How to Convert Google Slides to PowerPoint Presentations on Export

You created a Google Slides presentation. You need to share it with someone who uses Microsoft PowerPoint and doesn't have a Google account. What can you do?

In this tutorial you'll learn how to convert this Google Slides to PowerPoint. — In this tutorial, you'll learn how to convert this Google Slides to PowerPoint.

Fortunately, Google Slides includes an excellent conversion feature. Converting from Google Slides to PowerPoint and several other popular formats is easy.

This tutorial provides a screencast to quickly show you how to convert a Google Slides to a PowerPoint. We also offer a detailed written guide, including screenshots, that explains how to convert Google Slides to PowerPoint and other popular formats.

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You must have a Google Account to use Google Slides. Before you go further, discover how to set up a Google Account quickly. Now let's get started with today's tutorial.

How to Convert Google Slides Files to PowerPoint (Quick Video)

To learn how to convert Google Slides to PowerPoint quickly, refer to this quick screencast video:

This video is several years old, so some of the steps may be slightly different. Our editorial team has determined that it's still useful.

For more detailed information on how to convert Google Slides presentations to various formats, review the step-by-step instructions below.

Jump to content in this section:

Step 1. Download a Google Slides Template
Step 2. Open Google Slides
Step 3. Make a Copy of the File (Optional)
Step 4. Export the File
Export Google Slides to PowerPoint
Export Google Slides as a PDF Document
Export Google Slides as Plain Text
Export a Google Slide Image as a JPEG Image
Export a Google Slide as a PNG Image

How to Convert Google Slides to PowerPoint

Follow the steps for converting Google Slides to PowerPoint:

Step 1. Download a Google Slides Template

Find a premium Google Slides template that you want to convert to PowerPoint.

You must find a premium template before you learn how to convert Google Slides to PowerPoint. After choosing which premium Google Slides template is best, you can download it.

In this tutorial on converting Google Slides to PowerPoint, we’ll use the Lekro Google Slides Template. It comes with over 61 unique slides to which you can add information. It also comes with editable charts and icons that will keep your presentation visually interesting.

Step 2. Open Google Slides

Before you learn how to convert a Google Slides to a PowerPoint presentation, you must have a Google Account and PowerPoint Software.

Start by logging into your Google Account. To access Google Slides, start by opening Google Drive. Go to the URL, https://drive.google.com/.

Google Drive opens:

You can convert a shared Google Slides presentation.

You'll see recent documents, including Google Slides presentations, by clicking either the My Drive icon or the Shared with Me icon on the left. In this instance, we'll work with a shared presentation called Test Document. Double-click the presentation to open it.

An example of an open Google Slides presentation.

Step 3. Make a Copy of the File (Optional)

When converting Google Slides to PowerPoint, it's a good idea to make a copy of the original Google Slides file for reference. This allows you to return to your original file if you accidentally delete or alter the copy.

To make a copy, click the File option from the main menu across the top of the screen:

It's a good idea to make a copy of your original Google Slides presentation.

Click the Make a copy option on the drop-down menu. You're prompted to rename the file:

Rename the copy of your Google Slides presentation.

Type in the new file name and click the Make a Copy button.

This presentation is an entirely different file from the original one.

It's important to note that changes made to the presentation copy won't appear in the original presentation. Comments made on the original presentation also don't appear in the copy.

Plus, the copy isn't shared with the same people as the original file unless you click the Share it with the same people option above the Make a Copy button.

Step 4. Export the File

Once you've renamed your file, you're ready to export it. Exporting the file allows you to convert Google Slides to PowerPoint. Click the File option from the main menu. Click the Download option from the drop-down menu:

You can convert your Google Slides to PowerPoint and various other file types.

The Google Slides export submenu lists the various types of file formats you can export your Google Slides presentation to. Export file formats include:

PPTX (Microsoft PowerPoint)
ODP (Open Office)
PDF (Adobe Acrobat)
TXT (plain text)
JPEG (a graphic file type)
PNG (a graphic file type)
SVG (a graphic file type)

Working With Export Formats

Let's look more closely at each export format:

1. Export Google Slides to PowerPoint

To export your Google Slide presentation as a PowerPoint file, first click the Microsoft PowerPoint option on the Google Slides export submenu:

The conversion takes place quickly and automatically. When it's complete, what happens next depends on your browser.

Working With Converted Files in Chrome

If you're working in the Chrome browser, you'll see the converted file in the lower left corner of the screen. Click on the up arrow next to the file name.

The converted Google Slides presentation file is in the lower left of your screen. (Chrome browser)

Unless otherwise noted, we'll work in the Chrome browser throughout this tutorial.

You'll see three options:

Option 1: Click Open to open the file in PowerPoint.

The Google Slides presentation has been converted to Microsoft PowerPoint.

If the file opens in Protected View in PowerPoint. Click Enable Editing to begin working with it in PowerPoint.

Option 2: Click Always open files of this type to set up a default for automatically opening files converted to PowerPoint.

Option 3: Click Show in Finder to view the file in the Download folder on your computer:

You can view the converted Google Slides file in a folder on your computer. (Shown on MacOS)

While your folders are open, you can work with the file in the folders. For example, move the file from your Download folder to another folder, rename it, or open it.

Working With Converted Files in Firefox

Mozilla Firefox also presents slightly different screens during the conversion process.

