members can submit questions from their devices, and the presenter can decide whether to display them as part of the slideshow. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Present in Google Meet

Need to give a presentation during a Google Meet video meeting? As long as you’re using a Chromium-based browser (Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, etc.), it’s easy: Toward the upper right of the Google Slides page, click the Google Meet icon. From the panel that opens, select a meeting that’s scheduled on your Google calendar today, start a new meeting, or type/paste in the web link or code that you have for another meeting.

Click the Meet icon to get started presenting to a video meeting.

If you start a new meeting, a sidebar for the meeting will open on the right. At the bottom of the sidebar, click the Present now icon (a box with an up arrow). On the panel that appears, select your presentation and click the Share button, and you’ll be presenting to the meeting.

Choose which tab or window you want to share and click the Share button. (Click image to enlarge it.)

If you join a scheduled meeting, you have two choices: “Join the call” and “Just present this tab.” If you click Join the call , a sidebar for the meeting will open on the right. Follow the same steps as above to present to the meeting. If you click Just present this tab , you’ll go directly to the panel where you select your presentation and click Share , but you won’t have a sidebar where you can follow the main meeting.

To stop sharing your presentation to the meeting, click the Stop sharing button at the top left of your browser window.

For more details about using Google Meet, see our Google Meet cheat sheet .

Download and export a presentation

Google Slides lets you download presentations for use offline. On the top menu, select File > Download and choose a file format. You can save your presentation to your PC as a PowerPoint (.pptx) file or in other formats such as PDF, or as JPG or PNG for an individual slide.

5 tips for working with Google Slides

Now that you’re comfortable working in Google Slides, try these intermediate tips.

Use the Google Slides mobile app

With the exception of the “Version history” tool, the Google Slides app for Android , iPhone , and iPad has many of the same features described in this guide.

When you have a slideshow open, the toolbar at the top of the screen lets you take a variety of actions:

• To present your slides on your phone or tablet, on a Chromecast device, or in a Google Meet meeting, tap the triangle icon.
• To share your presentation with other people, the headshot silhouette. (See “How to share from the Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps” in our Google Drive cheat sheet .)
• To view all the comments in the presentation, tap the Comments icon (a chat balloon) if you see it in the toolbar, or tap the three-dot icon and select View comments from the menu that appears.
• The three-dot menu also lets you see the presentation’s Q&A history, export it, make it available offline, and more.

The Google Slides Android app.

To edit or comment on a slide: Tap the slide, and a menu will appear that lets you add or view comments for that slide or edit it. Tap an element on a slide, such as text or an image, and tools to edit that element will appear.

Any changes you make to your presentation in the mobile app are automatically saved and will appear the next time you open it in the Google Slides web app.

Get suggested slide layouts and content

Click the Explore icon at the lower-right corner of the screen. The Explore sidebar will open along the right side. In most cases, you’ll be presented with thumbnails of suggested layouts that Google Slides has automatically customized for the slide that’s open in the main window. Click the one you want, and it will be applied to the slide.

Use the Explore tool to get suggested layouts (left) and search for images (right).

At the top of the Explore sidebar is a search box. You can type in a word or phrase to find related content on the web or in your Google Drive. Search results appear on separate Web, Images, and Drive tabs in the sidebar. Click a web or Drive result to open it in a new browser tab. On the Images tab, click the + icon on the upper-right corner of an image to insert it onto your slide.

Create custom slide layouts to use as templates

You can design your own slide layouts to use as templates in any future presentation. First, open a new, blank presentation as described above. Then:

• On the menu bar over the blank presentation, select View > Theme builder .
• The main window switches to a layout editor. Toward the left you’ll see a column with the heading THEME on top and LAYOUTS just below that. Click the thumbnail of any layout in the LAYOUTS list. It will appear in the main window.
• You can remove objects that are already in any layout. For example, click on a block of text. A frame appears around the text. Without selecting the text itself, move the pointer to ward an edge of the frame, right-click, and select Delete from the menu that opens.

