can google slides be interactive in presentation mode

How to make an interactive presentation in Google Slides

• Categories: Google Slides
• Comments: 46

When you’re giving a presentation, you want to impress your audience and make sure they see you as credible. Whether you want to win the next big contract or simply inform, a well-designed presentation can make all the difference. One way to make your presentation stand out is by making it interactive. Interactive presentations are a great way to present information while keeping your audience engaged.

Before we dive in, it’s important to define what we mean by ‘interactive presentation’. ‘Interactive’ is sometimes used to describe presentations that include quiz questions or audience participation – that’s not what we’re talking about here. When we say ‘interactive’ we’re talking about a clickable presentation that uses hyperlinks to help users navigate to different sections. A presentation with hyperlinks is ‘interactive’ because it allows the user to choose what information they view, and in what order. As a general rule of thumb, an interactive presentation works well when your audience needs to engage directly with what’s on the screen, putting them in control of how they digest the information. In this blog post, we’ll walk through how to make an interactive presentation in Google slides.

Technical aspects, step-by-step

Now that we’re on the same page, let’s delve into how to actually create an effective interactive presentation in Google Slides. It’s easier than you might think.

Start by opening a new presentation! From the Google Slides homepage , look to the top left and click the Blank button to open a new presentation. This is your blank slate from which to create an outstanding interactive presentation!

Google Slides automatically inserts a title slide when you open a new presentation, so all you need to do is click on the title text box and type in a title. Make the title something clear and catchy, that your audience can easily understand.

Now, let’s move on to the all-important menu slide. We’re going to create something that looks like a button, so that your audience knows it’s clickable. Later on, we’ll add in hyperlinks. You can use any shape for your button, but rectangular shapes with rounded corners often look the most ‘button-like’. First, locate the Shape button on the toolbar in slides, and select a shape. Then, double click on the slide and that shape will appear. Click and drag using the nodes along the edges of the shape to change its size.

You can add labels either by typing directly on to the shape, or by clicking the text box button (also on the toolbar) and positioning a text box on top of the shape. You might also want to add a small arrow shape on top of your button, to help show that the button is clickable.  

If you’ve got a more artistic temperament, this is an opportunity to be creative! Your button doesn’t have to be made from shapes. The buttons on the menu slide in our example presentation are actually images. Feel free to get those artistic juices flowing, but keep in mind that your buttons need to look clickable. One way of doing this is by adding a drop shadow or border. To add a border, use the border color and border weight buttons, found on the toolbar.

To insert a drop shadow just right click , then select Format options , and check the box for Drop shadow .

You could also make your buttons a contrasting color from the background and other text – however, avoid colors that are too bright, as this can be distracting.

This first button you have created is the basis for your menu. When you’re happy with how it looks, replicate it so that the number of buttons corresponds to the number of sections in your presentation. You can do this by copying and pasting. Simply select the entire button – click with your mouse and drag over the button so all elements are highlighted – then copy and paste it by right clicking , selecting Copy and then Paste however many times you need. Edit the text of each button to correspond to the section of the presentation it will link to. Next, ensure that the buttons are aligned in some sort of order. You can select various buttons and then align or distribute them as you like using the alignment tools found under the Arrange tab.

Note: If you decide to use icons or imagery, it’s a good idea to make sure the meaning is clear. For example, we all know that the house symbol mean ‘go to the home page’. There’s no point using a zebra icon to return to the homepage, because people will get confused. Stick to what people find familiar, good navigation is about ease of use!

Tip: To use icons in your interactive presentation in Google Slides, click the Add – ons tab, select Get add-ons , and then select the Insert icons add-on.

Then, under the Add – ons tab, a new option will appear which is Insert icons for Slides . Hover over this, and select Open sidebar to select icons .

Then, once the sidebar appears, ensure that the icon set selected on the drop-down menu is ‘Material Design.’

Create section header slides for each section in your presentation. Do this by navigating to the top of the page, and clicking New slide on the top left of the tool bar. Repeat this step as many times as necessary. Next, build as many buttons as you need for the subsection using the steps outlined above. You can also simply copy and paste the buttons you’ve already created, and just edit the text.

Add the information you want to include in each section. If this is images, like in our example presentation, then insert images using the Insert tab.

If this is text, type on the slide using a text box. However, it’s best to use visuals instead of long paragraphs of text. Keep your message clear and succinct.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each section. Make sure each section has a header slide, with buttons if necessary. Look through your presentation up to this point – make sure all the sections are ordered correctly, and that there is a header slide at the beginning of each.

Return to your initial menu slide. Make transparent shapes to cover each ‘button’ you have created. We will turn these transparent shapes into hyperlinks that allow users to navigate through your deck. First, click the Shape button on the toolbar, and then create a shape that covers the button that you have created, but not any white space outside them. Then, select the shape and click the Fill color button on the toolbar, select Transparent from the dropdown menu.

Place these transparent shapes over the top of every button in your deck. Using transparent shapes in this way makes it much easier to edit the hyperlinks if needed, and also makes it less likely that a user will miss a clickable area!

Now we are ready to hyperlink each button! Select the first transparent box on your menu slide, right click, then select Link and choose Slides in this presentation . From here, choose the slide you want your button to navigate to when clicked.

Tip: If your slide has a title, it will have the same title in the link section, making it easier to find. After you have linked these two slides the link will stay connected to the specific slide, not the slide number – so it doesn’t matter if you move things around.

Repeat this process for all buttons, so that each one links to the correct slide.

Create buttons to return to the main menu. To do this, follow the steps outlined previously and use a transparent box that links back to the main menu slide. If you have different subsections within a section, you can also create a button linking back to the section title slide from each subsection.

Interactive presentations in Google Slides: Beyond the basics

Following these steps will give you a fully interactive presentation in Google Slides. But if you want to go beyond the basics, here are some tips and tricks that will help your interactive deck be even more intuitive and user friendly.

An effective menu slide is key

The centerpiece of a good interactive presentation is an effective menu slide that is clearly navigable, has a deliberate spatial layout, and is visually appealing. For example, the buttons on this menu slide clearly indicate the separate sections in our presentation . The arrangement of your buttons helps the user understand your presentation’s structure, so make sure they are arranged logically.

Your presentation needs to be visually  engaging

We at BrightCarbon are particularly passionate about this point – far too often slides look dull and drab – and we think it’s important to be the change you want to see in the presentation world! It would be impossible to cover all the ways you can make your deck visually appealing in a short blog post – the important point is to consider the overall aesthetics of each slide and the presentation as a whole. If you’re looking for some design inspiration, check out this article about making slides look great using images.

Make navigation as simple as possible

Your menu slide is the jumping-off point to the different sections of your presentation – but constantly exiting present mode to return to your menu slide can break the flow. In a normal presentation there isn’t an effective way of returning to the main slide without clicking back through all the content you’ve already shown. As you want to be able to go through your presentation in a non-linear fashion you need an easy way to return to your jumping-off point. Place a button at the end of each section that links to the original menu slide, so you don’t have to exit the presentation once you start.

Provide your audience with signposts 

You want your audience to understand where they are within the presentation, providing them with signposts is an easy way to achieve this. A signpost can be a header slide at the beginning of the section or small indicator icons throughout a given section. It can also be a slide or button at the end of each that clearly includes options to either return to the main menu or go straight into the next section. Make it easy for your audience to follow the flow of your deck.

Be strategic when positioning buttons

Consider the location of buttons on the slide. If a button is at the end of a section and returns the user to the main menu, it’s probably best to put it at the bottom right, as in the West we tend to read from left to right, top to bottom. Think about where best to position buttons so the placement is consistently, and so they don’t get in the way of your main content. Take a look at the above screenshot – we’ve positioned our section buttons so they are clearly visible, but don’t dominate the slide.

Make sure you keep the best practices in mind, as they will help you make a clear roadmap that runs throughout your slides. You’re well on your way to creating a great interactive presentation in Google Slides, just one last thing to do – get started!

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Is there a way to send an interactive slideshow with hyperlinks to students that allows them to click outside to YouTube and click to other slides, but does NOT allow them to edit the presentation? Thanks!!

Hi Adam, There’s an easy fix for this problem. All you need to do is share the presentation as “view only” with your students. To do this, click the share button as you normally would, then click the pencil icon that is to the right of the “People” bar, and select “can view” from the drop down menu. This will still let your students use the links within the presentation as well as any external links, but won’t let them make any edits to the presentation itself. Hope this helps!

Mabey make them a commenter on the slideshow?

Yeah true that problem could be fixed and they should be able to!

When I share my presentations in present mode the presentation bar that shows up interferes with any buttons I have added. Is there a way to remove that so that only the arrow keys or buttons can be used, or is there a way to change it’s size? I makes the buttons almost useless.

Hi Kera, unfortunately there’s no way to move the presentation bar once in present mode, it’s very frustrating! The best solution is to move the buttons so that they aren’t on the bottom left of the slide. Hope this helps!

