How to Convert a PowerPoint Presentation to Google Slides

For decades, Microsoft’s PowerPoint has been the king of slideshow presentations. The only hiccup is that you have to buy the Microsoft Office suite.

Luckily, there are now competent free alternatives to PowerPoint. With Google’s Slides, you can create new presentations as well as open existing PowerPoint files. To learn how to do it, check out below.

How to Open a PowerPoint with Google Slides on a PC

Opening a PowerPoint with Google Slides on any computer is easy. If by chance you don’t have a Google account already, create one by following these steps.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from Your Gmail

If someone sent you a PowerPoint presentation to your Gmail, opening it in Google Slides will take just a few clicks.

1. Open your Gmail in a browser.
   
2. Open the email that contains the PowerPoint file.
3. In the lower portion of the e-mail you should see the attached presentation file. Hover the mouse cursor over the attachment.
   
4. There are three icons that appear on the attachment. Click the Edit with Google Slides icon. It’s the one to the right that looks like a pencil.
   
5. Now the Google Slides app opens in a new browser tab with the PowerPoint presentation.
   

From here, you can proceed to view and edit the presentation. Please note that Google Slides automatically saves any changes you make to the presentation. Of course, you can always undo the changes by clicking the Undo icon in the top left corner of the app’s toolbar. You can also use the keyboard undo shortcut by pressing Ctrl + Z. If, by any chance you’ve made too many changes that you can’t undo, you can always start fresh by opening the presentation file again.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from a Folder

If you’ve downloaded a PowerPoint presentation to your computer, follow the steps below.

1. From your Gmail inbox, click the Google Apps icon at the upper right corner of the screen (a square of nine dots next to your profile image).
   
2. A pop-up menu will appear, scroll down until you find the Slides app and click on it.
   
3. In the Recent presentations section, click the Open file picker icon. It’s the one to the far right that looks like a folder.
   
4. When the pop-up window appears, click the Upload tab.
   
5. Click Select a file from your device.
   
6. Now, go to the PowerPoint presentation.
   
7. When you locate the file, select it, and click the Open button in the lower right corner of the window.
   
8. Wait for the file to upload.
9. The file will automatically open in Google Slides.

Now all that’s left is to proceed to view and edit the presentation. As mentioned in the section above, Google saves all your changes automatically.

How to Open a PowerPoint with Google Slides on an iPhone

To open a PowerPoint presentation with Google Slides on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll need the following:

1. A Google account.
2. Gmail mobile app.
3. Google Drive mobile app.
4. Google Slides mobile app.

If you don’t have a Google account already, creating one is pretty simple. Just follow the instructions under the “How to Open a PowerPoint with Google Slides on a Windows, Mac, or Chromebook PC” section above.

Next, visit the App Store to install Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Slides mobile apps to your device. Once you have all the apps on your device, you’re ready to start playing with PowerPoint presentations in the Google Slides app.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from Your Gmail

For anyone who uses the Gmail app, you can open a PowerPoint with the Slides app in just a few steps.

1. Start the Gmail app on your iPhone.
2. In your Inbox, locate the e-mail with the attached PowerPoint presentation.
3. Now long-tap on the attachment.
4. Tap Open in Slides from the pop-up menu that appears.
5. This will open the PowerPoint presentation in the Google Slides app, allowing you to view and edit it.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from a Folder

If you have a PowerPoint file on your device already, you can open it with Google Slides like this:

1. Start the Google Slides app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the Folder icon in the top right corner of the screen. It’s on the right side of the search box.
3. Now you can choose to open the file from Google Drive or your device’s storage.
4. Whichever option you choose, it’s just a matter of locating the PowerPoint file that you want to open.

How to Open a PowerPoint with Google Slides on an Android Device

Before you try to open a PowerPoint file on your Android using Slides, make sure you’ve first installed the apps for Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Slides. Of course, since you’re using a device with Google’s Android operating system, chances are you already have them on your smartphone or tablet.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from Your Gmail

For Android users, the process of opening PowerPoint files in Google Slides is also quite simple.

1. Open Gmail on your smartphone.
   
2. Find and open the e-mail with the attached PowerPoint presentation.
   
3. Tap the attachment.
   
4. From the Open with menu, tap Slides.
   
5. Now the PowerPoint presentation will open in the Google Slides app, allowing you to view and edit the contents.

Opening a PowerPoint Presentation from a Folder

If you already have a PowerPoint file on your device, then just browse for it using the Slides app.

1. Open Google Slides on your phone.
   
2. In the top right corner of the screen, you’ll notice an icon looking like a folder. Tap it.
   
3. The Open from pop-up menu will appear, allowing you to choose whether you want to open a presentation file from Google Drive or Device storage.
   
4. If you choose Device storage, a new menu will appear, showing you all presentation files on your device.
   
5. Tap the one you want to open and that’s it.
   

Bringing PowerPoint to Google

Hopefully, this article helped you learn how to open a PowerPoint presentation with Google Slides. With support for a wide range of devices, it’s certain that you’ll find a way to do this. By using Gmail and Google Drive in combination with Slides, editing presentations for free is just a few clicks (or taps) away.

Have you managed to open a PowerPoint file in the Slides app? Which type of device do you commonly use for editing slideshow presentations? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.