How to Convert Google Slides to PowerPoint Presentations on Export

You created a Google Slides presentation, but now you need to share it with someone who uses Microsoft PowerPoint and doesn't have a Google account. Fortunately, Google Slides includes an excellent conversion feature that makes it easy to convert from Google Slides to PowerPoint and several other popular formats.

In this tutorial, we provide a screencast to quickly show you the process for going from Google Slides to PowerPoint. We also provide a detailed written guide, including screenshots, that explains how to convert Google Slides to PowerPoint and other popular formats.

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Note: 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:

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

Step 1. Open Google Slides

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'll be able to 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're going to work with a shared presentation called Test Document. Double-click the presentation to open it.

Step 2. Make a Copy of the File (Optional)

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:

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

Type in the new file name and click the OK button.

It's important to note that this presentation is now a completely different file from the original presentation. Changes made to it will not appear in the original presentation. Comments made on the original presentation also do not appear in the copy.

Plus, the copy is not shared with the same people as the original file unless you click the Share it with the same people option above the OK button.

Step 3. Export the File

Once you've renamed your file, you are ready to export it. Click the File option from the main menu. Click the Download as option from the drop-down menu:

The Google Slides export submenu lists the various types of file formats you can export your Google Slides presentation to (including PowerPoint). 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)
• SVC (a graphic file type)

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, click the Microsoft PowerPoint option on the Google Slides export submenu:

The conversion takes place quickly and automatically. When it is complete, what happens next depends on the browser you're using.

Working with Converted Files in Chrome

If you're working in 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.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, we'll be working in the Chrome browser throughout this tutorial.

You'll see three options:

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

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 folder 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.

Working with Converted Files in Microsoft Edge

Although most of this tutorial is based on using the Chrome browser, it's worth taking a quick look at a few other browsers. The screens are slightly different, but the process is similar.

If you're working with Google Slides using Microsoft Edge, you'll get the following options at the bottom of your screen after you convert the file:

Clicking the Save button gives you this choice:

From this screen, you can open the exported file, open a folder, or view a list of all your recently downloaded files.

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:

If you click the toggle button next to Open with option and click the OK button, the converted file opens in the tool you selected. To always open a converted file using your selected tool, click the check box next to Do this automatically for files like this from now on and click the OK button.

If you click the toggle button next to the Save File option, the converted file is saved on your computer.

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

Note: For the next subsections covering other types of Google Slides file conversions, we'll focus on the Chrome browser.

2. Export Google Slides to Open Office

The process for converting a Google Slides presentation to Open Office is very like the process for converting to PowerPoint.

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

As with the PowerPoint export, the export to an ODP Document occurs quickly. When the conversion is complete, 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 Open Office. If Open Office is installed on your machine, the file opens:

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

Option 3: Click Show in folder 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 a PDF Document

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

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

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

Option 2: Click Always open in Adobe Reader, to set up a default for automatically opening files converted to PDF.

Option 3: Click Open with system reader, which opens the file with whatever you have set up as your system reader. For my machine, that's Adobe Acrobat Reader DC:

Option 4: Click Show in folder, 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.

4. Export Google Slides as Plain Text

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

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

Note: Your options may vary depending on what tools you have installed on your machine.

In this example, I used Notepad to open the file. Here is what it looks like:

Notice that while the words have been saved, the formatting of the presentation is completely gone. For that reason, 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 how future conversions are handled.

Option 3: Click Show in folder 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.

5. Export a Google Slide Image as a JPEG Image

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

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

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

After the conversion is complete, 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 folder to see the file in the Download folder on your machine.

6. 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.

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

When the conversion is complete, 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 folder to see the file in the Download folder on your machine.

7. Export a Google Slide as a Scalable Vector Graphic

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

To start, 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.

When the conversion is complete, you'll see the converted file in the lower left screen (Chrome browser). 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:

Note: 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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Conclusion

As you've learned, it's not difficult to convert a Google Slides presentation to a different format. You can go from Google Slides to PowerPoint, or another type format, easily and quickly.

Google Slides' capability to export to other formats means that you can use it to create presentations that are compatible with other tools. This comes in 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.

Google Slides' ease of use, low cost, and wealth of features make it a good choice when it comes to presentation software tools. To explore some other presentation software tools, review the following posts:

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  15+ Best Presentation Software Alternatives to PowerPoint (of 2017)
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  PowerPoint vs. Keynote vs. Google Slides: What Is the Best Presentation Software?
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Let us know how converting your presentations from Google Slides to PowerPoint or other formats works for you. Also, don't forget to browse our through our best presentation templates if you need to speed up your design process and get a professional result.