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You can present Google Slides so they show on a full screen.

View a presentation

To present a full-screen presentation in Google Slides:

• Open a presentation in Google Slides .

• From the current slide, the presentation will become full screen. To change slides, use the arrow keys on your keyboard or click the arrows at the bottom of the presentation.
• To exit full-screen, press the Esc key.

Present with notes, auto-advance slides & more

View a presentation with speaker notes.

• Click Presenter view .
• Click Speaker notes .

Advance slides automatically

• You present your presentation.
• Someone clicks on a link to your published presentation.
• Someone views your published presentation that's embedded in a website.

Advance slides automatically while you present

• Open a presentation in Google Slides.

• Choose how quickly to advance your slides.

Advance slides automatically for a published presentation

• If you use Google Slides through work or school, you can only share the link with people within your organization.
• After you publish your presentation, anyone with the link will be able to see your presentation.
• Choose Link or Embed .
• Under "Auto-advance slides," choose how much time you want to add between slides.

Stop publishing

Highlight & annotate as you present.

When you present, you can use a pen tool to draw or make annotations. Annotations stay during your presentation, but disappear after you end your slideshow.

Use the pen tool during a slideshow

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

• To draw or annotate, click and drag on your slide.

Other actions while presenting

When you present, you can choose more options from the toolbar at the bottom of the presentation window:

• Select slides to present from a list
• Open "Presenter" view
• Turn on laser pointer
• Print the presentation
• Download the presentation in PDF or PPTX format

PC keyboard shortcuts

Mac keyboard shortcuts, chrome keyboard shortcuts, need more help, try these next steps:.

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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

Principal consultant, related articles, how to present in google slides with present mode toolbar.

• Google Slides / Presentation skills

It takes time to create engaging, visual slides, so why undermine all your effort at the crunch point? Delivering a presentation properly really isn’t that tricky! With Google Slides’ Present mode toolbar, it’s super easy to present in Google Slides navigating your presentation effortlessly.

How to share your Google Slides presentation

• Google Slides
• Comments: 4

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!

Creating and delivering the perfect job interview presentation

• Presentation skills / Visual communication

You’ve applied to what feels like (and may literally be) 101 different companies and you’ve finally landed that all important interview. Great! The only problem is, they’ve asked you to give a presentation about why they should hire you… What makes a killer presentation? What will separate you from…

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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How to Make Your Presentation More Interactive With Google Slides' Presenter View

Want to make sure your presentation goes smoothly? Here's how Google Slides' Presenter view can help you in presenting more effectively.

When making a presentation, it would be helpful to have notes and other information readily available on the screen. However, if you add notes to your slideshow directly, your audience will see it.

So, how can you add notes that only you can see on Google Slides? Let’s explore the Speaker Notes feature in the browser and mobile apps.

1. How to Add Speaker Notes in Google Slides

Adding notes to each slide will help you have a smoother presentation. This feature ensures that you don’t have to use an external app, sticky notes, or a physical notebook, thus reducing distractions. But how do you add notes when you’re creating a presentation in Google Slides ? Find out below.

Using Google Slides for the Web

When using the browser version on your PC, you can add notes by clicking on the Click to add speaker notes subwindow at the bottom of the screen. After clicking on it, you’re free to type and add notes for that slide. Once you’re done, you only need to click away, and your notes are automatically saved.

When you move to another slide, you’ll notice that the speaker notes field is empty. You can click on this again to fill it with notes for this specific slide.

Using the Google Slides iOS and Android App

Adding speaker notes on the app version is a bit more complicated. First, open the Slides app and the presentation you want to work on. Tap on the slide you want to add notes to, then choose Edit slide .

Once the slide loads into the edit view, tap on the menu in the upper-right corner, then choose Show speaker notes . You’ll then see a Tap to add speaker notes subwindow appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on it, and it will fill your screen. You are then free to type the notes you need.

Once you’ve finished adding your notes, tap on the Check Mark on the upper-left corner of the screen. You will return to the edit view with your notes shown at the bottom. To add notes to other slides, you need to swipe to the slide you want to edit, then repeat the process noted above.

2. Viewing Speaker Notes While Presenting

When you’re launching your presentation, you have to launch it under Presenter view to see the notes you added earlier. Here’s how you can open your presentation in the said view.

Opening Presenter View on Your Browser

When you’re ready to show your presentation, don’t click on the Slideshow button. Instead, click on the down-pointing arrow beside it to show a dropdown menu, then choose Presenter view .

Once the slideshow starts, you’ll see your presentation appear on the main tab; then, you’ll see a Presenter view window open. In the small window, you should see your notes appear under the Speaker Notes tab on the right side. You can also control your slideshow by clicking on the Next and Previous slide previews on the left side of the Presenter view window .

Opening Presenter View on the Mobile App

If you’re using the mobile app, you can only see your notes if you present at a Google Meet meeting. To do so, tap on the Play icon at the top menu. In the options that appear, choose Present to a meeting . You then have to input the Meeting ID of the Google Meet you’re presenting to. Once you have typed the correct code, tap on Done .

You’ll then join the Google Meet room in presentation mode. Your slide will appear as the main window, but you’ll see your notes on the lower part of your mobile device’s screen.

3. Asking Your Audience

One way you can interact with your audience is to answer their questions. However, this isn’t easy if you’re presenting to a large crowd. You may not be able to get to all the participants, or some might be too intimidated to ask a question publicly. So, to help you interact with your audience, you can launch Audience Tools .

How to Ask for Questions With the Browser

In the presenter view, click on the Audience Tools tab. Under it, you’ll see a Start New button. Click on it, and this flag will appear on top of your presentation:​​​​​

Ask a question at slides.app.goo.gl/[code] .

