How to Add Animations in Google Slides (Objects and Transitions)

A little movement goes a long way in a presentation. Revealing bullet points one at a time stops people reading ahead, and a picture that fades in at the right moment lands your point harder than a static slide ever will.

Google Slides keeps its animation tools in one panel called Motion. There aren't as many effects as some desktop apps, which honestly is a good thing, because it's harder to overdo it. Here's how to animate objects, reveal lists line by line, add slide transitions and control the timing.

Animating text or an image in Google Slides

1. Open your presentation in Google Slides on a computer.
2. Click the text box, shape or picture you want to animate.
3. Click Insert, then Animation. You can also open the same panel with View, then Motion.
4. In the panel on the right, under Object Animations, pick an effect from the drop-down.
5. Click Play to preview it.

Google says every new animation starts out as Appear, set to On click. Change the effect from the first drop-down and the timing from the second.

Controlling when Google Slides animations start

The start setting decides whether you're driving the slide or it's playing itself. Google gives you three choices:

Start option	What it does	When I'd use it
On click	Starts when you click or press the space bar	Revealing points as you talk
After previous	Starts once the previous animation ends	A short sequence that runs on its own
With previous	Starts at the same time as the previous one	A picture and caption appearing together

Mixing them is where it gets clever. Set a heading to On click and its picture to With previous, and one click brings both in together.

Revealing a list one line at a time in Google Slides

This is the animation I use most. Select the text box holding your bullet list, add an animation in the Motion panel and tick By paragraph. Each bullet then appears separately, in order, every time you click.

It's perfect for pitches and training sessions, because the room can only see the point you're on. No more people reading slide three while you're still explaining the first bullet.

Changing animation speed in Google Slides

Under each animation in the Motion panel there's a slider. Drag it to make the effect faster or slower. I keep most effects towards the faster end, because slow animations make a presenter look like they're waiting for the slide to catch up.

Building a step-by-step reveal with several Google Slides animations

Say you want a diagram to build up in stages: a title, then a picture, then three labels. Here's how I'd set it up in the Motion panel:

1. Animate the title first and keep its start setting as On click.
2. Animate the picture and set it to After previous, so it follows the title on its own.
3. Animate each label and set them to On click, so you can talk through one at a time.
4. Click Play to check the order before you present.

If the preview runs in the wrong order, it's often quickest to remove and re-add the effects working from the top of the slide down.

Adding slide transitions in Google Slides

Transitions are the effect between one slide and the next, separate from animating objects on a slide:

1. In the slide list on the left, click the slide you want to move to.
2. Click Slide, then Transition.
3. Under Slide Transition in the Motion panel, choose an effect from the drop-down.
4. Drag the slider to set the speed.
5. Click Play to preview.

From the same panel, you can click Add animation to add object effects to that slide without closing anything.

Can you add animations in the Google Slides app?

Not according to Google's help. For phones and tablets, Google says to use slides.google.com on a computer to add or edit animations and slide transitions. If you're editing on the move, make your text changes in the app and save the motion work for a laptop or desktop.

If Google Slides animations aren't working

• Nothing happens in the slide show: check the start setting. On click animations wait for a click or the space bar.
• Everything appears at once: you may have set every item to With previous. Change some to On click or After previous.
• A list appears all together: tick By paragraph on that text box's animation.
• An effect looks odd: Google notes that some browsers may not display certain animations, so try another browser or a simpler effect.
• Can't find the Motion panel: click an object first, then use Insert, Animation or View, Motion.

Keeping Google Slides animations simple for business decks

My rule of thumb: one type of animation per deck, used for a reason. Fade or Appear for reveals, and a gentle transition between sections. Spinning, bouncing and flying effects tend to distract from the message, especially in a client pitch.

If you need real motion, such as a product demo or a reel-style intro, it's often better to make a short video and insert it on the slide. My guide to adding music to a CapCut edit is a good place to start for that. And if your talk includes a live checklist or a sign-up tracker, building it in Sheets with tick boxes in Google Sheets keeps everything inside Google's tools.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add animations in Google Slides?

Click the object, then Insert, Animation, or View, Motion. Choose an effect under Object Animations and click Play to preview.

How do I make bullet points appear one at a time in Google Slides?

Select the text box, add an animation in the Motion panel and tick By paragraph. Each line then appears on its own click.

What's the difference between On click, After previous and With previous?

Google says On click starts when you click or press the space bar, After previous starts once the previous animation ends, and With previous starts at the same time as the previous one.

Can I add animations on the Google Slides app?

Google's help says to use slides.google.com on a computer to add or edit animations and transitions.

Why won't my Google Slides animation play?

Check the start setting first. Google also notes that some browsers may not display certain animations, so try another browser.