How to Add a New Slide in Google Slides

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To add a new slide in Google Slides, click New slide (the + button) at the top left, or press Ctrl + M. Google lists Ctrl + M for Mac too, not Command + M. To pick a layout first, click the down arrow next to New slide.

These steps cover Google Slides in a web browser on Windows, Mac, and Chromebook, plus the Google Slides app for Android, iPhone, and iPad. They follow Google’s Add, delete & organize slides help page and its Google Slides keyboard shortcuts list. You need edit access to the presentation.

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Card showing how to add a new slide in Google Slides with the New slide button, layout menu and Ctrl M
Illustration: ways to add a new slide in Google Slides.

How to Add a New Slide on a Computer

  1. Open your presentation in Google Slides.
  2. In the filmstrip (the column of slide thumbnails on the left), click the slide you want the new one to follow.
  3. Click New slide at the top left. A slide with the same layout as the selected slide appears right after it and opens for editing.
  4. To use a different layout, click the down arrow next to New slide (New slide with layout) and choose a layout, such as Title and body or Blank.

Other ways to do the same thing:

  • Keyboard: press Ctrl + M on Windows, Chromebook, or Mac.
  • Right-click: right-click a slide in the filmstrip and choose New slide.
  • Menu: click Slide > New slide.

To change the layout of a slide you already added, select it and click Layout in the toolbar, then pick a new one. Click a placeholder and type to fill it in, and resize the text box if you need to rearrange it.

Recreated current Google Slides toolbar with the separate Layout menu open, showing eleven layout thumbnails and Title and body highlighted
In the current editor, add the slide, then use Layout to choose its layout; Title and body is highlighted here as an example. This recreation follows the live October 2026 menu. Some versions have a separate Layout button rather than an arrow beside New slide, and available layouts depend on the theme.

How to Add a Slide on Android, iPhone, or iPad

  1. Open the presentation in the Google Slides app.
  2. Tap New slide (the + button) at the bottom right.
  3. Tap the layout you want. The new slide appears after the one you were viewing.
Recreated Google Slides iPhone Add slide picker showing Title slide, Section header, Title and body and Title and two columns
Tap a layout to add a slide in the app. This enlarged iPhone Add slide detail follows a native app example and Google’s current instructions, with Title and body highlighted as an example. Additional layouts are outside the crop; the choices depend on the presentation theme and appearance can vary by version.

How to Duplicate a Slide

  1. In the filmstrip, click the slide you want to copy. To copy several, hold Shift and click them.
  2. Right-click and select Duplicate slide, or press Ctrl + D (Command + D on a Mac). The copy appears right after the original.

In the mobile app, touch and hold the slide at the bottom, tap Copy, then tap Paste.

Want something on the new slide to move in during your presentation? Here’s how to make a picture fly in on Google Slides.

How to Import Slides From Another Presentation

  1. Click File > Import slides.
  2. Choose a presentation from Google Drive or upload one, then click Select.
  3. Click the slides you want, or choose All.
  4. Leave Keep original theme checked to keep their look, or uncheck it to match your deck, then click Import slides.

This works with PowerPoint files too. To bring over a whole deck instead, convert PowerPoint to Google Slides.

How to Delete Slides

  1. In the filmstrip on the left, click the slide. Hold Shift and click to select more.
  2. Press Delete or Backspace.

On a phone or tablet, touch and hold the slide, then tap Delete (on Android, tap More first). Deleted a slide by mistake? Press Ctrl + Z (Command + Z on a Mac) right away.

Card showing how to reorder, select, skip and number slides in Google Slides
Illustration: organizing slides in the filmstrip.

How to Move a New Slide to the Right Spot

  • Drag: click a slide (or Shift-click several) in the filmstrip and drag it to a new spot. On mobile, touch and hold, then drag.
  • Up or down one place: press Ctrl + Up arrow or Ctrl + Down arrow (Command on a Mac).
  • To the beginning or end: press Ctrl + Shift + Up arrow or Ctrl + Shift + Down arrow (Command + Shift on a Mac).

These shortcuts move slides only when a slide is selected in the filmstrip. With an object on the slide selected, the same keys change the object’s layer order instead.

Other Slide Tools

  • Skip a slide: right-click it and choose Skip Slide. It stays in the file (people you share with can still see it) but doesn’t show when you present. Choose Skip Slide again to undo. In the app, tap More > Skip Slide.
  • Number slides: click Insert > Slide numbers, then Apply. Check Skip title slides first to leave the title slide unnumbered, or select slides and click Apply to selected.

If You Can’t Add a Slide

  • New slide is missing or grayed out. You probably have Viewer or Commenter access. Only an Editor can change the file, so ask the owner to share it with edit access.
  • Ctrl + M does nothing. Click a slide in the filmstrip and try again, or use the New slide button.
  • The slide landed in the wrong place. It goes after whichever slide was selected. Drag it, or use the move shortcuts above.
  • A slide disappeared. Press Ctrl + Z. If it’s too late for undo, click the Last edit icon at the top right to open version history, select an earlier version, and click Restore this version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does a new slide go?

Right after the slide selected in the filmstrip. Select a different slide first if you want it somewhere else, or move it afterward.

Can I add several slides at once?

There’s no button for that. Press Ctrl + M once for each slide you need, or select several slides and duplicate them together.

What’s the difference between New slide and Duplicate slide?

New slide copies only the layout, giving you empty placeholders. Duplicate slide copies the layout and everything on the slide.

Can I change the look of every slide at once?

Yes. Here’s how to change the theme in Google Slides.

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