Creating a custom slide layout. (Click image to enlarge it.)

• Using the formatting toolbar above the slide, you can add new objects to the slide, including images, image placeholders, shapes, lines, and blocks for text. (Tip: enter placeholder words inside the text blocks.) When you click on any object, a frame appears around it. Drag and drop the frame to relocate it on the slide, or drag its edges to change its shape or size. You can also add or change the border and background colors for any object on the slide and/or change the background color for the whole slide.
• When you’re finished designing your layout, click the Rename button above the slide and give the layout a unique name.
• If you want to create another custom layout, click on the thumbnail of another layout under the column LAYOUTS and repeat the above steps starting from #3.
• When you are finished custom-designing all your layouts, click the X toward the upper-right of the slide layout in the main window.
• Along the top of the screen, click anywhere inside Untitled presentation and start typing. Tip: Use a name that indicates this is a template (e.g., “Annual Budget Presentation – Template”).

In the future, you can make new presentations starting from this template, and your custom slide layouts will be available.

• Open the template presentation you created in the steps above. On the menu bar, click File > Make a copy > Entire presentation . On the panel that opens, type in a name for the new presentation you want to create and click the Make a copy button. Google Slides will open this new presentation in a new browser tab.
• On the toolbar above the first slide of your new presentation, click Layout . From the panel of thumbnails that opens, select one of the layouts that you created. It will then be applied to the slide in the main window.

Collaborate on a presentation in Google Chat

An alternative way to collaborate on a presentation is to share it in Google Chat. Other people in your chat can add comments and help make changes to your presentation.

Start in Google Chat . To the left of the box where you type in your chat messages, click the + icon and select Drive file from the menu that opens. A panel will open over the screen listing the files in your Google Drive. Find and click your presentation to highlight it, then click INSERT on the lower-right corner.

You’ll be taken back to the chat message box. Click the blue right-pointing arrow to the right of the box, and a panel will open over the screen designating permissions for the shared presentation. By default, permissions are set to Comment. To change this, click Comment and select View or Edit . You can also allow the people in the chat to share a web link to your presentation with others outside of the chat by selecting Turn link sharing on .

You can share a presentation to individual or group chats in Google Chats. (Click image to enlarge it.)

After you’ve set the permissions, click SEND , and your message will appear in the chat stream with a large thumbnail of your presentation. To open a presentation in the chat, click the thumbnail. The presentation will open inside a large window that’s laid out alongside the right of the chat stream.

This is actually Google Slides running inside the chat window with your presentation loaded in it. Thus, most of the Slides commenting and editing tools are available for you and others in the chat to use on your presentation (if you granted them permission to comment or edit). The user interface is the same, except there’s no menu bar.

Collaborating on a presentation from within a Google Chat. (Click image to enlarge it.)

Use keyboard shortcuts

Save time in Slides by using keyboard shortcuts for common tasks. Below are some of the most useful to know. For more, select Help > Keyboard shortcuts from the top menu when you have a spreadsheet open or press Ctrl + / (Windows, Chrome OS) or ⌘ + / (macOS).

Handy Google Slides keyboard shortcuts

This story was originally published in September 2019 and updated in August 2022.

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Howard Wen ( www.howardwen.com ) is a longtime contributor to Computerworld . He specializes in explainer guides, how-tos, and reviews of office applications and productivity tools.

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How-To Geek

How to autoplay and loop a google slides presentation.

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How to protect your identity by watermarking important documents, today's nyt connections hints and answer for august 31 (#447), quick links, set up autoplay and loop when presenting, set up autoplay and loop when publishing to the web.

If you don't want to worry about clicking through your slideshow, you can set up Google Slides to play your presentation automatically. Plus, you can have the slideshow loop, so it starts over at the beginning when it ends.

You might be playing your slideshow at a kiosk, during a conference, or publishing it to the web. These are the ideal times to use AutoPlay and Loop in Google Slides . You can automatically present the show and choose the timing between slides. Then, restart the presentation at the beginning each time it ends.