Actually there is a way to share without the presentation box there. After you click share to copy the link “choose anyone can view” paste into the task bar and change “edit” to “present” and add @rm=minimal to the end then copy and paste that link to where you are sharing.

Hi kera, this is really helpfull tutorial. I’ve a question….is possible to create a final quiz? I need a presentation with final valutation quiz….is it possible?

Hi Antonio, yes you can use the same method in this post to make a quiz. All you would need to do is create a menu slide with buttons named “Question 1” “Question 2” etc. (or “Round 1” “Round 2” if you wanted to divide questions by round), and link those buttons to slides later in the presentation that included your quiz questions. Then, include a button on your question slides that link back to the main menu slide. Of course, you would still need to keep score outside of slides, as there’s no way for slides to track correct answers to your questions. Hope this helps! 🙂

I have made a 20 slide presentation. I have also made an interactive quiz that has 4 questions with a correct and incorrect slide for each question. That makes 12 slides in the quiz. I want to know if I can put the quiz interactive into a specific slide on the 20 slide presentation?

Hi Kelly, if you want to add your quiz slides into another presentation, you should be able to copy the slides over and the hyperlinks should still link to he correct slides, maintaining all interactivity. Then just continue with your presentation once you reach the final quiz slide, instead of returning to the menu slide. If this isn’t what you’re asking, please clarify what exactly you need help with and I’m happy to help. Thanks!

Hi Ian, Thank you for this tutorial. it is great! I made an interactive quiz, published it and sent the link to someone to test. The tester said all of the buttons and links worked correctly and that he could not advance to the next slide unless he clicked on the “next” or “back” buttons. All good. BUT he COULD mouse scroll through the entire quiz and see all of the questions, correct and inocorrect prompt slides. Is there a way to publish or share without being able to scroll through with the mouse? Thank you again!

Hi Lisa, I’m so glad to hear that you found it helpful! Unfortunately, there’s no way that we are aware of to keep people from scrolling through the deck once it’s been shared. I think the best solution is to just ask the person you share the interactive presentation with to be sure and review in present mode. Thanks!

I used interactive slides to create a classroom scene. There are several slides that are accessed by clicking on hyperlinks in the first slide, and every slide has a link back to slide one.

When I try to publish it to the web, the only options include automatically playing through all the slides, which I don’t want to do. I want them only to go to the slides that they click on.

Hi Julie, unfortunately there’s no way we know of to get around this – when publishing to the web, Slides only allows you to automatically play through all the slides, as you say. If you only need to share with a few people, we would recommend simply sharing directly with them as “view only.”

this is awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i had no idea on how to get full marks on a project i am doing…. but now my chances have increases by 50% !!! how i love this article….!!!!!! amazing

Hi Bhavya, I’m so glad to hear you found this article helpful!! Good luck on your project!

I found this very useful when producing an interactive display for our art club. However I want to call this display from another programme which deals with several clubs. This I have managed OK but how does the viewer leave the slides presentation and return to the calling programme? I need a QUIT button. I also want to ensure that it all works on tablets and desktops.

Hi Royston, I’m not sure I fully understand your question – you should be able to exit present mode simply by clicking the Escape key. An interactive presentation should work on both tablets and desktops, according to Google Slides. Please clarify and let me know if I can help any more, thanks!

I have the same question as Royston. I know users can press the esc key to exit, however that does not go along with the flow of the presentation. Also, when you press esc, it brings you to the slide show creation view. I want the show to just close on their browser with the click of a “button” on the last slide of the slide show.

On the flip side, when I send users the link to the slide show, and they click on the link, it also brings them to the creation view, so they have to click “present” to see it as intended. Is there a way for me to send a link that will open right to the first slide at full screen, already in “present” view?

I have now found a simple solution to my problem. The slide show contains several menu pages. On each of these I have a Quit button and I link this with the web address of the programme that calls the slide show. This does not send the user to the place on the calling programme which initiated the slide show but in my case this was OK.

I have since modified this so that the Quit buttons lead to the first slide in the slideshow which makes it clear that the button it presents there quits back to the presenting programme but otherwise leaves the user the option of running through the slideshow again.

Is there a way of adding an already interactive PDF to slides and it retain its functionality?

Unfortunately, once you import an interactive PDF into Slides it loses it’s functionality (as it sounds like you’ve already discovered). There’s no easy workaround here, I’m afraid.

Hi! This is really amazing. Thanks for share. I’d like to know if there is anyway to disable navigation through mouseclick, arrow keys or any other way instead of clicking the button links? Because I’m not secure that the viewers will follow the path we create if they can jump slide by slide. Thanks a lot for your attention. =)

Hi Ces, thanks for your question. Unfortunately there’s no easy way that we know of to disable navigating through the presentation but keep the mouse’s other clicking functionality. There’s a way to disable clicking the mouse but still keep keyboard functionality, but this of course doesn’t solve your problem. Sorry about that!

I made a game for students like Jeopardy with columns for each topic area and buttons that show point values fr each question. Students can select the topic and # of points, and a hyperlink will take them to the specific question. I put in back buttons on each question page so they go back to main page. Is there any way to indicate on the main page when a “button” has been opened? Can a hyperlink and animation be embedded so once that button has been clicked it has a different appearance on the main page?

Oh, I really wish that this question had been answered. I’ve been struggling with this for a long time. As far as I can tell, there is no way to do this. It’s a shame that something so easy in PowerPoint is seemingly impossible in Slides.

If I’m wrong, PLEASE correct me. I’d love to have this solved.

I have a question….so we created an interactive slide show for the students with a slide correct-great job slide and a sorry, try again slide. We were able to link each answer to the correct slide or the try again slide, but once it goes there, how do we go back to the previous slide we were at?

Also, if we are presenting our screen to during a google meet are the children able to interact with it if allow anyone with the link to be editors?

Hi Heather,

You might try adding a ‘back’ button on the bottom right of both the ‘correct’ and ‘try again’ slides, and then link these to the previous slide you were at.

As for your second question, yes that’s right – though it might be better to share the presentation with your students as ‘view only’ as if they are editors they can change the content, but if they are viewers they can’t and still have access to the interactive functionality.

Hope this helps!

I tryed it and wow when i looked it was like wow so i shred it to my teacher ms eunick in bellmere junior public school shes like oh wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Would you be concerned about exchanging links?

Switching out links shouldn’t cause any problem – all you need to do is follow the same process for adding a new link, but instead just remove the original and add a new one. Hope this helps!

This is super helpful and I really appreciate all of the time and effort that went into it. From the knowledge shared here, I am hoping you might be able to help me with this question. I want to know if there is a way to stay in Present mode and move things around on the slide. I present google slide shows on my Dell board and it would be so much better if students could come up and manipulate icons etc. while still being in present mode, instead of having to exit out and be in edit mode. Is this even possible, or should I give up trying to figure it out? Thank you so much!

Hi Jo, unfortunately there’s not a way to make any changes from present mode. Slides doesn’t have that type of functionality available. Sorry about that!

Hey! Is there a shorter way to do this?

Hi there, unfortunately there’s no quicker way that we know of!

Is there a way to prevent users from clicking on a slide in present mode and have it advance? This way the user can only advance when clicking on a button with internal links?

Hi Frank, as far as we know there’s no way to do this. Sorry about that!

You guys are the BEST!!!!!! Usually, other websites just don’t help you but you guys helped me a lot.

So glad to hear you found it helpful!

Hey, is there a way to put it to when you click on the image it takes you to the next slide?

Hi there, yes all you would need to do in that case is link the image on the slide to the next slide you want to advance to. Hope this helps!

Is there a way to publish these slides onto sites so the audience can click around on all the links but NOT move automatically forward or backward through the deck? I want people to have to click the “go back” button, and when I click it goes through every slide. (It’s an escape room for my students).

Hi Ali, unfortunately Google Slides doesn’t have the functionality to lock slides. Sorry about that!

Hi! I just created interactive slides for my students that includes slides that go back and forth between “good job!” and “try again!” so that students can go through and self-correct. It works fine when in presentation or slideshow mode and they use a mouse to click the answers. However, I have touch screen laptops and if my students touch the screen instead of the mouse (fine motor issues), the file copies itself and goes out of the slideshow mode. What am I doing wrong or can I not use links between slides without a mouse?

Thanks in advance!

As far as I can tell, that sounds like it might be a hardware issue – is there a way for you to disable the touchscreen feature on the devices themselves? As far as I know there’s nothing that can be done from within Slides.

Sorry about that!

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• Communication

How to Make Interactive (Drag and Drop) Google Slides Presentations

It's common to send a Google Slides presentation to a list of recipients. After all, it might not be possible to gather everyone in a room to review the slides. When you send your slides, engage your audience by learning how to make interactive Google Slides. 

