Blog

Jul 20, 2023

Google Slides is getting native support for annotations

By Jon Porter, a reporter with five years of experience covering consumer tech releases, EU tech policy, online platforms, and mechanical keyboards. Google is adding a new annotation feature to its

By Jon Porter, a reporter with five years of experience covering consumer tech releases, EU tech policy, online platforms, and mechanical keyboards.

Google is adding a new annotation feature to its Slides presentation software that’ll let users doodle on their work while presenting it. The search giant hopes that having the ability to “circle, underline, draw connections or make quick notes” will make for presentations that are “more engaging, interactive and impactful.”

While Microsoft PowerPoint users have long had the ability to doodle on their decks, Google Slides users haven’t been so lucky. In response, people have developed workarounds like using Chrome extensions like Annotate and Web Paint to draw over their browser while presenting. Needless to say, having the feature natively built into Slides should be much simpler.

Releasing for everyone in the coming weeks

According to Google’s blog post, the annotation feature is accessible via the three-dot menu that’s available on the bottom left of the screen while presenting. There’s a pen tool with a few different color options, as well as an eraser.

The feature will be rolling out to most Google Slides users in the two weeks following August 23rd, but anyone on a rapid release domain will get it in the next couple of weeks. Annotations will be available to all Google Slides users, regardless of whether they have a paid Google Workspace account or a free Google account.

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