If you plan to start the slideshow and then let it play, you can set up AutoPlay and Loop , or simply one or the other.

Related: How to Loop a PowerPoint Presentation

Start the presentation by clicking "Slideshow" at the top of Google Slides. You can also use the arrow to pick either "Presenter View" or "Start From Beginning" per your preference.

When the slideshow opens, display the Presenter Toolbar by hovering your cursor over the bottom left corner of the presentation.

Click the three dots on the right of the Presenter Toolbar, then move to AutoPlay. You'll see a pop-out menu that lets you select the advance timing for the slides. You can pick from every second up to every minute.

If you also want to loop the slideshow, select "Loop" at the bottom of the pop-out menu.

When you finish, click "Play" to automatically play your presentation.

To stop the slideshow, simply click on a slide. You can then resume AutoPlay from the Presenter Toolbar by selecting "Play" again.

Maybe you plan to publish your slideshow to the web or embed it on a website rather than play it locally. You can set up AutoPlay and Loop as part of the publish settings.

Related: How to Share a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides File as a Web Page

Go to File > Publish to the Web in the menu.

Choose either "Link" or "Embed" per your intent. Then use the Auto-Advance Slides drop-down box to choose the timing for the slides. Here again, you can pick from every second up to every minute.

To loop the slideshow, check the box for Restart the Slideshow After the Last Slide.

You can then mark the checkbox for Start Slideshow as Soon as the Player loads if you like, so that the viewer doesn't have to take any action to begin the presentation.

When you finish, click "Publish" and confirm to obtain the link or embed code for the slideshow.

To share a Google Slides presentation that doesn't require you to walk viewers through it, remember these steps to automatically play and loop the slideshow.

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How to Annotate in Google Slides While You Present

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Google added a pen tool to let a presenter add marks on Google Slides; the pen joins the laser pointer option as a way to draw attention to parts of your presentation. While laser pointer lines disappear soon after you draw them, pen marks persist while you present and go away when you exit the slideshow.

The pen and laser pointer tools help you direct attention or emphasize a point; however, only the pen tool makes it possible to draw on your slides as you present. And, since the annotations remain on the slides only for the duration of your presentation, you may use the pen to add information that you might not want to otherwise permanently place on a slide.

This tutorial covers how to use the pen tool in Google Slides when you present from the web or Apple mobile devices. If you want to deliver a drawing-centric presentation using another Google tool, Jamboard is worth exploring.

How to use the pen in Google Slides

How to change the pen color in google slides, how to erase pen annotations in google slides, how to draw on google slides in the mobile apps, want to preserve annotation or collaboration explore jamboard.

Initially, explore the methodical way to access the pen when you present. This sequence exposes a variety of other Google Slides controls, such as access to speaker notes, captioning and auto-play options.

• Open your presentation with Google Slides in a web browser.
• Select the Slideshow button in the upper-right area.
• Select the three dot button to access the options menu in the lower-left, next to the slide advance indicator.
• Select the Turn On The Pen option ( Figure A ).

With the pen enabled, you may click-and-hold to draw with a mouse or touchpad, or with a stylus on a touchscreen device. The entire screen, aside from the control area in the lower-left, can serve as your canvas. In the event your slides don’t fill the screen, such as when you present 4:3 format slides on a 16:9 screen, you may make marks in the margins. Just make sure to use a color that contrasts with the display background — a black pen on a black background won’t leave a visible mark.

Later, learn the keyboard shortcut to toggle the pen: Shift+L. One memory aid for this is to recall that the L key toggles the laser (starts with L) pointer while presenting with Google Slides. So the pen toggle is the laser key plus Shift.

The presentation pen is red by default, but you may switch it to black, blue or green at any time. To do so, follow these steps.

• Move the mouse into the lower left corner area. The presentation controls will display.
• Select the pen icon to access the pen menu.
• Select any of the four available colors: Red, Black, Blue or Green ( Figure B ). The menu also offers a Turn Off option.

• Return to drawing on your slides as desired.

