Gemini Canvas: How to Use It for Docs, Slides and Apps

Gemini Canvas is the part of Google's Gemini app where a chat turns into something you can use: a document you can edit, a slide deck, a quiz, a simple web page or a small working app. For a business owner it's one of the most useful parts of Gemini, because it skips the copy-and-paste step between the chat and the finished thing.

This guide follows Google's own help and overview pages. It covers how to open Canvas, what you can make, how editing and exporting work, and the sharing setting I'd check before sending anyone a link.

What is Gemini Canvas?

Google describes Canvas as a workspace inside the Gemini app for writing, coding and creating, including apps, games and infographics. Instead of answering in a chat bubble, Gemini puts the work into an editable space next to the conversation, where you can change it yourself or ask Gemini to change it for you.

Canvas is available to Gemini users in every language and country where the Gemini app is available. You need to be signed in to use it.

How do I open Canvas in Gemini?

On desktop, Google's steps are:

1. Go to gemini.google.com and sign in.
2. Click Add Files below the text box.
3. Choose Canvas.
4. Type your prompt and submit.

Say what format you want in the prompt. Google notes that asking for something specific, such as a slide deck, helps Gemini produce it in that shape.

What can you make with Gemini Canvas?

Canvas creates docs, apps, slides and code. Once you have a document, the Create menu can turn it into other formats:

Start with	Turn it into	A business use
A document	A slide show	Turn a proposal into a short pitch deck
A document	An infographic	Turn a process write-up into a one-page visual
A document	A quiz	Check new staff have understood a policy
A document	An Audio Overview	A listenable summary of a long report
A document	A web page	A simple event or offer page to share
A document	A custom visual or app	A small calculator or checklist tool

Reports from Gemini's Deep Research can also be turned into apps, games, interactive quizzes, web pages and infographics in Canvas, which makes the two features a strong pair.

How do you edit in Gemini Canvas?

For documents, you can type straight into the text or ask Gemini to make changes. There are quick options to Suggest edits, Change length and Change tone, from casual to formal. Changes save automatically, and you can view earlier versions.

For apps and code, you can edit by prompt or switch to Code view, see console errors, look at recent changes and use Select and ask to point Gemini at one section. There's also an option to add Gemini features, so an app can generate text and images itself; Google says that requires you to be 18 or over.

Copy this prompt

In Canvas, write a one-page proposal for [service] for [type of client].
Include the problem, what we'll do, a simple timeline and next steps.
Write it in a warm, plain tone and keep it to one page.

Copy and paste this prompt

Turn this proposal into a five-slide deck:
one slide each for the problem, the approach, the timeline, why us and next steps.
Keep each slide to a headline and three short bullet points.

How do I export from Gemini Canvas?

Use the Share and export menu. The options Google lists are:

• Export to Docs for documents.
• Export to Slides for decks, which can also be exported as a PDF.
• Copy contents to paste anywhere.
• Export to Colab for Python code.

I'd export anything important to Docs or Slides as soon as it's finished. That's where your team can comment, format and keep it with the rest of your files.

How does sharing work, and is it safe?

Choose Share and export, then Share, and Gemini gives you a public link. Anyone with that link can view it, and for apps Google says anyone with the link can view and edit the data associated with the app. Recipients can click Copy Canvas to make their own version. Shared links open on gemini.google.com, not in the mobile app.

That's the setting to think about before you share. Don't put customer details or anything confidential into a Canvas app you're going to share publicly. For internal documents, export to Docs and share it the way you share any other company file.

Can I use Gemini Canvas on my phone?

You can open Canvas projects on mobile, but editing text style and formatting is desktop web only. Shared links also open on the web rather than in the app. So I'd treat the phone as a place to check and tweak, and do the real work on a computer.

Which Gemini plan do you need for Canvas?

Canvas is available in the Gemini app wherever Gemini is. Google says Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers get Canvas with Gemini 3 and a one million token context window, which matters when you're working with very long documents. Google doesn't publish separate Canvas usage limits per plan.

Gemini Canvas vs ChatGPT canvas

The names cause a lot of confusion. ChatGPT used to have its own canvas, a side-by-side editor for writing and code, but OpenAI has removed it from its current default models and moved editing into writing blocks inside replies. Gemini's Canvas is still a full workspace, and Google has kept adding to it: documents, slides, apps, quizzes and exports to Google's own tools.

So if you liked the side-by-side way of working in ChatGPT, Gemini Canvas is the closest thing in a major assistant today. It's especially handy if your business already runs on Google Workspace, because the export to Docs and Slides lands the work straight where your team already is.

Ideas for using Canvas in a small business

• Turn meeting notes into a tidy action list your team can edit.
• Build a simple quote calculator for your website from a description.
• Make a short quiz to check new starters have read the handbook.
• Turn a blog post into a slide deck for a talk or webinar.
• Create a one-page infographic explaining how you work with clients.
• Draft a simple FAQ page for a new service, then turn it into a web page to share.

If your diary lives in Google too, it's worth knowing whether Gemini can add events to Google Calendar, because it closes the loop between planning in Canvas and booking the work.

Tools that work with Gemini Canvas

Canvas is built to hand work on to other Google tools. Google Docs and Google Slides take your exports, Google Colab runs exported Python, and Google Drive keeps everything in one place. Outside Google, Canva is handy for polishing a deck's design, and Notion or Trello can hold the action lists Canvas produces.

If you'd like your marketing team to get practical with Gemini and tools like it, an AI workshop for your marketing team is a good place to start, or see how I work with business owners.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open Canvas in Gemini?

On gemini.google.com, click Add Files below the text box, choose Canvas, type your prompt and submit. You need to be signed in.

What can Gemini Canvas create?

Canvas creates docs, apps, slides and code, and can turn a document into a slide show, infographic, quiz, Audio Overview, web page or custom visual.

Can I export Gemini Canvas to Google Docs?

Yes. Use Share and export to export to Docs or Slides, copy the contents, or export Python code to Colab. Slides can also be exported as a PDF.

Is a shared Gemini Canvas link public?

Yes. Sharing creates a public link, and Google says anyone with the link can view and edit data associated with a shared app, so keep confidential details out.

Does Gemini Canvas work on mobile?

You can open Canvas projects on mobile, but editing text style and formatting is desktop web only, and shared links open on the web.