In 2021, it pays to know how to make an interactive Google slide deck. These help you connect with your audience and engage with them on a personal level.

Avoid creating flat and "read-only" slides. Learn how to make Google Slides interactive. That helps your user feel engaged and play an active role in moving the slide along.

We'll teach you how to make interactive Google Slides with templates. Learn how to make Google Slides interactive easily when you lean on designs from others and pair it with the techniques you're going to see.

How to Make Interactive Google Slides Presentations Quickly

As you think of how to make Google Slides interactive, it helps to first see the power of premium templates. These save you precious time and effort by automating the creative process. Instead of building slide designs from scratch, you’re simply dropping in your own content.

As you consider how to create drag and drop in Google Slides , why not adopt that same approach in your design process? It pays off by giving you professional styling with minimal effort.

Elements is an unmatched value because of its powerful offer: unlimited downloads. For a flat rate, you can download as many templates and other creative assets as you want. This gives you unlimited opportunities to make a great impression.

Now, let’s learn how to make interactive Google Slides using a premium template from Envato Elements. In the first step of our tutorial, we'll download a top template that makes it easy to follow the steps to create interactive slides.

Plus, Elements includes resources like fonts and stock photos. These creative designs are the perfect companions to your designs. When you imagine how to create drag and drop in Google Slides, you should think of Envato Elements first.

In this tutorial, we’ll be using a premium template from Envato Elements. But Elements isn’t the only place to turn when you wonder how to make interactive Google Slides.

Envato also offers the GraphicRiver marketplace. On GraphicRiver, you can buy amazing interactive Google slide deck templates individually. This is a great way to benefit from professional designs while keeping costs lower.

No matter which marketplace you choose, a template is the quickest way to see how to make an interactive Google Slide. Start with a design, add the tweaks we show below, and you're on your way!

How to Make Interactive Google Slides

Follow the steps below to make interactive slides.

1. Why Make Interactive Google Slides?

Before you learn how to make Google Slides interactive presentations, you should know why. The answer is simple: engagement. No audience wants to be talked at . They want to be talked with . In other words, interaction is the key to success when you present.

Interactive Google Slides also help with retention. Let’s face it: if you read a fact or statement, you’re likely to forget it. But if you interact and share in the conversation, you’re much more likely to carry the information with you.

Again, the best approach is to choose a premium Envato Elements template and then edit it to fit your needs. In this tutorial, we’ll use the amazing Wohnhaus - Clean Business Presentation from Envato Elements.

Wohnhaus includes over 30 unique slides with an array of themes. It’s a top choice for interactive Google Slides presentations, thanks to modern style. Every design element is fully customizable.

2. How to Create Drag and Drop in Google Slides

One of the most basic, yet best interactive Google Slides features is drag-and-drop. These are interactive activities where audiences can move content around your slide! To build a drag-and-drop interactive activity, let’s navigate to slide 4 in the deck.

As you can see, this has a series of icons with labels immediately below them. This is a good candidate for a drag-and-drop game because you can use it as a matching activity. In other words, users can drag the labels to match them with images!

First, you’ll want to add custom text. The text boxes you’re seeing are placeholders. Click into any of them and select the text inside. Then, type in your own words. You can repeat these steps throughout the slide deck, adding your own text.

Here, it might be a good option to give the title a description. You could name it Drag to Match , for example. Then, click once on any of the four descriptor text boxes to select it. Hovering your cursor over an edge, click and hold to drag it to the top of the slide. Repeat the same steps for the other three text boxes.

Audiences can repeat that step, moving the text down to match the images. It’s an easy and fun interactive Google Slides activity.

3. How to Add Interactive Buttons in Google Slides

Interactive buttons help your audiences work with your slide content. They can take many forms, commonly hyperlinks to send users to other websites. Let’s look at how to make an interactive Google slide button.

Buttons often take the form of a shape. These are easy to insert in Google Slides and once you do, you can convert them into links. Begin by finding a shape on a slide. In this example, let’s use the computer icon on slide 7. To start, right-click on the shape and click Ungroup.

Then, click in the circular area to select the shape. Find the Insert menu on the Google Slides menu bar. Click on it, and you’ll see an array of options appear. The one you want is near the bottom: Link . Click once, and Google Slides opens the Hyperlink menu.

Here, you can paste in a URL and click Apply . Or you can link within your slide deck by clicking the options below.

When you’re finished, your shape will link to a website or slide. Clicking on it sends users to the linked destination. This is an excellent interactive feature that you can add to Google Slides easily.

4. How to Add Amazing Interactive Animations

Interactive animations offer two key advantages.

• They help you drive engagement by having audiences click through presentations at their own pace.
• They also help you control the pace of the narrative by displaying interactive content at your own chosen speed.

Consider a slide like 9 in the deck. Each yellow bar contains a different concept that you’ll want to address in more detail in your narrative. By default, all display simultaneously. But as a practical matter, you’ll likely want to introduce these one by one.

Begin by clicking on the first text box in the uppermost yellow bar. Then, go back to the Insert dropdown and choose Animation . You’ll see an Animation sidebar open on the right side of your Google Slides screen.

In the Object Animations section, choose an effect to add to your slide. Common options include Appear, Fade In, and more.

Choose your favorite style, and then you can specify how to trigger the animation. On Click is a great choice, which is why it’s the default option. This lets you (or another user) start the animation by clicking their mouse or a handheld remote when presenting.

To preview your animation effect, click Play at the bottom of the sidebar.

From here, repeat the animation steps for the remaining objects on your slide. This is a great way to make presentations more interactive. Audiences can move through your slides at their own speed. Try it as you think of how to make an interactive Google slide design.

As you can see, premium templates from Envato Elements are the best way to build interactive Google Slides presentations in 2021.

How to Make Google Slides Interactive (With Envato Elements Templates)

Are you a professional designer who knows how to make an interactive Google Slide deck? Chances are, you’re not. And even if you are, why spend the time inventing interactive templates from scratch?

Your best bet is to turn to a pre-built premium template. These are built by creative experts with you in mind. Here are five top Google Slides templates  for interactive presentations:

1. Meier - Clean Business Presentation Template

As you think about how to make interactive Google Slides presentations, think of Meier. It’s a sleek modern design with ample interactive features built in.

Begin by choosing from 30 custom slides designed for you. Then, explore the editable graphics that enable quick customizations. In a few clicks, you can build your own interactive features thanks to this template design.

2. Diagram Collection Google Slides Infographic Template

Wonder how to make an interactive Google slide graphic for your audience? A template like Diagram Collection is a great option. It’s an interactive layout packed with custom infographics. Customize each of these by adding in your own data. Then, your audience can explore over 30 slides, each in beautiful widescreen format.

3. Bizniz - Vertical Business Presentation

Bizniz is a top choice for anyone wondering how to make Google Slides interactive. It offers a streamlined design process, along with a modern look.

Slides are built around master layouts, which help you make bulk edits fast. Free fonts and resizable graphics feature throughout. This is an excellent option with many interactive features built into the slides.

4. Ushop Imoet Creative Google Slide

Consider this. You need to know how to make an interactive Google slide deck. You also need absolute creative flexibility. This is your template: with over 150 custom slides, you’re sure to find the perfect design. It features drag-and-drop image placeholders, portfolios, and much more. These interactive features are easy to customize and work well for any topic.

5. Education Presentation

Wonder how to make interactive Google Slides decks with maximum impact? Try using them in an educational setting. By interacting with students and learners, you can drive engagement. The Education Presentation is your perfect companion. This one has dozens of interactive slides that you can adjust to fit your subject of choice.

More Top Templates for Google Slides

If you've never used a template, this tutorial showed you just how much work they can save. Best of all, templates don't sacrifice customizations. You saw that you can customize them when you know how to create drag and drop in Google Slides options.

Once you've learned how to make interactive Google Slides designs, you can master the art of working with templates. Check out even more articles below with tremendous templates:

Common Google Slides Questions Answered (FAQ)

As you work through learning how to make interactive Google Slides designs, you might have run into a few questions. Google Slides is a powerful app with many features, so it's okay if you still have unanswered questions at this stage of the tutorial.

We've put together a FAQ with some of the common questions that beginners face. With the help of answers to these common questions, you'll learn how to make Google Slides interactive. Here are five frequently asked questions plus resources to help you answer them:

1. Does Google Slides Support Importing PowerPoint Templates?

There's nothing worse than recreating work from scratch. That's all too common when you start with a template from another format, like PowerPoint, and need to make it work in Google Slides.

Here's the good news: Google Slides supports importing PowerPoint templates. Convert your template, then use the techniques you saw while learning how to make an interactive Google Slide:

2. Does Google Slides Support Exporting PowerPoint Files?

You just learned how to  import  PPTX files into Google Slides with the tip above. But what about when you need to save a finished PPTX file based on a Google Slides design?