All your audience needs to do is type the link on their browser, and they’ll be redirected to a new tab where they can type their questions. There, they can type in their questions and submit them to you. They can even ask anonymous questions by clicking on the Ask anonymously check box .

When your audience sends their questions, you’ll receive them under the Audience Tools tab. If you find a particular question interesting, you can click on the Present button under the question, so you can flash it on your presentation. You’ll also see audience reactions to the question, with the number of positive or negative reactions the audience has to it.

If you want to move on and want to stop receiving questions, click on the On slider to switch it off.

How to Ask for Questions With a Mobile App

When you’re in the presenter view, tap on the Audience Q&A icon. It’s in the upper-right corner of your screen, the one before the right-most speaker notes icon. You must then tap Start New in the next view.

Once you’ve turned on Audience Q&A, your audience will see the Ask a question flag on top of your presentation. They then need to type that address on a browser to see the questions page.

You will see the questions they typed on your mobile device, and you can then tap on it to flash it on your presentation. If you want to move to the next slide, you must press the back button in the upper-left corner of the screen. Once you’re done answering questions, you can slide the toggle at the upper-right corner of the Audience Q&A view.

4. Draw on the Screen in Your Google Slides

One other nifty feature of Google Slides is that it allows you to draw on the presentation screen. However, you can only do it from a tablet, like an iPad. To use this feature, you must again launch your presentation under Present to a meeting .

Once you’re in the presenter view, tap on the pen icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, beside the Q&A icon. After it’s activated, you’re free to scribble on the active slide. However, once you change slides, all your on-screen annotations will disappear. To turn off the feature, you just need to tap on the pen icon again.

Create an Interactive Presentation With Google Slides

Google Slides provides many features that let you have an interactive presentation. You can become an effective speaker and pass your knowledge to others more efficiently with these tools. And if you’re having difficulty creating a design, why not check out these sources for Google Slides themes.

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 Google Slides

If you want to create a presentation for your company or a slideshow for your classroom, Google Slides is a solid option. The application is similar to Microsoft PowerPoint but is completely free and web-based for easy access.

Get started in Google Slides

Use views in google slides, add and format slides in a presentation, include speaker notes, insert and format text on a slide, insert and format images on a slide, insert other objects on a slide, view and present a slideshow.

Here, we’ll walk you through the basics of using Google Slides as a beginner. From adding slides to inserting text and images to presenting your slideshow, here’s how to use Google Slides.

What You Need

Web browser

Google account

To create a presentation, visit Google Slides and sign in with your Google account. You can then use a template for a quick start or create a blank slideshow.

Step 1: On the main Google Slides page, you’ll see a few templates across the top. To see them all, select Template gallery . If you see a template you want to use, select it.

Otherwise, pick the Blank option to create a slideshow from scratch.

Step 2: When the slideshow opens, head to the top-left corner and give it a name.

The default for a template is the template name, and for a blank slideshow, it’s “Untitled Presentation.” Simply replace that text with your own and press Enter or Return to save it.

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Step 3: As you create your presentation, Google Slides saves it automatically. At the top of the slideshow screen, you’ll see that it is saved to your Google Drive and when you made the last edit.

Step 4: You can return to the main Google Slides screen anytime by selecting the Google Slides logo on the top left, beside the name.

As you create your presentation, you can use different views depending on how you want to work.

Step 1: The main view, as shown below, puts your slide front and center without distractions.

Step 2: To open thumbnails of your slides on the left, select View > Show filmstrip . You can then use the Filmstrip to move to different slides in your presentation and take action on a slide with a right-click.

To close the Filmstrip, return to View > Show filmstrip to deselect the option.

Step 3: To see a full screen of slide thumbnails, go to View > Grid view to select the option. This gives you a larger picture of how your slides are set up and actions you can take using a right-click.

To close this view, go to View > Grid view to deselect the option.

To build a presentation, you’ll add slides. Each slide can contain text, images, videos, shapes, and other elements. To make structuring your slides a bit easier, you can use a pre-made layout. But you also have the option to use a blank slide to place items where you like.

Step 1: To add a slide, do one of the following:

• Go to the Insert tab and choose New slide near the bottom.
• Go to the Slide tab and choose New slide at the top.
• In the Filmstrip or Grid view, right-click a slide and pick New slide .

Step 2: By default, the new slide is placed after your selected slide and uses the same layout. You can change the layout for the new slide if you prefer.

Step 3: To change the layout, select the slide and do one of the following:

• Go to the Slide tab, move to Apply layout , and choose a layout in the pop-out menu.
• In the Filmstrip or Grid view, right-click a slide, move to Apply layout , and choose a layout in the pop-out menu.

When you present a slideshow that you plan to talk through, you can add notes to your slides that only you can see. This is similar to using physical index cards during a speech.

Step 1: To display the notes section on a slide, either drag up using the Three dots at the very bottom of the slide or select View > Show speaker notes .

Step 2: This expands the section below the slide. Place your cursor inside the Notes section and enter your text.

Step 3: To change the font style, size, color, or formatting, select the text in your note and use the Font buttons in the toolbar.

Step 4: To close the speaker notes area, either drag down until the notes section is out of sight or go to View > Show speaker notes to deselect the option.

You can add text to your slides using the pre-made text boxes that are included with the layout you select. Alternatively, you can add text boxes and move them where you want.

Step 1: To add text to an included text box, simply click inside the box and type. The text is automatically formatted per the text box type. For instance, if you enter text in a title box, it’s formatted in a larger font.

Step 2: To insert a text box of your own, either select Insert > Text box in the menu or choose the Text box button in the toolbar.