Your annotations only remain on your slides when you present; if you exit the presentation, they’ll automatically be removed. Alternatively, you may remove all annotations by pressing Shift+A at any time.

If the pen is active, you may also access the eraser icon from the pen menu by following these steps.

• Select the eraser icon to access the erase menu.
• Select Erase All ( Figure C ). All of the pen marks you have made throughout your presentation will be erased.

When you present from Google Slides to Google Meet with the mobile apps on iPhone or iPad, a pen icon displays at the top of the display ( Figure D , top). Select it and you may draw in red on the slide. Tap the Clear drawing button at the bottom ( Figure D , bottom) to remove your annotations.

Unlike when you present from the web, your annotations do not persist as you move between slides; they disappear as soon as you move to another slide. (The draw feature is not available when presenting from Google Slides to Google Meet on Android.)

Google Jamboard allows you to give something closer to an old-school chalk talk, which is a talk delivered by a presenter accompanied only by text or illustrations drawn on a chalkboard, without prepared slides. You technically could give this type of talk with a blank slide in Google Slides and the pen tool, but Jamboard offers a more robust set of tools for drawing.

SEE: How to use five Jamboard features to create, illustrate and collaborate (TechRepublic)

To get started, access the Whiteboarding tool in Google Meet by going to Activities | Whiteboarding or go to https://jam.new in a modern browser. Jamboard lets more people draw simultaneously (up to 50, rather than just the presenter in Google Slides), with more pen options (four, rather than one in Slides) and more pen colors (six, rather than four in Google Slides) ( Figure E ). The Jamboard eraser lets you erase lines, not just all annotations as in Google Slides. Jamboard also lets you quickly add shapes, images and notes.

However, be aware that Google has announced that Jamboard will wind down in late 2024, so you will need to seek an alternative before then.

Mention or message me ( @awolber ) on Mastodon to let me know how you use the pen and laser pointer in Google Slides to annotate your presentations or how well Jamboard serves your drawing-centric presentation needs.

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Slides on Windows and Mac

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If you're looking for a great and free presentation software, look no further: you need Google Slides.

Whether it's creating fun and interactive presentations for your friends and family, or professional and engaging decks for your workplace, Google Slides will get the job done.

If you want to use Google Slides like a real professional, you need to master its shortcuts. You can use these to navigate, control, and present with speed, meaning you can spend less time fiddling with the mouse and more time focussing on your content.

That's why we've put together this list of essential Google Slides Shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

FREE DOWNLOAD: This cheat sheet is available as a downloadable PDF from our distribution partner, TradePub. You will have to complete a short form to access it for the first time only. Download the Google Slides Keyboard Shortcuts Cheat Sheet .

Google Slides Shortcuts for Windows and Mac

Present Wherever You Are

Google Slides is great for many reasons, not least because it lets you present from wherever you are. You don't need to bring your own computer or hope that someone has the presentation software.

If Google Slides doesn't take your fancy, there are other tools like Microsoft PowerPoint and Zoho WorkDrive that let you present remotely.

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How to Skip a Slide in Google Slides: A Step-by-Step Guide

Sometimes, you might want to skip a slide in your Google Slides presentation. Perhaps it’s a slide that’s no longer relevant, or maybe you just want to keep your audience on their toes. Whatever the reason, the process is simple and can be done in just a few clicks.

Step by Step Tutorial on How to Skip a Slide in Google Slides

Before we dive into the steps, let’s talk about what we’re trying to achieve here. Google Slides doesn’t have a built-in "skip slide" button, but we can achieve the same effect by setting up the presentation to jump over the slide we want to skip. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Open Your Google Slides Presentation

First things first, you’ll need to open up the Google Slides presentation that contains the slide you want to skip.

Once you’ve opened your presentation, make sure you’re in editing mode. This is where you can make changes to your slides.

Step 2: Select the Slide You Want to Skip

Next, click on the slide that you want to skip in the slide overview on the left side of the screen.

Make sure you click on the slide itself, not the text or any images on the slide. You should see a blue border around the selected slide.