Don't worry - Google has thought of practically everything. After you've finished interactive drag-and-drop options in Google Slides, export a PowerPoint file. Learn how in this tutorial:

3. How Do You Add Multimedia to Google Slides Presentations?

As you're learning how to make interactive Google Slides, you might want to spice up your slides. Often, that means adding multimedia like music and sound.

Google Slides supports this feature, too. Learn how to add music and sound effects with the help of this tutorial.

4. Does Google Slides Work Offline?

Here's a common misconception: as a browser-based tool, Google Slides doesn't work if you lose access to the Internet.

Google has truly thought of everything! Don't let learning how to create drag and drop in Google Slides stop when you lose connection. Learn how to use Google Slides offline with this tutorial:

5. How Can You Collaborate With Google Slides?

It takes teamwork to create the best presentations. Adding other collaborators gives you a second set of eyes to review content and makes changes. So, how do you do that in Google Slides?

It's easy to invite others to edit a Google Slides presentation. Use what you learned about how to make an interactive Google Slide while collaborating. Learn how to use collaboration features to work together seamlessly in Google Slides:

Keep Learning More About Google Slides

You've already learned how to make an interactive Google Slide. With only a bit of work, your slides become so much more engaging than flat, static designs. But there's no reason to stop learning now.

Check out these three tutorials with more information on Google Slides. You'll learn more key skills that help you master how to make interactive Google Slides that stand out.

You Just Learned How to Make Google Slides Interactive

It's time to re-think how we create presentations. Instead of the read-only presentations of past, think "interactive" first when creating slides.

With the help of the best templates from Envato Elements, you can master the art of how to make interactive Google Slides . You can also choose a pay-as-you-go download from GraphicRiver to learn how to create drag and drop in Google Slides designs.

Both marketplaces give you a major advantage as you help to transform a boring slide into one that's interactive. Start with a template today and add interactivity. Your audience is sure to thank you.

Making an Interactive Presentation in Google Slides

This article is the ultimate guide on how to make an interactive online presentation using Google Slides. Here you will find detailed step-by-step instructions for creating interface elements to make the presentation truly interactive.

In a previous post we looked at the interface elements the BBC website uses to sketch workable interface outline for an interactive online presentation . Now we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to make an interactive online presentation in Google Slides we developed using this sketch.

How to Disable Slide Advancing in an Interactive Presentation Using Google Slides

• Navigation tools properties
• Navigation tools layout
• How to Create an Interactive Presentation Tab Bar Using Google Slides

How to Create an Interactive Presentation Navigation Bar

• Highlight the Active Topic of an Interactive Presentation
• How to Create an Interactive Presentation Pagination Bar
• Highlight the Active Slide on the Pagination Bar

Do I Need an Interactive Presentation Homepage

How to create an interactive presentation buttons in google slides.

Below we will only talk about the technical aspects of implementing an interactive presentation interface using Google Slides. And we deliberately do not talk about design.

Everything about colors saturation and compatibility, images transparency, frames styles, rounded corners, etc. we left for you. You can handle it, we are sure!

In Google Slides defaults a left mouse click queues the next slide. In the case of the interactive presentation this means that if the viewer clicks not a button or a hyperlink, but somewhere else, then Google Slides will change the slide to the next. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to avoid this problem correctly. For some reason, Google is in no hurry to fix it , despite the fact that in MS PowerPoint it is simple .

Navigation Tools Properties

If you think about what properties an interactive presentation navigation tools should have, then you will quickly come to the following conclusions:

• They must not distract the viewer from the subject of the presentation.
• switch between topics,
• move from the current slide to the next or previous,
• understand which topic is active and
• understand which slide of the current topic is active.

Understanding these properties will help us to develop the layout of the presentation slide.

Navigation Tools Layout

We will divide presentation slide into three parts: upper, lower and central, to use as follows:

• The tab bar will be located at the upper part. Using it the viewer will be able to switch from topic to topic.
• from the active presentation slide to the next or previous presentation slide and
• from the active slide of current topic to the next or previous slide of current topic
• We’ll reserve the central part for the presentation content and will no longer mention it in this article.

Now we can start designing the interface elements: tab bar and navigation buttons 2-a . They should be located on each slide. This is absolutely obvious. This means our interactive presentation can not do without Google Slides Slide Master.

So, let’s go! Launch your Google Slides and start by creating a blank document. This blank sheet will turn into an outstanding interactive online presentation soon, don’t doubt!

Go to the View menu tab and select Master in drop down menu to access the Slide Master. Then click the thumbnail named Master .

Whatever you place here will appear on every slide of your interactive presentation, no matter which layout it uses. This is exactly what we need, isn’t it?

Now is the time to choose a color scheme for your presentation. Subsequently, it can be easily changed if you deem necessary. We chose the Simple Light scheme and change background color to #f6f4e7.

How to Create Interactive Presentation Tab Bar in Google Slides

To create a tab bar, you need to thoroughly design the first tab.

• Draw the tab.

• Select the tab and write any title, for example “Title 01”. You will change it later.
• Copy your tab and then paste it as many times as it is planned to be in the tab bar plus two additional ones.
• Move the two additional tabs to the bottom of the slide. We use them to make navigation buttons later.

All of this tabs will become a full-fledged tab bar when we attach hyperlinks. In the meantime, just move them to the top of the slide.

The navigation bar should contain buttons for moving from the active presentation slide to the next or previous slide as described in 2-a .

• Place the two additional shapes you just created in the bottom of the slide as shown at the picture below.
• Write “Previous” on the left shape and “Next” on the right.

• select both shapes simultaneously and on the Format Options pane check the box for Drop shadow .
• select the Previous button; being sure to click the shape, not the text inside it. You want the hyperlink to work if you click anywhere on the tab and you probably don’t want the text to be underlined and change to the hyperlink theme color;
• press Ctrl+K or go to the Insert menu tab and select Link ; the dialog pop-up will appear;

• click the Apply button
• and repeat the steps above for the Next button; type in the Link box of pop-up #slide=next .

As a result the navigation bar will look like two buttons shifted to the right edge of the slide and there will be an empty space to the left of them in which we’ll place the pagination bar of the active topic later.

How to Highlight the Active Topic of an Interactive Presentation

Go to the View menu tab and select the Master again to return to the normal view and create all your slides.

People like to know where they are in the presentation, so it’s a good idea to highlight the active topic to help them to relate it with the presentation wholeness. You just need to change the background color and add a border around the tab. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

• Go to Slide Master and select the current topic tab; being sure to click the shape, not the text inside it. You want the hyperlink to work if you click anywhere on the tab and you probably don’t want the text to be underlined and change to the hyperlink theme color;

• in the Slides in this presentation list select the first slide of the current topic
• and press Apply button.
• Copy the current topic tab.
• Go to the View menu tab and select the Master again to return to the normal view.
• Paste the tab you copied above the current tab.
• Change the fill color and line of the current tab to the highlighted ones as you need.
• Copy the tab you made highlighted and paste it into each slide of the current topic.

How to Create an Interactive Presentation Pagination Bar in Google Slides

The pagination bar is a useful interactive presentation interface element for themes consisting a lot of slides. Use it! It will help viewers more understand where they are relative to the start or finish of the topic.

The pagination bar should contain buttons for moving from the active slide of current topic to the next or previous slide as described in 2-b . Below we will give step-by-step instructions on how to make a pagination bar with image thumbnails. We assume you have prepared thumbnail images of the same size in advance.

How to Create the Pagination Bar Step-by-Step

• Select the first slide of the current topic.

• draw a rectangular shape with a transparent frame and a transparent background;
• resize the shape so it becomes slightly larger than the thumbnail;
• press Ctrl-K and link the desired topic slide to the transparent shape;

• press Crtl-Shift-Down to place the thumbnail behind the hyperlink;
• hold the Ctrl key and click the hyperlink;
• press Ctrl-Alt-G to merge the thumbnail and the hyperlink as the button of pagination bar.

• Copy the pagination bar you made and paste it on each slide of the current topic.

That’s all! If you study the pagination bar layout with thumbnails then you can easily do something else, for example the simple slides numbering, as shown in the picture below.

How to Highlight an Active Slide on the Pagination Bar

It is simple! To highlight the active slide button on the Pagination Bar you need:

• Select the slide on which you want to highlight the active slide button.
• Select the button of the active slide on the Pagination Bar.
• Locate the Border Color button on the toolbar and change the border color from transparent to the one you need.

As a result, the frame will appear around the active button. This is enough to highlight it among the other buttons, is not it?

A homepage is a useful but optional element of an interactive presentation. If you are going to talk about how you feed a puppy, then most likely you can do without a homepage.

In other cases, using the homepage will allow you to show the general structure of the interactive presentation and provide short explanations for its topics. Thus, you will help the viewer to get a general idea of presentation essence and understand what path it will have to go through its contents even before the start of the presentation.