Step 3: Click a spot on your slide to add the text box, and then enter your text inside.

Step 4: You can move a text box by dragging it and resize one by dragging in or out from a corner or edge.

Step 5: To change the font style, size, color, or format for the text inside the box, select the text and then use the font options in the toolbar.

Slideshows are visual presentations, so along with text, you’ll likely want to include pictures or photos.

Step 1: Go to Insert and move to Image or select the arrow next to the Image button in the toolbar.

Step 2: Choose the location for your image. You can pick a picture from your computer, a web search, Google Drive, Google Photos, a URL, or your device camera.

Step 3: Once you locate and insert the image, drag to move it where you like. You can also drag a corner or edge to resize it.

Step 4: For additional formatting options such as rotation, position, shadow, reflection, and other adjustments, open the Format options sidebar.

You can do this by selecting the image and choosing Format options in the toolbar or by right-clicking the image and choosing Format options .

Along with text and images, you can include other types of visuals in your presentation. You can add videos, audio files, tables, charts, diagrams, word art, and lines.

Step 1: To see all of your options and add an element, go to the Insert tab and choose what you would like to add.

Step 2: Some items like shapes, charts, and lines display a pop-out menu for you to pick the type or style. Other elements like video and audio display a pop-up window for you to pick the location or enter a URL.

Step 3: Once you insert an object on your slide, drag to move it to the spot you want. You can also right-click the item to view additional actions like formatting, alignment, or arrangement with other slide elements.

You can view your presentation at any point in the creation process and can present it the same way to your audience.

Plus, you can take advantage of the Presenter view, which gives you controls and displays your notes. Or, simply watch the slideshow as your audience will.

Step 1: On the top right, select the arrow next to Slideshow and pick Presenter view or Start from beginning .

Step 2: In Presenter view, you’ll see your slideshow on one side of your display or second monitor, with a smaller control window floating on top.

Use the control window to move through the slides, pause the slideshow, and see your speaker notes.

Step 3: In regular slideshow view, you’ll see the presentation in full-screen mode, as mentioned.

Use the Floating toolbar on the bottom left to advance through the slides or pause the slideshow.

Step 4: In either of the above views, select the Three dots on the right side of the floating toolbar to do things like enter or exit full-screen mode, view your speaker notes, automatically play the presentation, or exit the show.

There you have it! These are the basics for how to use Google Slides if you’re new to the application. For more, look at how to use Google Sheets .

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Google Drive is one of the best cloud storage providers, offering its users the flexibility to access data from almost any device, anywhere in the world. However, it can sometimes fail to load and display the error message "Google Drive refused to connect" or "drive.google.com refused to connect."

This error may occur while using any of the Google office apps (like Docs, Sheets, or Slides) while using multiple Google accounts. If you are facing such an issue, we can help. Here's a quick step-by-step guide on how you can tackle this Google Drive connectivity issue.

If you’ve never used Google Docs or Google Drive before, it’s completely free to get started, and there’s an entire world of web-connected features you’ll be able to use, both online and offline.

While PowerPoint is widely used to develop presentations, Google Slides has become a popular alternative. Part of what makes it so popular is that it's free to use, as is other Google software such as Google Docs and Google Sheets – which is a stark contrast to the premium price you'll pay for Microsoft Office and PowerPoint.

If you're looking to jump ship from PowerPoint to Slides, Google makes it easy to do so. In fact, it takes little more than a few clicks to convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides. Whether you need to change the format for a coworker or want to permanently switch to the free platform, here's a look at how to convert your PowerPoint deck into a Google Slides presentation.

How-To Geek

How to autoplay and loop a google slides presentation.

Play your presentation without touching a thing.

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 Change Slides Orientation in Google Slides

A change of perspective is always good! Do you want your public to look at your slides in a new way? Changing slides orientation will do the work. In this tutorial you’re going to learn  how to go from horizontal slides, to vertical ones (and vice versa!). 

How to change page orientation in Google Slides

Google Slides usually comes in horizontal layout. If you want to change the format and have vertical slides , you only need to follow  three simple steps : 

• Go to File →  Page Setup . Here, you can change the format, but Google Slides does not have a premade vertical option. 
• Click on  Custom and you will be able to change the actual size of the canvas. The value on the left represents how wide your slide will be, and the one on the right is how tall. You can choose the values you want, but we recommend just swapping the values, this way the slide will be the same size but it will be vertical instead of horizontal.

Note that the changes in format you make will apply to the whole presentation, it is not possible to change the layout of a single slide. 

Have you changed your mind and want to know how to change the slide orientation again? This time it is even easier, you only need to select any of the three presets on  Page Setup .

Pro tip:  you can create a printable slide, if you select 21.4 cm x 29.7 cm. Those are the values for a standard A4 sheet of paper. 

Now your creations will know no barriers, neither horizontal nor vertical! Take a look at  our web and choose a template to start practising. Or, if you want to keep learning, read one of our many  Google Slides Tutorials . 

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Crafting an impactful PowerPoint slideshow and delivering a captivating presentation are distinct skills. The first focuses on designing appealing visuals to convey a clear message, while the second involves employing effective presentation techniques to ensure the audience grasps the idea. The content of this article will help you with the latter part of this process, guiding future presenters on how to print PowerPoint with speaker notes to enhance your presentations success and effectiveness.

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We have great news for you today! If you’ve been a Slidesgo fan for years (or months, or weeks, or days, or mere hours, we welcome everyone!), you’ll probably know for now that our templates are available mostly in two formats: for use in Google Slides and PowerPoint.Google Slides is a free tool, since you only need a Google account in order to use it. PowerPoint, on the other hand, is part of the Microsoft Office suite, so it’s not a free program, but that didn’t stop it from being one of the most popular options in the world!What if we...