If you're working with Google Slides using Firefox as your browser, you'll see this dialog box:

Google Slides conversion dialog box. (Firefox browser)

If you click the Downloads button in Firefox, you’ll see your Google Slides presentation as a PPTX file in the downloads list. Double-click on that file. Once you double-click, it'll automatically open in PowerPoint.

To learn more about Microsoft PowerPoint, study our video tutorial series, How to Use PowerPoint in 60 Seconds (Quick Video Tutorials).

We'll focus on the Chrome browser for the following sections covering other types of Google Slides file conversions.

2. Export Google Slides as a PDF Document

To start, click the PDF Document option on the Google Slides export submenu:

You can convert Google Slides to PDF format.

As with the export to PowerPoint, the export to a PDF document occurs quickly. You'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser) when it is complete. Click the Up arrow to get the following choices:

Option 1: Click Open, which opens the file in your browser:

A converted Google Slides presentation that is open in your browser.

Option 2: Click Always open with system viewer, to set up a default for automatically opening files converted to PDF.

Option 3: Click Open with system viewer, which opens the file with whatever you've got set up as your system reader. For my machine, that's Preview:

A Google Slides presentation that is open in Preview.

Option 4: Click Show in Finder to view the file in the Download folder on your computer. While your folders are open, you can work with the file in the folders. For example, move the file from your Download folder to another folder, rename it, or open it.

3. Export Google Slides as Plain Text

Click the Plain Text option on the Google Slides export submenu to start. The export to a plain text file occurs quickly, as with the other exports. You'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser) when it's complete. Click the up arrow to get the following choices:

Option 1: Click Open. The system asks you which tool you want to use to open the file:

Choose the tool you want to use to open your converted Google Slides presentation.

Your options may vary depending on what tools you've got installed on your machine.

In this example, I used TextEdit to open the file. Here's what it looks like:

A Google Slides presentation that has been converted to plain text. — A Google Slides presentation that's been converted to plain text.

Notice that while the words have been saved, the formatting of the presentation is completely gone. Therefore, I do not recommend converting a Google Slides presentation to plain text format in most situations.

Option 2: Click Always open files of this type to set up a default for handling future conversions.

Option 3: Click Show in Finder to look at the file in the Download folder on your computer. While your folders are open, you can work with the file from within the folders.

4. Export a Google Slide Image as a JPEG Image

Google Slides also allows you to save presentations as image files. Click the JPEG image option on the Google Slides export submenu to start. As with the other conversions, the export to a JPEG image occurs quickly.

When converting image files, there's one important difference. The conversion only works for the slide you had open at the time of conversion.

To convert your entire presentation to JPEG images, you must convert each slide separately. Not only is this time-consuming, but it also means that you'll have many .jpg files at the end of the conversion process. But the process does preserve the formatting of the slide:

Converting Google Slides to JPEG format only converts the open slide.

After the conversion, you'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser). Click the up arrow to get three choices:

Option 1: Click Open to open the file in your browser.

Option 2: Click Always open files of this type to set up a default for future conversions.

Option 3: Click Show in Finder to see the file in the Download folder on your machine.

5. Export a Google Slide as a PNG Image

You can also save a Google Slide presentation as a PNG image. Using this export option has the same limitation as converting to other types of image files—you must convert each slide individually.

Click the PNG image option on the Google Slides export submenu to start. As with the other conversions, the export to a PNG image occurs quickly.

You'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser) when the conversion is complete. Click the up arrow to get three choices:

Option 1: Click Open to open the file in your browser.

Option 2: Click Always open files of this type to set up a default for future conversions.

Option 3: Click Show in Finder to see the file in the Download folder on your machine.

6. Export a Google Slide as a Scalable Vector Graphic

You can save a Google Slide presentation as a scalable vector graphic (.svg). As with other conversions, you must convert each slide individually to image and graphic files.

Click the Scalable Vector Graphics option on the Google Slides export submenu. As with the other conversions, the export to a .svg file occurs quickly.

You'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser) when the conversion is complete. Click the up arrow to get four choices:

Option 1: Click Open to open the file in your browser.

Option 2: Click Always open files of this type to set up a default for future conversions.

Option 3: Click Open with system viewer to choose an application to open the file with:

Choose the tool to open your converted Google Slide.

The options you see may vary depending on what tools you have installed on your machine.

Option 4: Click Show in folder to see the file in the Download folder on your machine.

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Learn More About Google Slides

Even though you’ve learned how to open Google Slides in PowerPoint, there’s still more to learn about Google Slides. Google Slides' ease of use, low cost, and wealth of features make it a good choice for presentation software tools. To explore some other presentation software tools, review the following posts:

Try Converting Google Slides to PowerPoint today

As you've learned, converting a Google Slides presentation to PowerPoint isn't difficult.

Because Google Slides' can export to other formats you can use it to create presentations that are compatible with other tools. It’s handy if you're working on a team where not everyone has a Google account. It can also be helpful if your client requires you to submit your work in a specific format.

Try converting your presentations from Google Slides to PowerPoint or other formats works for your next project. Also, don't forget to browse our best presentation templates to speed up your design process and get professional results.

Editorial note: This tutorial was originally published in June of 2017. It's been completely reviewed and updated for accuracy by Sarah Joy.