This post on how to make an interactive presentation using Google Slides will be incomplete if do not say anything about buttons.

A button is such a magical contraption which we’re click and suddenly find ourselves in some other place. (Wow, what an excellent definition, right?) This “teleportation” is caused by the hyperlink hidden inside the button.

Simple buttons, like these, look familiar, right?

We call them simple because they consist of a single shape. Of course, your buttons may not be made out of shapes alone.

Below we gave an example of a more complex button, consisting of an image, a text field and several figures arranged in a certain order (from bottom to top):

• The image masked using a Delay shape is on the right and on the left is a Delay shape with a background.
• The text box with text.
• The rounded arrow shape to help show that the button is clickable.
• The transparent shape with attached hyperlink.

Not a rocket science, isn’t it?

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

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Here’s How I Use Google Tasks to Organize My Life

Why the stream deck neo is the perfect productivity companion for anyone, why chatgpt’s speech to text is the best i’ve ever used.

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.

• Productivity
• Google Slides
• Presentations

How to make interactive Google Slides

Revolutionize your presentations with this guide on crafting interactive Google Slides, captivating your audience effortlessly.

Step 1: Open Google Slides

Step 2: Insert Hyperlinks

Step 3: Add Actionable Buttons/ images/ videos

Step 4: Embed Multimedia/ Google forms

Step 5: Utilize Transitions

Step 6: Incorporate Interactive Quizzes

Step 7: Create Navigation Slides

Step 8: test interactivity.

Step 9: Save and Share

Conclusion:, frequently asked questions:, can i add interactive elements to google slides on mobile devices, or is it limited to desktop, can i track user interaction or responses to interactive elements within google slides, are there limitations to the types of multimedia i can embed in google slides, can i collaborate with others on interactive google slides presentations, or is it a solo endeavor, create ppt using ai.

Just Enter Topic, Youtube URL, PDF, or Text to get a beautiful PPT in seconds. Use the bulb for AI suggestions.

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19 Ways To Make Google Slides Interactive

[plus the tools to use].

There’s always a push to make classrooms more personalized and pursue more multimodal options. But you may already have a good infrastructure developed with PowerPoint or Google Slides. You don’t want to dump what already works. 

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Instead, tweak the slide decks, PowerPoint, and Google Slide presentations you already have in your arsenal.

19 Ways To Make Interactive Google Slides To Increase Classroom Engagement

Here are a few quick and easy ways to tweak your Google Slides presentation to boost daily student engagement.

• Use hyperlinks : Link different slides or external content within your presentation to allow users to explore additional information. You can add links to help videos, news articles, and how-to guides. This promotes self-paced learning in your classroom. 
• Embed videos : Include videos that enhance your content and engage the audience. You can add a video of yourself walking through a concept or an example of a difficult concept. Infusing multimodal learning strategies into your instruction allows students to grasp new knowledge differently. 
• Insert audio : Add background music or narrations to your slides for a multimedia experience. Add verbal prompts as students complete a lesson. This mimics guided practice typically inside a classroom so that students can have that benefit anywhere. 
• Create interactive quizzes : Incorporate multiple-choice or true/false questions to test students’ knowledge. You can do quick checks for understanding so you can adjust your lesson. It shows students how they are grasping new information. This gives students ownership over their learning. 
• Use branching scenarios : Create decision points where the audience selects options, leading to different paths in the presentation. This type of multimedia is beneficial when teaching processes. You can create scenarios for your students to take. 
• Include interactive charts and graphs : Enable users to manipulate data and explore different visualizations. A good example would be to include diagrams for the cell. You can allow students to answer guided questions about different parts of the cell. 
• Add clickable buttons : Design buttons that trigger actions, such as showing or hiding content. You never want to include too much information on a slide , but sometimes, you may need more details in a self-guided slideshow. Buttons that let you expand can help this. 
• Utilize slide transitions : Use dynamic slide transitions to create visual interest and engage the audience. But don’t overdo it!
• Incorporate animations : Animate objects on your slides to bring them to life and capture attention.
• Include drag-and-drop interactions : Create activities where users can drag objects to specific areas on the slide. With TeacherMade, you can create your own drag-and-drop activities for students. 
• Insert interactive maps : Allow users to explore maps by zooming in, panning, or clicking on specific locations for additional information. You can incorporate Google Maps into your Google Slides presentations. 
• Use interactive timelines : Create timelines that users can scroll through or interact with to explore different events. This is perfect for getting the order of events down in novels and major historical events. 
• Add live web content : Embed live web pages or social media feeds to provide real-time information. If you’re incorporating current events into your classroom, this is a great feature– try curating a Twitter feed of notable people. 
• Include interactive infographics : Present complex data using interactive infographics that allow users to interact with different elements.
• Use interactive 3D models : Incorporate 3D models that users can rotate, zoom in or out, or interact with for a detailed view.
• Integrate audience response systems : Use tools like polling or live Q&A to gather audience input and encourage participation. You can incorporate instant feedback with TeacherMade’s 20+ question types. 
• Create interactive puzzles or games : Design interactive puzzles or mini-games that the audience can play within the presentation. With TeacherMade, you can turn any of our question types into a game or competition that you do in class. 
• Enable annotation tools : Allow users to draw or write on the slides, encouraging collaboration or personal note-taking. You or your students can draw on Google Slide presentations with TeacherMade. 
• Provide interactive handouts : Include supplementary materials like interactive PDFs or worksheets the audience can fill out during or after the presentation. You can make any PDF into an interactive assignment with TeacherMade. It’s simple.
• Step 1 : Upload your file. The file you upload becomes the background of your new online worksheet. (We support these file types.)
• Step 2 : Add fields for student responses.
• Step 3 : Add answers to questions for self-scoring.
• Step 4 : Send an assignment link to students or sync with your school’s LMS platform.
• Step 5 : Get instant feedback and results.

Choose The All-In-One Tool For Student Engagement

TeacherMade is the all-in-one tool to increase student engagement and simplify formative assessment in your classroom. With TeacherMade, you can:

• Create interactive assignments and assessments.
• Convert existing PDFs into online interactive activities.
• Provide effective student feedback and auto-score assignments.
• Integrate with major LMS platforms (Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, and Microsoft Teams).
• Simulate online testing with a variety of question types.
• Utilize advanced math tools.
• Add multimedia to assignments.
• Collaborate with other teachers.

TeacherMade transforms teaching materials into interactive digital lessons and saves teachers time with instant autograding. Our platform integrates seamlessly with major systems for personalized student engagement.

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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 Make an Interactive Google Slides Presentation

When you give a presentation, you want to impress your audience by making them consider you competent, whether to win the next big project, contract, or inform. A well-design presentation can have an impact on your presentations.

What is an interactive presentation?

Before we go any further, we must define the term ‘Interactive Presentation’. ‘Interactive’ describes presentations that include quiz sections or audience engagement. However, it’s not the same as what we are talking about here.

This article will show you how to make an interactive presentation in Google Slides. So keep an eye on things!

How to create an interactive presentation

2. Let’s jump to the main menu slide. We’ll make something that resembles a button so your audience understands it’s clickable. Then, we’ll include hyperlinks. You can use any shape for your button in this section. 

3. To add a drop shadow, just right-click it > select Format Options > check the Drop Shadow box .

4. Return to the previous menu slides. Make it clear shapes to cover the ‘ Button ’ you’ve made. These transparent shapes will be converted into hyperlinks allowing people to move across your presentation. 

First, click on the shape button in the toolbar and then draw a shape that covers the newly created controller. Then, choose the shape and click the Fill color option on the toolbar > choose transparent from the dropdown menu.

Nowadays, interactive presentations are popular in both formal and informal events. Whether for a meeting, seminar, or other events, you can create your interactive simply and quickly using Google Slides. Good luck!

About The Author

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Fullscreen Interactive Google Slides(TM)

View fullscreen Slides while staying in edit mode

Present your slides fullscreen and edit your slides at the same time! Slides remain interactive and editable while viewed fullscreen. This extension is great for using Slides for instruction during a Meet, or for presenting on projector. This extension is especially useful for Educators during remote instruction. Your Meet attendees can see your slides clearly, while you maintain the ability to manipulate and edit the slides. Navigate through your presentation using your arrow keys, or the scroll wheel on your mouse. Once you're finished, reload the page to exit. (Ctrl+R) Developed by Andrew Ranallo and Noreen Ranallo This extension does not collect any personal information and does not have any access to your Slides.

3.8 out of 5 9 ratings Google doesn't verify reviews. Learn more about results and reviews.

LAURA WOODS Apr 22, 2024

I can't get this to work!

Kristina Sarti Mar 5, 2024

Its not presentation mode! do not get

Martin Andries Jul 19, 2022

Very usefull feature

• Version 0.1
• Updated April 26, 2023
• Report a concern
• Offered by Noreen Ranallo
• Size 8.86KiB
• Languages English (United States)
• Developer Email [email protected]
• Non-trader This developer has not identified itself as a trader. For consumers in the European Union, please note that consumer rights do not apply to contracts between you and this developer.

