Microsoft PowerPoint and Google Slides are popular software solutions for creating presentations. While PowerPoint has more features, Google Slides offers seamless collaboration, cross-platform availability, and an easy-to-use interface without a subscription. When you receive a PowerPoint presentation, convert it to Google Slides to continue editing and collaborating on it.



Converting a PowerPoint presentation to the Google Slides format has advantages, but it isn’t a smooth process. Formatting issues can occur. You can use Google Drive or Google Slides to convert a PowerPoint presentation. This trick is also helpful when using a PowerPoint template with Google Slides.


Although Google Slides has apps for iPhone and
Android
, we focus on the company’s web version.


Convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides Using Google Drive

You can upload a PowerPoint presentation to Google Drive and open it in Slides. It’s the easiest way to convert from PowerPoint to Google Slides.

  1. Visit Google Drive on the web and sign in with your Google account details.
  2. Go to a relevant location. Select New in the upper-left corner and select File upload.
    file upload on Google Drive
  3. Find your PowerPoint file (.pptx) in Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) and click Open.
    open a PPT file in Google Drive
  4. After uploading the file, Google Drive converts your PowerPoint file, making it compatible with Google Slides. Double-click it to open it in Google Slides.
  5. Or, right-click your PowerPoint file and expand the Open with menu. Select Google Slides.
    Open PPT file with Slides


Whether you use a .pptx or an older .ppt file, Google Drive automatically converts it to Slides. You can open it like a traditional Slides file and make changes.

google-slides-hero

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Use Google Slides to Convert a PPTX File

If you don’t want to deal with Google Drive, you can import and use any PowerPoint file using Google Slides. Follow the steps below to make changes.

  1. Go to Google Slides on the web and create a blank presentation. Or, type slides.new in the address bar and press the Enter or Return key.
  2. Select File at the top and click Open.
    open a PowerPoint file in Slides
  3. The following menu shows your recent files and several online and offline locations where you can import a file. Move to the Upload menu.
  4. Select Browse.
    Browse a file in PowerPoint
  5. Find and select your PowerPoint presentation and click Open.
    open a powerpoint file in Slides
  6. Google Slides converts and opens a PPT file in the Slides format.


There are times when you want to convert specific PowerPoint slides. Importing an entire presentation and deleting irrelevant slides isn’t the most productive way. Instead, import selected slides using the steps below.

  1. Open a blank presentation in Google Slides (check the steps above).
  2. Click File and select Import slides.
    Import slides in Google Slides
  3. Select Upload and click Browse.
    Select browse menu in Google Slides
  4. Select your PowerPoint file and click Open.
    open PowerPoint slides in Google Slides
  5. Check the number of presentation slides and select the ones you want to import. Click Import slides.
    Select and import slides in Google Slides


Your PowerPoint slides are ready for editing in Google Slides.


Advantages of Converting a PowerPoint to Google Slides

Here are the benefits of converting a PowerPoint file to Google Slides.

Easy access

Google Slides is a web app. Whether you use Slides on Windows, Mac, Linux, or ChromeOS, you only need a web browser to access and edit your presentations. PowerPoint also has a web app, but it has limited features compared to its desktop app.

Real-time collaboration

Although Microsoft offers real-time collaboration on PowerPoint, the sharing experience isn’t as good as Google Slides. One or more users can work on a presentation simultaneously, share comments, and check tweaks instantly.

Free to use

PowerPoint desktop apps require an active Microsoft 365 subscription. In contrast, Google Slides is free to use. If one of your team members or a colleague doesn’t have a Microsoft 365 plan, convert the PowerPoint presentation to Google Slides and invite them for collaboration.

The Google Slides logo against a presentation done primarily in yellow and orange

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Convert a PowerPoint to Google Slides: Our observations

PowerPoint is a more powerful and feature-packed tool than Google Slides. You may lose some of the features and formatting during conversion. For instance, Google Slides doesn’t support curved text and vector graphics. You may need to rework these slides before sharing them with others.

When you convert specific slides, turn on the

Keep original theme
option to carry over your PowerPoint theme to Slides. Then, after converting a PPTX file to Google Slides, recheck the slides to eliminate minor formatting issues.


Complete and collaborate your presentation in style

Whether you use PowerPoint or Google Slides, your pitch requires interactive visuals and fancy animations to attract people’s attention. A bland and static presentation won’t impress your audience. Creating an engaging presentation from scratch can be time-consuming. Check the top Google Slides templates for personal and work use and finish your presentation quickly.