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How to Make Google Slides Portrait

Switch the slide's orientation from landscape

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What to Know

• Open the presentation in Google Slides. Select File > Page setup .
• Choose the drop-down box that displays Widescreen 16:9 (or a similar horizontal ratio.)
• Select Custom > swap the numbers listed in the two boxes to rotate the slide to vertical.

This article explains how to change all the slides in a Google Slides presentation from landscape (horizontal) mode to portrait (vertical) mode, and then back to landscape mode.

How to Change Slide Orientation in Google Slides to Portrait

After you use Google Slides to make a presentation , it only takes a few moments to go back in and change a slide's orientation from landscape to portrait. This process changes the orientation for all the slides in the presentation; there's no method for doing it for individual slides. Here's what you need to do to change things around.

Go to Google Docs in a web browser. You can't do this on an Android or iOS app.

Select menu (three lines).

Select Slides .

Choose the presentation you want to edit.

Select File .

Select Page setup .

You may need to scroll down to see this option.

Select the drop-down box currently displaying Widescreen 16:9 .

This may be a different size, depending on how your presentation is set up.

Select Custom .

Swap the two numbers listed around to rotate the slide into a vertical position. 

Another way to change the slide size in Google Slides is to enter a figure here. We recommend 7.5 inches by 10 inches if you want to create a portrait image that looks good when printed.

Select Apply .

The slide has now been correctly moved to the Portrait perspective.

How to Change Slide Orientation to Landscape

Is your presentation set up for Portrait mode and you're now regretting everything? Don't worry. It's just as simple to change your slides back to Landscape perspective. Here's what to do.

Go to Google Docs.

Want to change the size in a different way? Enter a figure here. We recommend 10 inches by 7.5 inches if you want to create a landscape image that looks good when printed.

The slide has now been correctly moved to the Landscape perspective.

When to Use Different Perspectives on Your Presentation

You may be wondering why you need to switch between Portrait and Landscape perspective with your Google Slides presentations. We've looked at a few key reasons why it can be worthwhile doing.

• Newsletters . If you're creating a newsletter in Google Slides, a portrait view is often far better for reading than landscape. It looks better for everyone and is far easier to hold too if you're printing it out.
• Different posters . Depending on what you're designing, different posters can look better either in Portrait or Landscape perspective. It's useful to be able to see which looks better for your design.
• Infographics . Similarly, if you're designing an infographic for your presentation, graphs will look better in Landscape while more text-heavy results will look better in Portrait.

To add audio to Google Slides , insert a link to a sound file. For example, if you find a SoundCloud file you want to use, select Share and copy the URL. In your Google Slide, choose where you want the sound to play and go to Insert > Link . Paste the link > Apply .

To embed a video in Google Slides , select the slide where you want to insert the video, and then select  Insert  >  Video . Search for and choose the video you want to add, or enter the video's URL. To adjust its size and specifications, right-click and select Format Options .

To do a hanging indent in Google Slides , ensure the ruler is visible, and then add your text. Highlight the text where you want a hanging indent, and select and drag the  indent control (downward triangle) in the ruler area. Grab the left indent control (blue bar above triangle) and drag it where you want the first line of text to start to create the hanging indent.

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Home Blog Google Slides Tutorials Google Slides vs. PowerPoint: A Detailed Comparison

Google Slides vs. PowerPoint: A Detailed Comparison

There was a time when anyone making a slide deck using presentation software was likely to use PowerPoint, with Apple’s Keynote being a close competitor. As time progressed, presentation platforms became available online and through mobile devices. In the initial years of this transition, PowerPoint lagged behind in the wake of online presentation suites and mobile device presentation apps. One of the most obvious competitors then was Google Slides, leading to the debate about Google Slides vs. PowerPoint.

Table of Contents

Importance of Presentation Tools

Google slides and microsoft powerpoint: historical context, accessibility and device compatibility, price comparison, presentation templates, basic editing features, media embedding capabilities, annotation and presentation options, animations and transitions, file conversion capability, collaboration and teamwork capabilities, pros and cons of powerpoint and google slides, case studies: powerpoint and google slides.

Presentations have become a staple for business professionals, teachers, students, and even people in the military. As using computers and mobile devices became easier with the improvement in easy-to-use graphical interfaces, people quickly switched to slide decks, video presentations, remote meetings, and other presentation delivery methods. People no longer needed whiteboards or oral presentations, as the visual aids offered by presentation software were just too good to let go of. This meant that presentation software was continuously improved and adapted for different devices.

Over the years, different presentation software has been accompanied by several accessories, such as presentation remotes and laser pointers. All of these have been virtually replaced in recent years with virtual apps or integrated features within presentation software that allow easy remote switching of slides through mobile devices and the ability to turn a cursor into a laser pointer. Furthermore, add-ins for different presentation platforms have emerged with innovative and ever-increasing options to enhance presentations. 

The Rise of PowerPoint as a Presentation Software

Developed by Robert Gaskins and Dennis Austin during the 80s, it was a presentation software developed for Mac computers. Along the way, Gaskins and Austin also employed the help of a third developer, Thomas Rudkin. PowerPoint 1.0 for Mac was released in 1987, and 10,000 copies were sold. Shortly afterward, Microsoft acquired Forethought Inc., the company that made PowerPoint. It took some convincing from colleagues, leading Bill Gates to seriously think about PowerPoint being an effective software.

For a long time, PowerPoint remained the major presentation software for desktop computer users, more precisely, Windows and Mac users. 