Step 3: Right-Click and Choose "Skip Slide"

Once you’ve selected the slide, right-click on it to bring up a menu. Look for the option that says "Skip slide" and click on it.

The "Skip slide" option may not be immediately visible. If you don’t see it, look for a "More" or "Additional options" button that will reveal more choices.

After you complete this action, the slide you selected will be hidden during the presentation mode. It will still be part of your presentation, but it won’t show up when you’re presenting to your audience.

Tips for Skipping a Slide in Google Slides

• Make sure you’re in editing mode before trying to skip a slide.
• You can skip multiple slides by selecting them all before right-clicking.
• If you change your mind, you can always unskip a slide by right-clicking and selecting "Don’t skip slide."
• Consider adding a note to yourself in the speaker notes to remind you that you’ve skipped a slide.
• Practice your presentation with the skipped slides to ensure the flow still works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i skip a slide during the presentation.

Yes, you can skip a slide during the presentation by clicking on the slide overview on the left and selecting the slide you want to go to next.

Will skipping a slide delete it from my presentation?

No, skipping a slide will not delete it from your presentation. It simply hides it from the presentation view.

Can I skip slides in Google Slides on mobile?

The ability to skip slides is currently not available on the Google Slides mobile app. You’ll need to use a desktop or laptop to skip slides.

Can I set up my presentation to automatically skip slides?

No, you’ll need to manually skip each slide you want to be hidden during your presentation.

Is there a keyboard shortcut to skip a slide?

There is no keyboard shortcut to skip a slide. You’ll need to right-click and select "Skip slide" with your mouse or trackpad.

• Open your Google Slides presentation.
• Select the slide you want to skip.
• Right-click and choose "Skip slide."

Google Slides is a versatile tool that allows for a lot of customization, including the ability to skip a slide in a presentation. This can be useful for tailoring a presentation to different audiences or simply avoiding unnecessary information. The process, as outlined in this article, is straightforward and can be accomplished in a matter of seconds. Remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t hesitate to run through your presentation a few times to make sure everything flows smoothly with the skipped slides. Additionally, be sure to check out the tips and FAQ section for further insights. Now that you know how to skip a slide in Google Slides, you’re ready to deliver a streamlined and impactful presentation.

Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.

His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.

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• Create, edit, and customize slides

Add, delete & organize slides

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You can add, delete, and reorder slides in a presentation to organize them the way you want. You can also add numbers to your slides.

Add, duplicate, & delete a slide

Insert a slide.

To add a slide with the same layout as the current slide:

• On your computer, open a presentation in Google Slides .

To add a slide with a different layout:

• Choose a slide.

Learn how to change the theme or layout of your slides .

• If you want to duplicate multiple slides, hold the Shift key and click them now.
• Right-click and select Duplicate slide .
• If you want to delete multiple slides, hold the Shift key and click them now.
• Press Delete or Backspace on your keyboard.

Organize your slides

Skip a slide.

You can skip a slide when you present a presentation. The slide won’t be deleted, and if you share your presentation with others, people will be able to see the skipped slides.

• At the left, right-click the slide or slides you want to skip.
• Click Skip Slide .
• Optional: To show a skipped slide, click Skip Slide  again.

You can change the order of slides in a presentation:

• If you want to reorder multiple slides, hold the Shift key and click them now.
• Drag the slide or slides where you want them.

You can number your slides in a presentation:

• Click Apply .

Note: If you don’t want your title slide to be numbered, check the box next to "Skip title slides" when adding slide numbers.

To number only certain slides:

• Select the slide or slides that you want numbered.
• Click Apply to selected .

You can view your slides in filmstrip view or grid view:

• On your computer, open a presentation in Google Slides.

• In the menu, you can go to View to check or uncheck Show filmstrip .

Need more help?

Try these next steps:.

Using Google products, like Google Docs, at work or school? Try powerful tips, tutorials, and templates. Learn to work on Office files without installing Office, create dynamic project plans and team calendars, auto-organize your inbox, and more.