Google Slides animations and transitions

Configuring animations and transitions in Google Slides allows you to control the order in which information is delivered in your presentation and keep your audience focused. According to official Google documentation, you must open your presentation on a computer using a desktop web browser to add or edit these effects (Google Support).

While slide transitions animate the shift from one slide to another (such as a fade or slide), object animations bring text, shapes, or images to life (such as appear, disappear, or fly in). Using the Motion panel, you can configure the speed, arrival order, and triggering method of each visual element.

Prerequisites and Platform Restrictions

Before adding animations and transitions, you need to verify your working environment and technical requirements:

• Desktop Browser Requirement: To add or edit animations and slide transitions, you must use slides.google.com on a computer. The Google Slides apps on Android phones, tablets, or iPhone/iPad devices do not offer options for editing animations and transitions.
• Browser Support and Compatibility: When presentations are viewed in certain web browsers, specific animations may not work properly (Google Workspace Learning Center). Therefore, testing your presentation in advance within the browser you will present in is recommended.
• Mobile Review: You can only view your slides on mobile devices; design and timing steps must be completed on a computer. For related scenarios, you can consult our guide on Google Slides mobile animation compatibility.

Setting and Changing Slide Transitions

A slide transition is the visual effect that takes place when moving from one slide to the next.

1. Open a presentation in Google Slides on your computer.
2. In the slide list on the left, click the slide to which you want to apply a transition.
3. In the top menu, click Slide > Transition (or Slide > Change transition). You can also use View > Motion from the top menu if you prefer.
4. From the dropdown menu under the "Slide transition" heading in the panel that opens on the right, select the transition type you want to use.
5. Drag the speed slider in the panel to adjust the transition speed.
6. Click the "Play" button in the panel to test the transition you set.

Adding and Editing Object Animations

You can define on-slide animations for text boxes, photos, and other objects:

1. Click the text or image you want to animate in your presentation.
2. Follow Insert > Animation in the top menu, or click View > Motion.
3. In the right panel under "Object animations", select the animation type you want to use from the dropdown menu.
4. When you add a new object animation, it is set to "Fade in (On click)" by default in the right panel.
5. If you want to change the motion, you can alternatively follow View > Animations and select the animation you want to edit.
6. Drag the speed slider to the right or left to change the movement speed of the animation.
7. If you are animating a text box containing a list and want items to appear one by one, check the "By paragraph" box. For detailed list management, you can refer to our guide on showing bullet points one by one in Google Slides.

Trigger Types and Start Timing

To determine the exact moment the animation triggers, an option is selected from the second dropdown menu. These options are:

• On click: The animation starts when you click the mouse or press the spacebar on your keyboard. It is suitable for moments when you want to maintain control over your speaking pace.
• With previous: The animation starts running at the exact same time the previous animation begins. It is chosen to make multiple objects visible simultaneously.
• After previous: The animation starts automatically the moment the immediately preceding animation finishes. It allows you to create a sequential flow without user intervention.

Example Scenario: Product Launch Slide

The hypothetical scenario below illustrates how transitions and animations can be coordinated harmoniously on a single slide:

• Slide Transition: After selecting the slide, the transition type is chosen from the dropdown menu in the right panel, and the slider is set to medium speed.
• Title Object ("2027 Product Vision"): Insert > Animation is selected, an entrance effect is picked as the type, and the start timing is set to "After previous". This way, the title appears automatically as soon as the slide opens.
• Product Image: The image is selected and the "Add animation" button is clicked; the trigger is left as "On click". When the presenter finishes speaking and presses the spacebar, the product image appears on the screen.
• Product Features Text List: The text box is selected, an animation is assigned, the "By paragraph" box is checked, and the trigger is set to "On click". The next item appears with each mouse click or press of the spacebar.

Troubleshooting and Common Issues

If animations do not work as planned during your presentation, run through the following checks:

• Running the Animation Preview: Check the order of triggers before starting your slide show by pressing the "Play" button in the panel. When the preview finishes, you can return to editing by clicking the "Stop" button in the panel.
• Variations in Browser Behavior: As noted in Google documentation, certain effects may not work when presentations are viewed in some web browsers. If you run into an issue, test the presentation in an up-to-date browser; for further steps, review the article on Google Slides animations not working.
• Trigger Conflicts: Verify from the second dropdown menu whether objects meant to flow automatically in a chain were accidentally left as "On click".
• Panel Access: If the right panel is not open, bring it back onto the screen using the View > Motion or View > Animations menu.

Final Checklist

Complete these checks before your presentation:

• Did you complete adding or editing animations and transitions in a desktop browser on your computer?
• Have you checked the start timing (On click, With previous, After previous) for the object animations you added?
• Did you check the "By paragraph" option for text containing lists so that items appear step-by-step?
• Have you set transition and animation speeds by moving the speed slider?
• Did you preview the entire flow using the "Play" button in the right panel?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add animations or change their duration from the Google Slides mobile app?

No. According to Google's official help documentation, adding or editing animations and slide transitions can only be done on a computer at slides.google.com; these editing features are not supported in the mobile apps.

How can I change the speed setting in the panel when adding a slide transition?

After opening the Motion panel via the Slide > Transition (or Slide > Change transition) menu, you can adjust the duration by dragging the speed slider located under "Slide transition".

What setting should be configured so that text bullet points appear one by one?

After adding an animation to the text box, you need to check the "By paragraph" checkbox located in the right panel. This ensures each list item appears on screen one by one.