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This Awesome Extension Lets You Use Google Slides with Movable Pieces in Present Mode

by Creation Castle | Technology

If you spent any time working in Google Slides this past year, you may have noticed that in order to utilize Google Slides with movable pieces, you need to be working in edit mode . This can be a frustrating realization when you are trying to work on an activity as a whole group.

Well, today I’ve got a solution to that problem – and the answer is easy… as long as you are using the Chrome browser . But first, let’s talk about the differences between the two modes of Google Slides.

Quick Links

Google slides edit mode.

Anytime you open a “presentation” in Google Slides, you are in edit mode . The only exception to this is if you have access to view something, but cannot work with it. In that case, you still see edit mode, but you are unable to actually make any changes.

So what can you do in edit mode ? Well, simply put, you can edit. This means you can create a new presentation, make revisions to an existing presentation, or likely in your case, have students work within a premade presentation.

For any work that your students are completing that requires them to move pieces or type answers, they will be working in edit mode . Unless you use the handy Chrome extension that we will talk about in a minute.

So, if you’ve got some Google Slides with movable pieces, this is probably where your students will be working. But, what if you want to do something as a class?

Google Slides Present Mode

In the top right-hand corner of edit mode , there is a button that says present. This opens a new full screen window or present mode .

Most often this mode would be used if you were sharing information with your students, but not expecting them to interact with the slides.

Another way you might use present mode is if you have created or purchased an activity that relies on clicking buttons to navigate through the presentation. This is more like a rudimentary version of Boom Cards .

As you can see here, a resource that is based in Google Slides with movable pieces will not work as you expect it to (without this powerful extension!)

Google Slides Extension

Now for the good stuff… the real reason, you’re here. If you are using the Chrome browser , you can add extensions to your browser. While other browsers offer extensions or add-ons, I’m not aware of any with these capabilities at this time.

The Fullscreen Interactive Google Slides extension offered by Noreen Ranallo presents your slides full screen and allows you to edit them at the same time. Essentially you are looking at edit mode while in present mode . It’s pretty handy when you want to do whole group activities with an interactive Google Slides resource.

After you add the extension to your browser, you can pin the extension next to your toolbar by clicking on the puzzle piece, finding the extension name, and clicking the pushpin icon.

To utilize the extension, simply open the Google Slides resource you want to use in this way. Then instead of clicking on that present button , use the button on your toolbar (orange with green arrow) to open the presentation in the full screen, interactive mode.

Try out this extension today to test some Google Slides with movable pieces and pick up one of these free sentence building activities:

Creation Castle

Heather is the author of Creation Castle. She has experience with general education, special education, and ESL students in kindergarten through fifth grade. She specializes in early elementary math and literacy, as well as organization.

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Google Slides

Creating Connections: Linking to Specific Slides in Google Slides

Table of Contents

Let’s say you’ve created a fantastic presentation in Google Slides, but your audience might need to find a specific part quickly. Maybe it’s a detailed look at the financials on slide 15, or a product demonstration waiting for them on slide 8. The good news is, that Google Slides has a handy feature that lets you create links within your presentation.

This way, you can guide viewers directly to the information they need. Let’s explore how this works.

How to Link to a Specific Slide in Google Slide?

1. finding your starting point:.

The first step involves opening your Google Slides presentation and selecting the slide where you want to insert the link. This could be your introductory slide, a table of contents, or even within the main body of your presentation. Think about where the link would be most helpful for viewers to access the targeted information.

2. Highlighting the Anchor:

Next, click and drag your mouse to select the text or image you want to function as the link. This will be the clickable element that takes your viewers to the chosen slide. It can be a phrase, a call to action, or even an image – the choice is yours!

3. Accessing the Linking Options:

There are three convenient ways to access the linking options in Google Slides:

• Right-click:  Simply right-click on the selected text or image. A pop-up menu will appear, and you can choose “Link” from the options.
• Keyboard Shortcut:  For a faster approach, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K (for PCs) or Command+K (for Macs).
• Menu Bar:  Alternatively, you can navigate to the “Insert” menu at the top of your screen and select “Link” from the dropdown menu.

4. Choosing Your Destination:

A dialog box titled “Link” will appear. Here’s where the magic happens:

• Look for the dropdown menu labeled “Slides in this presentation.” Select this option.
• A list of all the slides in your current presentation will be displayed. Simply click on the slide you want to link to.

Alternatively:

The “Link” window might offer a search bar. You can type in the name or number of the slide you want to link to and then click on it from the search results.

5. Finalizing the Link:

Once you’ve chosen your destination slide, click the “Apply” button in the “Link” dialog box. Congratulations! Your chosen text or image is now a hyperlink that will transport viewers to the designated slide with just a single click.

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Bonus Tip: Linking Beyond the Presentation

While the method above focuses on linking within a single presentation, Google Slides also allows you to create links to slides in other presentations stored on your Drive, or even external web pages. The process remains very similar.

In the “Link” dialog box, instead of choosing “Slides in this presentation,” you can paste the URL of the target presentation or web page into the search bar. If the target presentation is stored in your Drive and uses the same Google account, you can also search for its name directly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of linking to specific slides in google slides.

Linking to specific slides within your presentation offers several advantages. It improves navigation by letting viewers jump directly to relevant sections, enhancing their experience. Additionally, linking helps with accessibility in presentations with a non-linear flow. Viewers can easily access information they might need to revisit later. Finally, you can create a more interactive experience by linking elements like buttons or images to specific slides.

Can I link to slides outside of the current presentation?

Unfortunately, Google Slides doesn’t currently support linking directly to slides in other presentations.

What can I link to instead of other slides?

Even though you can’t link to external slides, you can link to various resources:

• Webpages:  Link text or images to relevant websites for further details.
• Documents:  Link to Google Docs or other online documents for deeper dives into specific topics.
• Files:  Link to downloadable files like PDFs or images that complement your presentation content.

Are there any other ways to improve navigation in my presentation?

Absolutely! Here are some additional tips:

• Clear Slide Numbering:  Use a consistent slide numbering system throughout your presentation.
• Table of Contents Slide:  Include a slide at the beginning that lists all the main topics and their corresponding slide numbers.
• Breadcrumbs:  Add breadcrumbs to your slides. Breadcrumbs act like a navigation bar, showing viewers their location within the presentation hierarchy.

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Save Time and Effortlessly Create Presentations with SlidesAI

7 Best AI Presentation Tools to Wow Your Audience

Tired of spending hours crafting presentations? AI is here to rescue your valuable time.

Imagine creating stunning slides in minutes, not days. That's the power of AI presentation tools.

In this guide, we'll unveil 7 game-changing AI tools that will transform your presentation game in 2024.

Whether you're a busy executive, a startup founder, or a marketer, these AI presentation tools will help you captivate your audience and stand out from the crowd.

Let's dive in and revolutionize your presentation workflow!

1. GenPPT - The Game-Changer in AI-Powered Presentations

GenPPT stands out as a revolutionary AI-powered presentation tool that's transforming the way we create slides. Its key strength lies in its ability to generate entire presentations in minutes, not hours.

Key Features:

• Rapid Generation : Input your topic or content, and GenPPT's advanced AI creates professionally designed slides almost instantly.
• Vast Template Library : Over 50 customizable templates ensure your presentations always look fresh and on-brand.
• Intelligent Content Analysis : The AI analyzes your input to understand key points, organizes them logically, and designs visually compelling slides.
• Versatility : Perfect for business professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and anyone needing quick, impactful presentations.
• Easy Updates : Ideal for those who frequently update presentations, as the AI can easily incorporate new information.

GenPPT offers a generous free tier with unlimited AI-powered presentations. Premium plans with additional features are available at competitive prices.

2. AICarousels - Revolutionizing Social Media Content

While not exclusively a presentation tool, AICarousels is a game-changer for creating engaging, visually appealing content for social media platforms.

• AI Carousel Generator : Turn various content types (text, video, website, YouTube video, PDF) into a LinkedIn carousel with one click.
• AI Writing Assistant : Helps craft compelling copy for your carousels.
• Auto-resize Functionality : Ensures your carousels look great on any platform.
• Customizable Templates : A variety of templates to choose from, with options to customize colors and fonts.
• Custom Presets : Maintain brand consistency across all your carousels.

AICarousels offers a free tier for basic features. The pro version, which includes the AI carousel generator, is available for more advanced needs.

3. Simplified - The All-in-One AI Design Tool

Simplified is one of the most robust AI tools available, offering a wide range of features for content creators across various mediums.