Emergence of Google Slides as a Viable PowerPoint Competitor

Nearly 20 years after its initial release, things began to change. The Internet had started taking the world by storm, and more people could use desktop computers than ever before. Not to mention, mobile devices started becoming ‘smarter.’ Then, Google launched its Google Docs Suite with an online version of a PowerPoint-like app. This app later became Google Slides. While Google was able to provide free online presentation software that could also enable the opening, editing, and sharing of PowerPoint-compatible files, Microsoft lagged in delivering a similar product. It wasn’t until 2012 that Microsoft PowerPoint came with proper online features. With the introduction of a free version called PowerPoint Online and later integration with Office 365 (now known as Microsoft 365), Microsoft caught up to Google Slides. Furthermore, the two became available for mobile devices, catering to the needs of smartphone users.

Google Slides vs PowerPoint: Feature Comparison

The first thing to consider when it comes to the Google Slides vs. PowerPoint debate is device compatibility. Back in the day, PowerPoint was limited to Windows and Mac computers, whereas Google Slides could mostly be used only through Internet-connected browsers. Much has changed since the launch of the Google Docs Suite, which led to what we now know as Google Slides. This means that both PowerPoint and Google Slides are now more compatible with different devices than ever before.

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint has Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS apps. While Windows Phone is no longer produced, Microsoft released a version back then. Other than apps, PowerPoint is accessible through Internet browsers via the free but limited version called PowerPoint Online and the full-featured Microsoft 365 suite.

Google Slides

Google Slides was initially an online presentation app available via Internet-connected browsers. Later, it produced various apps for Android, iOS, Chrome OS, and Wear OS devices. Furthermore, you can also use Google Slides offline on a desktop computer using the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension. This extension also works with other Chromium-based web browsers like Edge.

Before we discuss the features of both presentation platforms, it is worth discussing the pricing mechanism that Google and Microsoft use for their presentation software.

Microsoft provides a free version of PowerPoint via a Microsoft account that you can use to access an online version. Furthermore, it also comes with OneDrive integration and up to 5Gb of free cloud storage. The full-featured version of PowerPoint has different license types, with an annual recurring fee for personal, family, business, and enterprise use. Microsoft also offers free versions for educational institutions, teachers, and students. The classic 2021 version of PowerPoint is also available for one-time purchase and is called Office Home & Student 2021. However, this is for non-commercial use and is more of a version with limited features.

As of 2024, Microsoft 365 starts at $69.99 for a personal package or around $6 per user per month. Depending on your needs, you can opt for family, business, or enterprise packages.

While Google Slides has been free for users of Google accounts for quite some time, it also comes with premium packages. Unlike the Google Drive-integrated version with 15GB of cloud storage, the paid version of Google Slides comes integrated with Google Workspace, which has various versions for business use and an enterprise package. Google Workspace for Education provides free and discounted versions for educational use.

Unlike the free version of Google’s products, Google Workspace offers advanced security, cloud storage, and custom emails with all Google products like Gmail, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Drive, Google Calendar, and others integrated into one suite. Furthermore, it integrates with third-party apps for advanced integration for enterprise use.

Google Workspace can cost $6 per user per month or around $72 annually for a basic package. Other packages for business and enterprise use can cost more depending on the number of users.

Different presentation software has different templates, enabling end users to create customized slide decks to suit their needs. A number of native and third-party templates are available for both platforms.

Microsoft PowerPoint provides hundreds of templates that are accessible directly through its apps and online versions. You can also download PowerPoint templates from Office.com. Furthermore, more third-party developers provide customizable PowerPoint templates than Google Slides. SlideModel alone provides over 50,000 PowerPoint templates with various customizable characters, maps, diagrams, backgrounds, and layouts.

One of the things that Google Slides has lagged in is the provision of templates that are as good as PowerPoint. Not only are there fewer developers making templates for Google Slides, but the quality can also be often lacking. Compare that to the PowerPoint templates available via Office.com and third-party developers, and you will find PowerPoint to be a clear winner in this comparison. Suppose you are a Google Slides user searching for templates that can offer something similar to an experience provided by PowerPoint templates. In that case, you can either use PowerPoint templates in Google Slides or explore these Google Slides templates .

The basic editing features of PowerPoint and Google Slides are quite similar, with a few exceptions. If you are new to presentation making, you might want to first see our articles about how to start and end a presentation .

A glance at the Home tab of the Ribbon menu provides basic editing features, including the fonts, text styles, size, and alignment options. Moreover, you can use this menu or the left sidebar to create, duplicate, add, or hide slides.

Besides the left sidebar, Google Slides provides basic editing features via the Format menu. This menu caters to text, alignment, spacing, and other basic features. The Slide menu has many layout selections, slide duplication, and creation features. Many basic formatting options are also visible from the Google Slides toolbar. What sets apart Google Slides formatting options is mainly the availability of different font families, with fewer editing and enhancement features such as text stylizing options in Google Slides.

Both PowerPoint and Google Slides provide various embedding options to embed content within slides.

PowerPoint via the Insert tab offers options to add pictures from your device and online, including via Bing search stock photos provided by Microsoft. You can also insert illustrations, cutout people, stickers, and cartoon characters provided within the app. PowerPoint also comes with stock icons, shapes, 3D models, symbols, charts, and the ability to add videos and audio to slides. The videos include not only ones from within your device but also online videos and stock videos provided by Microsoft. Unlike past versions, Microsoft has come a long way in offering embedding capability for YouTube videos and other platforms such as Vimeo, SlideShare, Stream, and Flip. Additionally, you can instantly record a screencast and insert it into a PowerPoint slide.

