Google is rolling out a new feature to its Slides presentation software that could make your presentations “more engaging, interactive, and impactful”. The search giant will now let you annotate the key content with drawings while presenting.
Google writes in the announcement blog post:
We’re introducing a feature that lets you highlight or emphasize key content while you present in Google Slides. With the new pen tool, you can circle, underline, draw connections or make quick notes directly on your presentation. Whether in a board meeting or a brainstorming session, annotations can help make your presentations more engaging, interactive, and impactful.
A similar feature has been long available on Microsoft Powerpoint, which lets you draw onscreen with a digital pen to highlight a point or show connections.
Google explains annotating your Slides presentation is a breeze. You can start by entering "slideshow mode" through the dedicated button in the app bar. Next, navigate to the lower-left corner of the viewer and access the three-dot menu by selecting the ellipsis icon. From here, opt for the "Turn on the pen" feature to enable annotation.
If you need to remove annotations, use the eraser tool located in the lower-left corner of the viewer"s menu
As for availability, the new annotations feature will start rolling out to most Google Slides users in the two weeks following August 23rd. Users on a rapid-release domain will get the feature in the next couple of weeks. All Google Workspace accounts and free Google accounts will have access to annotations.
Google has added lots of new features to its services recently. It recently gave G Suite users an option to eSign documents directly in Google Docs or Google Drive. The company is also reportedly planning to integrate generative AI into Gboard to help users write better.