• Versatile Creation : Generate presentations, images, memes, thumbnails, social media quotes, and more.
• Cross-Medium Appeal : Caters to creatives in digital art, writing, video production, and online advertising.
• All-in-One Solution : Ideal for those seeking a comprehensive design tool with AI capabilities.
• Professional-Grade Design : Create professional-looking content at an affordable price.

Simplified offers a free trial , with Design Pro Plans starting at just $9 per month.

4. Slides AI - Enhancing Google Slides with AI Power

For those who work extensively with Google Slides, Slides AI is an excellent Chrome extension designed to supercharge your presentation creation process.

• Quick Generation : Create up to 10-page presentations in minutes by providing a topic and requested elements.
• Magic Write Feature : Paraphrase sentences, suggest images, and help with citation searches.
• Google Slides Integration : Seamlessly works within the familiar Google Slides environment.

Slides AI offers a free option , with pro plans starting at $10 per month.

5. Gamma - Intuitive AI-Powered Presentations

Gamma stands out for its intuitive interface and powerful AI capabilities in building presentations from text prompts.

• Text-to-Presentation : Generate presentations from text prompts, complete with visual aids like charts, graphs, and images.
• Intuitive Interface : Similar to page builders, allowing easy addition and tweaking of elements.
• Quick Start Wizard : Makes getting started a breeze for new users.
• AI-Powered Text Editing : Easily refine and adjust content as needed.

Gamma offers a free version , with Pro Plans starting at $15 per month.

6. Beautiful AI - Stunning Presentations with a Single Click

Beautiful AI is a feature-packed tool that allows users to create visually appealing presentations effortlessly.

• One-Click Creation : Generate stunning presentations instantly.
• AI-Powered Design Elements : Editable elements that automatically align for a polished look.
• PowerPoint Import : Easily import and enhance existing PowerPoint files.
• Corporate-Friendly : Ideal for company presentations and corporate freelance clients.

Beautiful AI offers a 14-day free trial , with pricing starting at $12 per month.

7. Tome - Interactive Presentations and More

Tome is one of the most popular AI presentation tools, offering a wide range of capabilities beyond just slides.

• Versatile Creation : Build interactive presentations, mood boards, portfolios, pitch decks, and web pages.
• Template Variety : Over 25 different templates for various presentation needs.
• Generative AI : Create scripts, texts, images, and charts with intuitive AI assistance.

Tome offers a free tier , with pro plans starting at $8 per month for unlimited credits.

The world of presentations is undergoing a significant transformation thanks to AI. These seven tools represent the cutting edge of what's possible in presentation creation:

• GenPPT : For rapid, professional presentation generation
• AICarousels : For engaging social media content
• Simplified : For all-in-one AI design solutions
• Slides AI : For Google Slides power users
• Gamma : For intuitive, text-to-presentation creation
• Beautiful AI : For visually stunning presentations
• Tome : For interactive presentations and beyond

Each of these tools offers unique features and capabilities, catering to different needs and preferences. Whether you're a business professional, educator, marketer, or content creator, there's an AI presentation tool here that can significantly streamline your workflow and enhance your output.

By leveraging these AI-powered tools, you can save countless hours in the presentation creation process, allowing you to focus more on content and delivery rather than design and formatting. As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect these tools to become even more powerful and intuitive, further revolutionizing the way we create and deliver presentations.

Remember, while these tools can greatly enhance your presentation creation process, the core of a great presentation still lies in your ideas and how you communicate them. Use these AI tools as powerful aids to amplify your message and engage your audience more effectively.

Are you ready to transform your presentation game? Give these AI-powered tools a try and experience the future of presentation creation today!

Ilias is a SEO entrepreneur and marketing agency owner at MagicSpace SEO , helping small businesses grow with SEO. With a decade of experience as a CTO and marketer, he offers SEO consulting and SEO services to clients worldwide.

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Slido Add-In for PowerPoint (Reviews + Best Guide in 2024)

AhaSlides Team • 06 August, 2024 • 4 min read

Whether you're pitching to clients, teaching a class, or giving a keynote speech, Slido is a great interactive tool that lets you add polls, Q&As, and quizzes right into your slides. If you don't want to switch from PowerPoint to anything else, Slido also offers an add-in to use.

Today, we will guide you on how to use the Slido add-in for PowerPoint in simple and digestible steps and introduce some of the great alternatives to this software in case you haven't got a knack for Slido.

Table of Content

An overview of the slido add-in for powerpoint.

Released in 2021 but recently this year, the Slido add-in for PowerPoint became available for Mac users . It includes a mix of poll and quiz questions to boost participant engagement and can customize the color to fit your palette.

The setup requires a bit of effort since it requires a separate download and is locally stored on your computer (if you switch to another device, you will have to download the add-in again). You would want to check the plugin's limitations for troubleshooting.

How to use the Slido Add-in for PowerPoint

Head to Slido , choose your computer operating system, and click "Download". Please note that the Slido add-in is not available on the PowerPoint add-in store.

Follow Slido's instructions, from adding the app to your PowerPoint to signing up. When you finish all the steps, a Slido logo should appear on your PowerPoint interface.

Click on the Slido logo and choose one of the activities from the sidebar. Fill in your question then add it to your PPT presentation. The question will be added as a new slide.

Once you have done and dusted with the set-up, time to start presenting. While you are in slideshow mode, the Slido slide will display the join code for the participants.

They can now interact with your Slido poll or quiz.

Slido Add-in for PowerPoint Alternatives

If you are unable to use the Slido add-in for PowerPoint, or want to explore other flexible options, here are some great software that offer similar functions while operating smoothly on PowerPoint.

You've seen it. There is an add-in that has a wider range of features but is more affordable, customizable, and interactive… It’s AhaSlides! Not sure how to use it? Scroll down for the guide quickly👇

How to use the AhaSlides Add-in for PowerPoint

To install the AhaSlides add-in for PowerPoint, you can do the following:

• Click Insert in the top toolbar of your PowerPoint presentation
• Click Get Add-Ins
• Search for "AhaSlides" and click Add
• Log into your AhaSlides account
• Select the presentation you want to add the slide to
• Click "Add Slide" to switch to Presenting mode

The AhaSlides add-in is compatible with all slide types available on AhaSlides. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get add-ins for powerpoint.

Open PowerPoint, click "Insert" then, click on "Get Add-ins" or "Store". Click the "Add" or "Get it now" button to install the add-in.

Is the Slido add-in free?

Slido offers a free plan with basic features, as well as paid plans with more advanced features and higher participant limits.

Does Slido support PowerPoint Online?

No, Slido for PowerPoint does not currently support PowerPoint Online.

AhaSlides Team

Loved by 2 million users worldwide, we are a group of educators, entrepreneurs, and tech enthusiasts dedicated to making your presentations not just informative, but truly memorable.

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Interactive Displays

4 benefits of a meeting room interactive display

3 tips to create a collaborative workspace that brings employees back to the office

4 ways to design a modern office for collaboration and success

Office meetings are back in vogue now that most workers have returned to the office at least part of the time. Companies can enliven these presentations, discussions and training sessions by using a meeting room interactive display, which can present slides, videos, graphics and text in dynamic and vivid ways. These displays also fit the hybrid norm that now dominates many work environments.

That’s why companies are investing in modern high-tech offices with more amenities, both to enhance productivity and collaboration and to foster community and teamwork. Digital and virtual collaboration resources, such as Samsung WAD Interactive Displays , are a big part of this, with 63% of U.S. companies investing in them, according to EY .

Coming in multiple screen sizes and powered by the Android operating system, the 4K UHD Samsung display offers users a tablet-like experience that includes an infinite whiteboard for brainstorming, an embedded web browser, business and presentation apps, and videoconferencing, so in-office staff can include remote workers in meetings. These capabilities bring businesses a bevy of benefits.

Benefits of using interactive whiteboards

A smart board can do a lot for a conference room and the meetings inside. Here are four of those benefits.

1. Improved engagement and collaboration

Interactive displays, such as the Samsung WAD Series, bolster collaboration and engagement in new ways because they are essentially giant-sized tablet computing devices with a built-in processor, 8GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. As such, they engage staff and enable collaboration by:

• Supporting multimedia presentations: Employees can apply an expansive digital kit to their presentations. Not only can they connect to their cloud drives and pull up spreadsheets and slides, but they can also combine them with video, audio and other digital material. Google Workspace apps are built in, too, but employees can download others from the Google Play app store. Businesses can also attach a small OPS Windows computing device to the whiteboard, enabling users to use Windows OS and Microsoft 365 productivity tools.
• Enabling direct note-taking on the touchscreen: Presenters can take notes during a brainstorming session or annotate documents or images on the screen with their fingers and a double-sided, two-colored digital pen. In fact, the display supports up to 40 simultaneous touchpoints, allowing multiple presenters to write or draw on the screen at the same time.
• Offering multiple screen modes: Employees can use multiple screen mode options, including split-screen and multiple windows, allowing presenters to present multiple ideas at once.
• Sharing screens: Through a Wi-Fi connection, employees using interactive displays at a meeting can wirelessly share their computer, tablet and smartphone screens on the interactive whiteboard. The Samsung WAD Series displays support screen mirroring for up to nine devices using Mac, iOS, Windows, Android and Chrome OS.