PowerPoint supports MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, MPEG, and SWF video formats, as well as audio formats such as MP3, WAV, M4A, and WMA.

Google Slides provides shapes, tables, diagrams, charts, and WordArt that is similar but arguably inferior to PowerPoint. The embedding options offered by Google Slides are a close replica of PowerPoint. Available via the Insert menu, you can add images from your device via URL, Google search, your device camera by taking an instant photo, and Google Drive. Similarly, you can insert Audio and videos from YouTube and Google Drive. 

Google Slides supports videos from  MP4, AVI, MOV, and WMV formats, whereas supported audio file formats include MP3, WAV, and OGG. In terms of embedding capabilities, Google Slides is more geared towards online users, whereas PowerPoint also provides enhanced offline capability to embed videos and reasonable support to embed videos from popular video streaming platforms. Other features, such as making a screencast, require using third-party add-ons for Google Slides.

PowerPoint’s Draw tab and the Pointer options in Slideshow mode (accessible via the right-click menu) can highlight and turn your cursor into an instant laser pointer. You can also move the cursor to the bottom to reveal many of these features in slideshow mode and find options to zoom into text, view slide thumbnails, etc.

Regarding annotation and presentation features, Google Slides lags far behind PowerPoint. The Line and Scribble options are pretty limited, and while you can turn your cursor to a laser pointer or highlight text in Slideshow mode, PowerPoint’s ability to zoom and sort slides and Drawing tools cannot be matched.

When it comes to animations and transitions, PowerPoint’s capability compared to Google Slides has often been overlooked.

The Transitions and Animations tab provides transitions and animations in PowerPoint. Slide switching is a pleasure if you know how to arrange the transitions from the very basic reveal, split, and fade to the advanced Morph transitions. Similarly, PowerPoint animations are divided into four major sections, including animations for Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, and Motion Paths. Motion Paths are the most complex PowerPoint animations, enabling the definition of a path for an animated object.

You can go to Insert -> Animation after selecting an object or Slide -> Transition after selecting a slide to reveal animations and transitions in Google Slides. Unfortunately, both animations and transitions in Google Slides are pretty basic and limited, unlike PowerPoint, which offers basic to advanced transitions and animations. For example, the PowerPoint morph transition can create the illusion of moving objects, and Motion Paths can reveal objects on a set path defined by the user.

Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides support file conversion to different formats. However, some conversion options require third-party apps.

PowerPoint supports converting files to PDF, XPS, MPEG 4, WMV, EMF, RTF, SVG, BMP, PNG, JPEG, TIFF, ODP, and other formats. Many file conversion formats in PowerPoint are also native, such as the legacy PPT, PPA, POT, and PPS formats and the new formats PPTX, POTM, PPTM, PPSX, and POTX.

Google Slides provides native file conversion options to download your file as a PPTX, ODP, PDF, TXT, JPEG, PNG, or SVG file. However, to convert Google Slides to video or other formats, you must use third-party add-ons such as Creator Studio.

In the wake of COVID-19 and remote working, the need for collaboration and teamwork, even for presentations, cannot be underestimated. Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace have often tried competing in this niche using various products woven into their presentation software.

The fact that Microsoft doesn’t simply produce a presentation suite but an entire environment, from operating systems to remote meeting apps, gives it quite an advantage. PowerPoint comes integrated with OneDrive, Teams, Loop, Skype, and various other apps you can use to collaborate online. Depending on your Microsoft 365 subscription, some features are limited to enterprise users, particularly for the desktop version of PowerPoint. You can share your files using OneDrive with specific people or by generating a publicly accessible link. Use the online version of PowerPoint to embed a code to share your presentation online.

Collaboration on a Live PowerPoint file can be performed through a browser, the desktop, or the mobile version of PowerPoint. Furthermore, its integration with Microsoft Teams helps integrate PowerPoint natively for remote meetings.

Google Slides initiated online collaboration and sharing long before Microsoft adapted to the concept. The initial version of Google Slides readily provided options such as sharing the file of online cooperation via a direct link that Microsoft later integrated into PowerPoint. Furthermore, you can also use the Publish on the Web option in Google Slides to embed the slides online.

In terms of collaboration, what makes the real difference is the close integration of various Microsoft products with PowerPoint. In contrast, Google Drive and Google Meet have been trying to do the same for Google Slides, with the latter being less popular for remote meetings than Microsoft remote meeting apps such as Teams and Skype. 

Unlike Microsoft, Google has struggled to leverage ChromeOS and Android as a primary choice for enterprise use since both operating systems lack the ability and compatible hardware to run heavy apps. Windows or Mac seems to be an obvious choice for end users when it comes to non-linear editing, research, graphic design, and other fields of work that require using resource-intensive apps. This also impacts the preference for Google Slides compared to Microsoft products such as PowerPoint, which integrates with the Microsoft-provided experience.

While much can be said about PowerPoint and Google Slides’ features, let’s examine some of the pros and cons of using both presentation platforms.

Pros of Using Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint has a number of handy features that make it a worthy presentation software and live up to its reputation as an industry leader.

Feature Rich

PowerPoint is a feature-rich presentation software with many advanced features to help you edit, create, design, and present your slides with many user-friendly options. 

Integration with Microsoft Products

PowerPoint, combined with the overall Microsoft experience, is based on its Windows operating systems, Teams, Skype, OneDrive, and other apps to provide support for PowerPoint.

Offline Access

Unlike Google Slides, which works best online, the offline version of PowerPoint allows users to create and present slides offline without requiring Internet connectivity.

