How to Change the Theme (and Background) in Google Slides

To change the theme in Google Slides, click Slide > Change theme and pick a theme in the panel on the right. To change the background, click Slide > Change background, choose a color or image, then click Done for one slide or Add to theme for every slide. You can also import a theme from another Slides or PowerPoint file.

These steps are for Google Slides on a computer and come from Google’s guide to templates, themes, backgrounds, and layouts. Google defines a theme as a preset group of colors, fonts, background, and layouts, while the background is just the picture or color behind a slide’s content. Phone steps come from the Android version of the same guide.

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How to Change the Theme in Google Slides

Open the presentation in Google Slides.
At the top, click Slide > Change theme.
On the right, click the theme you want.

Result: the new theme’s colors, fonts, background, and layouts apply to the presentation.

Steps to change the theme in Google Slides — Illustration: the steps to change the theme in Google Slides.

How to Import a Theme From Another File

Google lets you import a theme from another Google Slides or PowerPoint presentation.

Click Slide > Change theme.
At the bottom right, click Import theme.
Double-click the presentation you want to use.
Click the theme you want, then click Import theme.

Result: your presentation picks up the imported theme. If you’re moving a whole deck from PowerPoint, see how to convert PowerPoint to Google Slides.

How to Change the Background Color

Choose the slide you want to change.
At the top, click Slide > Change background.
To the right of Color, click the box and select a color. For your own shade, click Add under Custom, then pick a hex code or adjust the color, hue, and transparency and click OK.
Click Done to change only this slide, or Add to theme to change the whole presentation.

Result: the slide, or every slide, uses the new color. This same window also offers gradient backgrounds.

How to Add a Background Picture

Google says background images must be a .gif, .jpg, or .png file and less than 50 MB.

Choose a slide, then click Slide > Change background.
To the right of Image, click Choose.
Pick an image from your computer or Google Drive, then click Select.
Click Done for one slide, or Add to theme for the whole presentation.

Result: the picture sits behind your slide’s content. Google also notes you can drag an image near the edge of the slide canvas to replace a background image.

Steps to change the background in Google Slides — Illustration: the steps to change the background in Google Slides.

Change Theme Colors and Layouts

Theme colors: click Slide > Edit theme > Colors, choose a color under Theme colors, and pick a preset or enter a hex value.
Master background: Try selecting the first (master) slide in the theme editor and clicking Background to change every slide that uses the theme.
Layout: select a slide, click Layout in the toolbar, and choose a new arrangement for its text and images. See how to add a slide and change its layout.

On a Phone or Tablet

In the Google Slides app on Android, double-tap a slide, tap More > Change theme, and tap the theme you want. Google’s Android guide says you need a computer to change the background image.

Troubleshooting

One slide didn’t change

If you clicked Done instead of Add to theme, the background only applies to the slide you had selected. Open Change background again and click Add to theme.

Your image won’t upload

Check that it’s a .gif, .jpg, or .png and smaller than 50 MB, which are Google’s limits for background images.

Text is hard to read on the new background

Try adjusting the theme’s text colors under Edit theme > Colors so your fonts contrast with the background.

FAQs

Can I use a different theme on just one slide?

A theme applies across the presentation. To make one slide look different, change only that slide’s background and click Done instead of Add to theme.

What’s the difference between a theme and a template?

Google describes a template as a pre-designed set of slides that combines themes, layouts, backgrounds, fonts, color schemes, and sample content. Google notes its built-in Slides templates are only available in the English (US) locale.

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Matthew Burleigh

Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.

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