Businesses can install interactive displays in formal locations, such as conference rooms, executive offices, and corporate breakout rooms. To foster more collaboration and short, impromptu brainstorming sessions, interactive whiteboards can also be placed in informal spaces and common areas, such as small alcoves in the office, the cafeteria, and wellness rooms.

2. Save, share and send recorded meeting sessions

Staff can record an entire meeting session and save notes on the whiteboard, so they can refer back to the meeting later and share with people who couldn’t attend what they missed. This feature is particularly beneficial for training sessions.

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Companies can enliven presentations, discussions and training sessions by using a meeting room interactive display. Here's how. Download Now

3. Support for hybrid workers

The WAD Series features integrated videoconferencing capabilities, enabling office workers to meet and collaborate with colleagues working remotely. For example, remote workers can attend in-office meetings and view what’s being shown on the display. Furthermore, thanks to the display’s multiscreen capabilities, on-site employees can see the remote workers on the screen, and vice versa if companies add videoconferencing cameras on top of the display.

4. Bright, sharp images that reduce eye strain

Samsung WAD boasts a 4K UHD display with an anti-glare, low-blue-light and flicker-free screen, making images and graphics bright, sharp, vivid and more impactful. Employees can see the screen clearly even in daylight, too, overcoming a common issue with traditional projector screens.

Forward-thinking

Incorporating a smart board into a conference room does more than provide tools to elevate collaboration and engagement . It points toward the future by connecting employees to technology that supports new ways of thinking and the world of tomorrow.

Samsung WAD Interactive Displays provide companies with an all-in-one collaboration hub that allows employees to liven up meetings and collaborate effortlessly using the tools and apps they want. Learn more about Samsung Interactive Displays, and discover how these digital collaboration tools can lead to cost savings .

Wylie Wong is a journalist and freelance writer specializing in technology, business and sports. He previously worked at CNET, Computerworld and CRN, and loves covering and learning about the advances and ever-changing dynamics of the technology industry.

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Present content in Microsoft Teams meetings

When working remotely in Microsoft Teams, you can present content by sharing your screen, your entire desktop, a PowerPoint file, and more.

Start presenting content

Note:  If you're using Teams on the web, you'll be able to share your screen only if you're using Google Chrome or the latest version of Microsoft Edge. Screen sharing isn't available for Linux users.

When you're done sharing, select Stop sharing in your meeting controls. 

To turn off screensharing if your screen locks:

Turn the  Turn off my camera and mic when my screen locks toggle on.

Restart Teams to activate this setting.

Presenter controls

While you're sharing content, use the controls in the presenter toolbar to keep your presentation engaging and running smoothly. The presenter toolbar is only visible to the person presenting.

To bring the presenter toolbar onscreen:

The toolbar will stay in place for a few seconds until you're done adjusting the controls. Then, it'll disappear from view.

Move the presenter toolbar 

To keep the presenter toolbar from blocking important content on your screen, move it to any area on the screen you're sharing.

To move the presenter toolbar:

Drag it anywhere on your screen.

Release the drag handle when you've placed it in the right area.

Tip:  You can also move the toolbar by clicking and holding any area on the toolbar that isn't interactive (e.g., in between presenter controls) and dragging it.

Control your camera and mic

Give and take control of shared content

Give control.

If you want another meeting participant to change a file, help you present, or demonstrate something, you can give control to that person. While someone has control, they can make selections, edits, and other modifications to the shared screen.

You'll both be in control of the sharing, and you can take back control anytime.

Caution:  When you’re sharing an app, only give control to people you trust . People you give control can send commands that could affect your system or other apps. We've taken steps to prevent this but haven't tested every possible system customization.

Start sharing your screen.

Select the person you want to give control to. Teams will notify them that you’re sharing control.

Select Take back  to take back control.

Take control 

To take control while another person is sharing:

Select Request control . The person sharing can approve or deny your request.

Make selections, edits, and other modifications to the shared screen while you have control.

Select Release control to stop sharing control.

Sharing computer sound lets you stream audio from your computer to meeting participants through Teams. You can use it to play a video or audio clip as part of a presentation.

To learn more, see  Share sound from your computer in a Teams meeting or live event .

All sound from your computer, including notifications, will be audible in the meeting.

Optimize for video

Prevent choppiness or lag when you're sharing high-motion content by optimizing video.

To optimize video, select Optimize  in your presenter toolbar. 

Change your layout

When you're sharing content, you can choose from several different layouts to help make your presentation more engaging. 

To change your layout while you're sharing your screen:

Turn your camera on.

Select the layout you want to use:

Content only : Participants will see the content you're sharing in the main Teams window. They'll still be able to see your video feed next to the content.

Standout : This produces an effect on your background that blocks it and helps you stand out in your video feed.

Side-by-side : This view will place you and another participant side-by-side in the meeting window. This helps draw focus to you and other participants who are speaking during the meeting.

Reporter : This layout isolates you from your video feed and places you in front of the content you're sharing, just like a reporter in front of a scene.

Annotate content

To learn more, see Use annotation while sharing your screen in Microsoft Teams .

View participants

After you start presenting, a minimized view of the meeting window will appear next to your shared content. 

Stop sharing

Select Stop sharing in the presenter toolbar to stop sharing your screen and return to the main Teams meeting window.

Share content on a Mac

If you're using a Mac, you'll need to grant permission to Teams to record your computer's screen before you can share. 

You'll be prompted to grant permission the first time you try to share your screen. Select Open System Preferences from the prompt. If you miss the prompt, you can do this anytime by going to Apple Menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security .

Under Screen & System Audio Recording , make sure the toggle next to  Microsoft Teams is turned on.

Go back to your meeting and try sharing your screen again.

Note:  If you're using Teams on the web, make sure you've also granted screen recording permission to your browser.

Zoom in to shared content

To get a better look at shared content, click and drag it to see different areas. To zoom into or out of content someone's sharing during a meeting or call, use the buttons at the lower left of your meeting window: [+] to zoom in and [-] to zoom out. You can also try the following:

Pinch in or out on your trackpad.

Use Teams keyboard shortcuts .

Hold the Ctrl  key and scroll with your mouse.

Note:  Mac trackpads don't support zoom in meetings. If you're on a Mac, use one of the other options. If you're using Linux, giving and taking control of shared content isn't available at this time.

Open shared content in new window

Expand your view by opening shared content in a separate window during your Teams meetings.

To open shared content:

Join your meeting from Teams for desktop .

To minimize content, select X  to close the window.

Share content

To share content from your mobile device:

Tap Stop presenting  or Stop sharing when you're done. 

Tip:  To go forward and back in a PowerPoint presentation, swipe in the direction you'd like to go, or tap the forward and back buttons on the bottom of your screen.

Note:  If your role changes from presenter to attendee during a meeting and you're presenting, screensharing will stop.

Zoom in to shared content 

Want to get a better look at shared content?

Pinch in or out to zoom, and tap and drag to see different areas.

Note:  Zoom isn't currently supported when you're sharing photos and videos.

Minimize shared content

You may want to minimize the content someone is sharing in order to better see the people in the meeting on your mobile device. Here's how:

Tap  Minimize content from the menu

This will give you a better look at more of the people in the meeting. You'll still see the shared content on the lower portion of your screen.

Use your phone as a companion device in a meeting

Join a meeting on more than one device for more collaboration and content-sharing options.

If you're already in a meeting on your laptop, for example, you can add your phone as a companion device to present files, share live video, and much more. Any device with the Teams mobile app can be added as a companion device—just make sure the devices you're using are signed in to the same Teams account.

There's a lot you can do when you add a companion device to your meeting experience:

Use mobile video to show things that are out of view for remote participants.

Take a photo to share with everyone or pick one from your camera roll.

Use your phone to control a presentation.

Share your mobile screen.

If you can see it on your phone, you can share it in the meeting!

Tip:  For more details, see Join a Teams meeting on a second device .

Add a companion device to a meeting

Open Teams on your mobile phone when you're already in a meeting on another device.

You'll see a message near the top of your screen informing you that you're currently in a meeting on another device, and asking if you want to join it on this one, too. Tap  Join .

You'll then see two options: Add this device , and Transfer to this device . Tap  Add this device .

If you join this way, we'll mute your companion device's mic and speaker to avoid causing an echo effect.

When you're ready to share something from the companion device, tap Start presenting at the bottom of the screen. On your other device, you'll be able to see what you're sharing, just like everyone else in the meeting.

When you're finished, tap  Stop presenting , or simply hang up. Your other device will still be connected to the meeting.

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