Availability of PowerPoint Templates

You can find PowerPoint templates on any topic imaginable, with countless third-party developers adding free and premium templates daily. This ever-expanding resource is something that presenters can always leverage to make their presentation visually appealing and with easy-to-edit templates.

Advanced Collaboration Features

While PowerPoint was late in providing online collaboration features, the ability to work remotely has been expanding and improving once integrated.

Add-ins and Integration with Third-Party Apps

PowerPoint add-ins and third-party app integration have been seamless and ever-expanding. Not only can you use a wide array of add-ins to further enhance PowerPoint features, but you can also integrate it with various third-party platforms and apps such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Zapier, Bing Translate, etc.

Integration of AI

In recent years, Microsoft has been quick to integrate AI in PowerPoint. From PowerPoint’s Designer feature and Bing Translation tool to the integration of Copilot, Microsoft has been quickly enabling end users to leverage AI to create and design slides.

Cons of using Microsoft PowerPoint

While PowerPoint has many benefits, end users should also consider a number of cons.

Expensive Cost Structure

PowerPoint can be quite costly, and not everyone will be willing or able to afford a hefty annual recurring fee. The free version and license for noncommercial use have stringent requirements from which few can benefit. The free version of PowerPoint available as PowerPoint online has limited features.

Platform Dependency

While PowerPoint has an online version with ever-increasing features and mobile versions for Android and iOS, it is still more of a desktop app. We can argue that the online version isn’t as smooth as the functionality of the desktop version, and the mobile apps still leave a lot to be desired. Other than the Mac version of PowerPoint, it has been designed to integrate with Microsoft OS and apps, making it somewhat platform-dependent.

Pros of Using Google Slides

Google Slides has various pros as a presentation app for different types of end users.

Cloud-Based and Cross-Platform Accessibility

The promise of Google Slides or Google’s suite was always ease of access through the Internet and cross-platform compatibility. Like other Google products of its kind, Google Slides provides ease of access via the Internet and accessibility regardless of what operating system you are using. Using a modern browser allows you to access and use Google Slides without any platform dependency.

Economical Option for Making Presentations

Using the full-featured PowerPoint can be quite expensive, whereas Google Slides provides all basic features in the free version, with the option to upgrade to Google Workspace for more advanced features. Furthermore, Google Drive comes with 15GB of free cloud storage space compared to the meager 5GB provided by OneDrive. This can be helpful for long-term use for storing presentations online.

Compatibility with PowerPoint Files

If you can’t afford PowerPoint, Google Slides can be the next best thing. It provides compatibility for PowerPoint files, with the option to convert files in various other file formats such as PDF, RTF, ODP, etc. You can even start a presentation using Google Slides and download it as a PowerPoint file for use with PowerPoint. While many other apps also offer such features, the compatibility of Google Slides with PowerPoint files is one of the best you can find.  

Integration of Google-Based Apps

Google Slides is integrated with other Google products, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, Google Forms, and Google Photos. You will find Google Slides quite convenient if you’re used to these products. 

Third-Party App Integration

Google Slides integrates with a number of third-party apps such as Adobe Spark, Canva, Lucidchart, Asana, etc. You can access Google Slides add-ons via the Extensions menu. The add-ons available for Google Slides are mainly for online platforms that integrate with Google Slides.

Cons of Using Google Slides

While Google Slides has been a great free alternative to PowerPoint, it does have various limitations.

Limited Features

When it comes to Google Slides vs. PowerPoint, the latter clearly offers more enhanced features that Google Slides has yet to match. Whether it’s the use of advanced transitions and animations, AI, design features, or basic editing and presentation options, PowerPoint wins by a mile.

Weak Offline Support

Google Slides is primarily an online app with weak offline support. Unlike PowerPoint, it is very hard, if not impossible, to create, edit, and present a presentation entirely offline using Google Slides.

Use by the US Military

There have been many instances where PowerPoint stood out as a presentation software and times when it took flak for the phenomenon called death by PowerPoint. The use of PowerPoint by the American military is well documented. The concept came to light amidst criticism of how bad the presentations were. This led to an article in The New York Times titled, ‘We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is PowerPoint’. Eventually, Microsoft intervened and sent in executive communications manager Dave Karle to rectify the problem. However, the case of death by PowerPoint in the US military is attributed not to the presentation software but to how it is inaccurately used to create presentations. 

Google Slides has many examples of case studies and events where it has been a regular feature. Google’s annual developer conference, called Google I/O, is famous for featuring presentations on Google Slides. In 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and other senior officials used Google Slides during Google I/O as a part of the major event highlights. Google Slides has often been used in Google I/O events as a presentation platform by Google’s top management and remains the central app for keynote presentations.

While the US military might have a lot to learn about using PowerPoint, presenters at TED Talks often use it with quite some dexterity. PowerPoint and Google Slides have been regular features of TED Talks and are used by different types of presenters to express their ideas and explain various concepts.

While Google Slide provides an economical and easy-to-access alternative to PowerPoint, the latter remains an industry leader with features that Google Slides has yet to catch up to. While Google Slides had an edge in the past regarding online collaboration and sharing features, once PowerPoint became available online, Google struggled to match the features offered by PowerPoint and lacked the support of operating systems and other apps used by businesses that come integrated with PowerPoint. 

Windows-based operating systems, including client OS and servers, come integrated in an environment where the Office suite provides powerful support to PowerPoint users in an integrated environment. On the contrary, Google has failed to leverage Android or Chrome OS as a powerful operating system that can do the heavy lifting regarding enterprise-level software integration. Microsoft-based products are an obvious choice, even if some of the organization’s base infrastructure uses other operating systems, such as CentOS or Red Hat, to maintain its servers. This is because Windows is still a famous client operating system and Android and Chrome OS cannot match when running heavy applications for design, development, research, etc.

