Google Slides recording

Recording a Google Slides presentation allows you to create video and audio presentation videos directly through your web browser without needing external screen recording software, thanks to built-in slides recording or the Google Vids integration. By using the Rec button in the top right, you can record your slides, camera, and voice in sync, and transfer the resulting recording directly to a dedicated folder in your Google Drive account.

Prerequisites and Browser Support

To use the slides recording feature, platform and account requirements established by Google must be met. According to official Google support documentation, creating a recording is supported only on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge desktop browsers (Use slides recording in Google Slides). However, viewing, sharing, and deleting created recordings can be performed on any modern web browser supported by Drive.

The availability of this feature depends on your account type; built-in recording features are offered on specific work or school (Google Workspace) accounts. In addition, to create a new recording, you must have edit access to the presentation file you are working on and sufficient free space in your Google Drive storage quota. When your storage quota is exceeded, the system does not allow new recordings to be created.

If you plan to embed independent audio tracks into your slides using alternative methods, you can also review the steps for recording audio for Google Slides.

Step-by-Step Slide Recording with the Built-In Tool

To turn your presentation into a narrated video with camera and audio using Google Slides' native recording engine, follow this sequence:

1. Open your presentation in the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.

1. Click the "Rec" icon located in the upper-right corner of the screen, and select "Record new video" from the menu that appears.

1. When the recording studio opens, check your camera and microphone status. Optionally, you can use the "Turn on camera blur" option to blur your background.

1. Start the recording by pressing the red record button in the center. Per Google rules, a maximum time limit of 30 minutes applies to each slide recording session (Use slides recording in Google Slides).

1. Advance through the slides during the presentation to complete your delivery. If you want to restart the recording, you can pause first and then press the "Re-record" button.

1. When the presentation is finished, pause the recording and click the "Save to Drive" button to save the video.

Alternative Recording Options with Google Vids

If the recording feature with Google Vids is enabled for your account, you can record your presentation in more flexible formats through the Vids infrastructure (Record a presentation with Google Vids):

1. Open your presentation in Google Slides, click the "Record" icon on the right, and then select "Record video."

1. Select your recording mode: choose "Camera & Screen" to record both yourself in picture-in-picture and the slides, "Audio" to record only your voice, or "Screen" to record only the slide presentation.

1. Optionally, you can add visual effects or select your connected external microphones or cameras from the drop-down menus below the camera preview.

1. After finishing setup, press the "Next" button, select the presentation you want to share, and click "Share."

1. To edit the content after recording, you can use the "Edit" option to switch to the Google Vids studio and take advantage of editing tools such as transcript trim. If you prefer external meeting software, you can also evaluate the instructions in the guide on recording a Zoom presentation.

Example Scenario: Quarterly Project Report

Suppose we are preparing a hypothetical 4-slide internal company quarterly briefing presentation (the data below is fictional):

Slide 1: Title and Introduction (Q3 2026 Project Review). Presenter camera enabled, general introductory walkthrough 45 seconds.

Slide 2: Core Metrics (Fictional: delivery of 12 new modules, 18% performance gain). Presenter conveys slide data, 90 seconds.

Slide 3: Risk and Remediation Plan (Fictional infrastructure maintenance calendar). Camera blur enabled, 60 seconds.

Slide 4: Q&A and Next Steps. Closing recap and acknowledgments, 30 seconds.

In this scenario, total recording time lasts 3 minutes 45 seconds. This duration is well below the 30-minute single recording limit enforced by Google Slides and is transferred to Drive in a single session.

Hardware Permissions and External Device Setup

When starting the recording process, your computer may be equipped with external microphone or camera accessories:

External Hardware Detection: If you are using USB-connected external cameras or wireless headsets, you can select your connected device from the "Settings" menu on the bottom toolbar when the recording studio opens.

Browser Permissions: If you denied camera or microphone access on your first recording attempt, you can grant permissions by typing chrome://settings/content/microphone or chrome://settings/content/camera into the Chrome address bar. However, camera and microphone access is not a mandatory prerequisite to start a recording; you can start recording without granting permissions or update settings later.

Quota Limitations: On accounts with a full Google Drive quota, new recording files cannot be created. If a quota issue occurs, space must first be freed up in your Drive storage.

Revision History Status: Revision History in Google Slides does not store information regarding slide recordings. Consequently, deleted or modified recordings cannot be restored via revision history.

Managing and Sharing Recording Files

To manage a created recording, share it with colleagues, or remove it from the presentation, follow these steps:

Locating Recordings: When you open the presentation in Google Slides and click the "Rec" button in the upper right, existing recordings are listed. In addition, these recordings are stored in a dedicated folder named "Slides recordings" under "My Drive" in Google Drive.

Sharing: When you open the presentation and click the title of the relevant recording from the "Rec" menu, the video opens in a full-screen player layout. From the sharing option in the upper right corner, you can set user, audience, or link access rules. The recording can also be shared using standard Drive sharing rules just like other files in Drive.

Deleting Recordings: To remove a recording from the presentation, click "More" > "Remove" next to the relevant recording in the "Rec" menu. If you are the person who created the recording, an option to move the file to the Drive trash is also provided. As long as it is not moved to the trash, the file remains viewable by individuals with access permissions on Drive.

Recording Verification Checklist

Apply this checklist to verify that your recording was completed successfully and is ready for viewers:

1. Ensure that you opened the presentation in the Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser.

1. Confirm that you have at least "Edit" access to the presentation file and sufficient storage quota in Drive.

1. Verify that the recording time does not exceed 30 minutes for a single session.

1. When recording is complete, finish the transfer with the "Save to Drive" option.

1. Confirm that the "Slides recordings" folder has been created in Google Drive and that the video is saved there.

1. Open the video from the "Rec" menu inside the presentation to verify the synchronization of visuals, audio, and slide transitions.

1. Set the necessary Drive sharing permissions so that presentation collaborators can access the video.

Where can a Google Slides recording video be found and shared?

Recordings can be found from the list that appears when clicking the "Rec" button in the top right inside Google Slides, or from the "Slides recordings" folder located in Google Drive. When the video opens in the full-screen player, it can be shared with viewers through the sharing menu in the top right or via Drive file sharing options.

Is turning on the camera or microphone mandatory during recording?

No. Camera and microphone access is not a mandatory requirement to start recording. You can start recording without granting permissions, select devices from the studio settings if you are using external hardware, or choose only the "Audio" or only the "Screen" options when working with Google Vids.