What is grouping for in Google Slides?
Grouping lets you use multiple objects as if they were a single object. According to Google’s computer help, Group locks multiple objects together to make them easier to move and format. Grouping is not the same as aligning objects, distributing the space between them, or changing their front-to-back order. The computer help describes these as separate options in the Arrange menu.
This guide focuses on grouping objects on a slide. For computer steps and editing options, see Add and edit objects in Google Slides — computer; for Android steps, see Add and edit objects in Google Slides — Android.
Before you start: which objects should move together?
First, identify the items you want to move or format together. For example, if the heading, date, and icon on an announcement card should move together, you might consider grouping them. Leaving out items such as a background image or a source note that you want to keep separate is a choice based on your design; it is an editing plan, not a Google Slides requirement.
Before using the grouping command, check that your selection includes the items you want. The Android instructions say to press and hold the first object, then tap the other objects to add them to the group. In the computer help, the Group option appears in the context of managing multiple objects together; the source does not describe a single method for selecting objects on a computer. So, select multiple objects in the interface you’re using, then check whether the grouping command is available.
Group objects on a computer
- Open your presentation in Google Slides and go to the slide you want to edit.
- Select the multiple objects you want to group. If your selection does not include the items you expected, adjust it in the interface before continuing.
- From the top menu, choose Arrange > Group. If your menu is in Turkish, the labels may look different; look for the Group/Grupla command.
- If it suits your design, move the group a short distance to check whether it behaves as expected. This final check is a verification suggestion; the help page does not specify it as a required step.
Google’s computer help lists Group under the Arrange menu. The keyboard shortcuts page lists Ctrl + Alt + G and ⌘ + Option + G for grouping, and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G and ⌘ + Option + Shift + G for ungrouping. See Google Slides keyboard shortcuts for the shortcuts. If a shortcut does not work, use the menu command and check which shortcut appears in your interface.
Group objects on Android
On an Android phone or tablet, open the presentation in the Google Slides app. Press and hold one of the objects you want to group until the top bar turns blue. Tap the other objects you want to add to the group, then tap Group. The Android help also includes the step of tapping Group again to separate the group.
If the command does not appear, review your selection: the instructions say to press and hold the first object, then select the others. Rather than applying the computer menu path directly to a mobile screen, follow the commands in the Android app and the relevant Android help. If your screen looks different from the help instructions, check which commands are available in your interface.
Example: an event announcement card
Hypothetical example: Imagine you’re creating an announcement card on a slide with the heading “Design Workshop,” a date, a location icon, and a short description. You want the heading, date, and icon to move together, while the background photo and the source note in the corner stay separate.
First, select and group the heading, date, and icon that need to move together. Leave the photo and source note out of the selection. Then, if it suits your design, move the group to another location and see whether the items move together. If the short description also needs to move with the card, add it to the selection too. This is only an example editing scenario, not a special template or a separate feature.
Troubleshooting and frequently asked questions
The Group/Grupla command isn’t visible. What should I do? First, check whether multiple objects are selected. On Android, follow the steps to press and hold the first object, then tap the other objects. On a computer, review your selection and look for Arrange > Group. The sources do not explain how the command appears for every possible selection state; if you can’t see it, check the menu in your interface and the help for the relevant platform.
An item I didn’t want is moving with the group. That item may have been included in the selection. On Android, the documented step for separating a group is to tap Group again. On a computer, check the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G or ⌘ + Option + Shift + G shortcut listed on the keyboard shortcuts page to ungroup. Then try selecting and grouping the objects you want again.
Can I group a text box and a shape together? Google’s help says that objects such as text boxes and shapes can be added to a slide, and that multiple objects can also be grouped. However, the explanation provided does not separately guarantee that every type of object can be grouped together in every situation. Select the objects you want and check whether the Group/Grupla command is available in your interface.
Does grouping align objects? No; the help presents grouping and aligning as separate operations. If you want to align the edges of items or make the spacing between three or more objects even, also review the Arrange options on a computer.
Final checklist
- Are the objects you want to move together selected?
- Have you left out of the selection the items you want to keep separate?
- Have you checked the Group/Grupla command on the platform you’re using?
- After grouping, is the layout and readability suitable for your design?
Related how-to guides
You can go into more detail on the relevant step in this workflow with the Group objects in PowerPoint guide. You can go into more detail on the relevant step in this workflow with the Distribute objects evenly in PowerPoint guide.
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