In conclusion, Google Slides serves as an economical alternative to PowerPoint. The latter is still the industry leader in presentation software and has yet to be dethroned.

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Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint Filed under Google Slides Tutorials , PowerPoint Tutorials

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5 Better Alternatives To Google Slides

I f you're looking to create a compelling presentation to showcase a new idea or persuade others, Google Slides may be the first option that comes to mind. But with few built-in templates, basic themes, and a limited graphics collection, you'll likely have a hard time making your presentation stand out against others.

If you want to make your presentation truly stand out, there are several alternatives to Google Slides that offer extra perks and features to give your presentations an edge. While Google focuses on integrating Slides with its other work-based apps like Sheets and Docs, other presentation apps focus more on design elements, transitions, and themes to help you convey your brand or personal image throughout your presentation.

We've tested these Google Slide alternatives to give you an idea of other available options to deliver impactful presentations. If you're looking for a way to make boring information more fun and engaging, here are the best presentation apps to replace Google Slides.

Read more: Major Graphics Card Brands Ranked Worst To Best

Microsoft PowerPoint

There's a reason so many businesses around the globe use Microsoft PowerPoint. Building its reputation as the go-to option for delivering high-quality presentations, the software generated $100 million in annual sales only three years after its initial release in 1990.

Microsoft PowerPoint may be Google Slides' largest competitor, but there are plenty of unique features that can add an extra flourish to your slides. PowerPoint excels in its impressive library of custom animations and slide transitions, which are fairly limited in Google Slides. Another unique feature is its AI-powered Designer tool. This provides professional design schemes that mirror the words used in your slides. For instance, if your title slide is named "Basketball Team 2024," Designer will automatically suggest pictures and slide layouts associated with basketball.

As PowerPoint has been in development longer than Google Slides, it naturally offers more nuanced features if you're looking for something specific. For example, you can save individual slides as an image file (using .png or .jpeg formats) or as a separate presentation file. There's also a large library of free PowerPoint templates designed to speed up your workflow. Moreover, PowerPoint integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams with its PowerPoint Live function, allowing you to easily share your presentation with your co-workers.

Prezi offers an innovative approach to showing presentations with its unique canvas feature. Unlike traditional presentation software, Prezi lets you zoom and pan around a flexible canvas. The canvas may feel distant to something of a presentation program, but there is still some linear order provided thanks to the Timeline view.

Finding ways to visualize data is one of the biggest challenges when dealing with presentation software. Prezi resolves this struggle with the help of its Story Blocks: a series of infographics available in multiple designs to visually represent data. You can easily edit infographics and even add animations to individual shapes. This can help add a story to your presentation and help you emphasize key points.

To further enhance your presentation visually, Prezi offers several topic path settings, which let you change how Prezi transitions from one topic to another. These options include subtopics, which are super helpful for breaking large chunks of information down. If you're looking for a unique, modern approach to presenting information, Prezi is a top pick.

If you're looking to create a professional presentation to convince potential clients about your business idea, Slidebean is a popular choice among professionals with plenty of customization options. One of the issues with Google Slides is its fairly limited template library, which is filled mostly with basic designs. Slidebean offers a better alternative with a broad selection of innovative templates split into categories for convenience.

The app's user interface is easy to navigate so that you can create slides in less time. Each slide has a dedicated Design and Outline tab. You can use the Outline tab to quickly edit the information on each slide without being distracted by all the visual elements. Another productivity-enhancing feature is the ability to generate a presentation theme from your website. Simply enter your URL, and Slidebean will automatically apply the theming to your presentation.

Slidebean is another presentation app to take advantage of AI. Using the Auto-Design feature, you can generate recommended slide layouts based on your existing content. It also features AI text suggestions designed to suit different industries. Overall, Slidebean offers a quicker, more efficient method for creating stunning presentations compared to Google Slides.

Canva is a well-known app among graphic designers, but it's also capable of making stunning presentations. The app also has mobile editions, so you can easily create and edit presentations on your Android phone , iOS device, or tablet. As long as you have an internet connection, you can modify your designs wherever you are.

To get started, head to Canva's online presentation maker . Canva offers a vast range of templates categorized by topic, which easily surpasses the simple templates in Google Slides . While some of the templates are only available to Canva Pro members, there is an ample amount of free templates to help you get started. You'll also find a large selection of stock photos, shapes, and illustrations to create beautiful customized slides.

Because Canva is built for graphic designers, you can access several features to give your presentation consistent theming. These include color palettes, font sets, and even a brand kit that allows you to add your company's fonts (available to Pro members only). One time-saving feature is Canva's Uploads tab, which lets you access recently uploaded media files. This offers a convenient way to copy content between different presentations.

Visme is a powerful visual design tool able to create videos, infographics, and presentations. One of the perks of using Visme is the company's free educational content, which offers advice on how to create impactful content to boost your brand. After signing up, the company also asks whether you're using Visme for your business, education purposes, or personal use to offer personalized tips.

In terms of charts and graphs, Visme offers some of the most impressive features we've seen from a presentation app, so you can effortlessly convey important statistics. From the Data tab, you can access dozens of graph styles to visually represent your data. Then, simply double-click a chart inside your presentation to edit the values instantly in a simple table format.

Another area that Visme excels in is collaboration. You can either generate a link to publish your presentation on the web or share your presentation privately with others. For each team member, you can choose who can view, edit, and comment slides for a seamless workflow. There's also a Slack integration that lets you receive messages whenever changes are made to your presentation. Visme is free for all users, with limited features available in its premium plans.

Read the original article on SlashGear .