How to Run Presentations on Google Slides Remotely (With Phone App)

Imagine this. You're meeting with an important client. They're very interested in your product. And, you've got the perfect Google Slides presentation that'll answer all their questions. It's too bad you didn't bring any equipment to make your presentation with.

Or did you?

If you've got the right app and/or a simple device you can use your smart phone like a remote control. This allows you to give your Google Slides presentation on a TV or monitor. You'll also need access to WiFi.

Whether you make presentations as part of your job or just occasionally, knowing how to run a presentation from your phone can come in handy for unexpected situations. You never know when the equipment for a planned presentation won't work properly. Using your phone or other smart device as a remote to run your presentation makes a good backup plan.

Run your Google Slides presentation remotely — Do you need to run your Google Slides presentation remotely? (graphic source)

In this tutorial, you'll learn the basics about making a Google Slides presentation remotely with your smart device. We'll show you how to use the Google Slides app to run your Google Slides presentation from your iPhone or iPad with an Apple TV using Apple's AirPlay mirroring feature. We'll also discuss Google's Chromecast feature for Android devices and explain how it works.

Need Help? Download the Free Guide to Making Great Presentations (eBook)

Before continuing on, be sure to first grab the perfect compliment to this tutorial. Download our new, free eBook: The Complete Guide to Making Great Presentations. It will help you master the complete presentation process.

Make a Great Presentation Free eBook PDF

Now let's learn all about running Google Slides presentations remotely using your phone or smart device.

Use Your iOS Device to Run Google Slides Remotely

If you've got access to an Apple TV, the Google Slides app lets you show your Google Slides presentation from your iOS device. Use Apple TV's AirPlay Mirroring feature to show the presentation slides on your Apple TV.

Step 1

Start by downloading the Google Slides App from the Apple Store onto your iPad or iPhone. Click the Get button on the Apple Store screen to start the download process:

Download Google Slides App — You can download the Google Slides app from the Apple store.

Step 2

Click the Install button. Next, click the Open button to open the Google Slides app on your iOS device:

Opening Google Slides on an iOS Device — Sign in to open Google Slides.

Step 3

Click the Sign-In button in the lower left corner to sign in to your Google account.

Note: If you've not used your Google account on this device before you may receive a security notification in your Gmail account.

Google Slides opens on your iPad or iPhone with thumbnails of some of the most recent presentations showing:

Recent Google Slides Presentation — Choose the Google Slides presentation you want to open.

Click on the presentation you wish to open. Your Google Slides presentation opens on your device:

Open Google Slides Presentation — Google Slides presentation displayed on an iOS device.

For this tutorial, we're using a presentation based on the popular Everland Google Slides theme from GraphicRiver.

To discover more great Google Slides themes and templates available through GraphicRiver, check out this featured article:

Presentations

18+ Best Google Slides Presentation Themes (Premium Templates to Download in 2020)

Sean Hodge

Step 4

Once your presentation is open, use your Apple TV remote to turn on your Apple TV. Swipe up on your iPad or iPhone screen from the bottom to see the AirPlay Mirroring option:

AirPlay Mirroring on iPad — Click the **AirPlay Mirroring** button in the lower left of the screen.

Step 5

Click the AirPlay Mirroring button on the bottom left. A pop-up menu appears. Select the Apple TV option from the pop-up menu. Your presentation is now visible on the Apple TV screen, however, it does not take up the whole TV screen—at least not yet.

Step 6

To get your presentation to take up the whole screen on your Apple TV, click the right arrow icon on the menu on the upper left of the presentation screen on your iOS device:

Presentation Drop-Down Menu — Select the **Present to external display** option.

A drop-down menu appears. Select the Present to external display option. Your Google Slides presentation now fills the screen on your Apple TV.

Step 7

Use the thumbnails at the bottom of the screen on your iOS device to move through the presentation. You can also use the Google Slides Speaker Notes or the Q&A features during your presentation. For more information on the Google Slides Q&A and Speaker Notes features, study the following Envato Tuts+ tutorials:

Step 8

When you're done showing your presentation, turn off AirPlay Mirroring. Swipe up on the screen of iOS device:

Click the Apple TV button. From the pop-up menu, select the Turn Off AirPlay Mirroring option. Your presentation is no longer visible on your Apple TV.

Use Your Android Device to Run Google Slides Remotely

If you've got an Android table or smart phone, you can also use your device to make your Google Slides presentation. You'll need a Chromecast device and a WiFi connection.

A Chromecast device is a piece of hardware from Google that allows you to stream content from your computer or smart device to your TV. It plugs into your TV's HDMI port using a connector cable.

The most common use of Chromecast devices is to play content from services like Netflix or Hulu. The screen mirroring feature is what allows you to show your Google Slides presentation on a TV. Casting only works on a device running Android 4.4.2 or later. The Android device also has to be optimized for Chromecast. Google has provided a list of supported devices here.

Unfortunately I don't own a Chromecast device, so I can't provide screenshots. But here's what you need to know about how the casting process works: