How to Change the Slide Size in Google Slides

Tweak the aspect ratio to make your presentations better

What to Know

  • Open the presentation you want to edit, then go to File > Page Setup. Choose a size from the drop-down menu and select Apply.
  • To manually change the size: go to File > Page Setup and choose Custom. Enter a size for your slides and select Apply.
  • The changes apply to all slides; you can't change individual slide sizes.

Google Slides is a great free alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing you to easily make slideshows and presentations. While it has a standard slide size, you might want to change it for certain types of presentations. Here's how to change the slide size in Google Slides in a browser, both manually and through presets. You can't change the slide size within the iOS or Android apps.

How to Change Slide Size in Google Slides

Does your presentation need changing around a little? Perhaps resizing it is the key to making sure your results and infographics truly pop on screen while you're presenting. Here's how to change the slide size in Google Slides to one of the presets, all in a matter of a few simple steps.

The changes apply to all slides. You can't change the individual slide sizes.

  1. Go to https://docs.google.com/

  2. Click the hamburger icon in the upper-left corner.

    Google Docs with hamburger icon highlighted
  3. Click Slides.

    Google Docs with Slides highlighted
  4. Click the presentation you wish to edit.

    Google Slides with Recent Presentations listed
  5. Click File.

    Google Slides with File highlighted
  6. Click Page Setup.

    Google Slides with Page Setup highlighted

    You may need to scroll down the menu to find the option.

  7. Click on the drop-down menu displaying Widescreen 16:9.

    Google Slides with Page setup choices highlighted
  8. Choose the size you want to use.

    Google Slides with variety of different page setup sizes highlighted
  9. Click Apply.

    Google Slides with Apply button for page setup highlighted
  10. The presentation has now been automatically changed to the chosen size.

How to Change Slide Size in Google Slides Manually

The Google Slides presets are very useful but what if you want to change your slides to a specific size of your choosing? Here's what to do if you have a different size in mind.

The changes will apply to all slides. You can't change the size of an individual slide.

  1. Go to https://docs.google.com/

  2. Click the hamburger icon in the upper-left corner.

    Google Docs with Hamburger icon highlighted
  3. Click Slides.

    Google Docs with Google Slides highlighted
  4. Click the presentation you wish to edit.

    Google Slides with Recent presentations highlighted
  5. Click File.

    Google Slides with File Menu highlighted
  6. Click Page Setup.

    Google Slides with Page Setup highlighted

    You may need to scroll down the menu to find the option.

  7. Click the drop-down menu displaying the current size.

  8. Click Custom.

    Google Slides Custom page setup highlighted
  9. Enter the size you desire to change your presentation to.

    You can click on the measurement to change to inches, centimeters, points, or pixels.

  10. Click Apply when done.

Why Do I Need to Change the Slide Size on Google Slides?

Not everyone will need to change the slide size on their Google Slides presentations. Google Slides defaults to a commonly used size but there are some key reasons why it can be helpful. 

  • Different screens. Different monitors have different aspect ratios and it's useful to adapt to them. 16:9 for instance is widescreen and your presentations will look better if they fit accordingly on screen.
  • Flexibility. Not sure what screen your presentation will be on? Go with 16:9. 4:3 used to be the standard but more screens use widescreen. However, if you know it will be viewed on a mobile device, stick with 4:3.
  • Printouts. Are you planning on printing out your slides? 4:3 is the best ratio for this situation.
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