Google Slides is an amazing tool to create presentations. But sometimes don’t you wish you could keep an eye on the clock during your presentations? A timer comes pretty handy if you have timed activities, quizzes, or just want to make sure your presentations finish on time. The problem is, there’s no built-in timer in Google Slides. However, the following are quite simple workarounds to get one. This will walk you through the easiest ways of adding a timer to your slides!
Why You Might Need a Timer
Timers are definitely perfect for keeping track of your schedule. If you’re presenting in front of a class, facilitating a workshop, or presenting some business ideas, there is always this tendency to keep within the time allowed for you. Here are situations when you’d want to apply a timer:
- Track how long you spend on quizzes
- Pacing the group activities
- Keeping yourself on track
- Adding excitement through countdowns!
Method 1: Using a YouTube Video Timer
You can include a countdown timer in your Google Slides with little effort by adding a video from YouTube. You’ll easily find heaps of countdown timers on YouTube that you can insert directly into your slides.
Add a YouTube Timer
- YouTube Timer: Search for a “5-minute countdown timer” (or any other duration you might need).
- Embed into Your Slide:
- Click on “Insert” at the top of Google Slides.
- Select “Video” then “Search YouTube.”
- Paste the timer video link or search directly in the box.
- Resize and Place: Resize the video of the timer and place it wherever you’d like on the slide.
- Autoplay: Open the video, open “Format options,” and then click “Play automatically when presenting.”
This is a fairly low-tech solution, so any user can quickly access a basic timer or countdown in Google Slides. You can also find an exact times-length timer or one with style variations.
Method 2: Using an Add-on
There are literally a bunch of add-ons you could use to add a timer to your Google Slides. One of the most popularly used ones is SlidesTimer. It’s quite a neat tool to work with, and some of its most impressive features include custom countdown timers as well as displaying the remainder on your slide.
To access SlidesTimer, go to the “Extensions” > “Add-ons” menu in Google Slides and select “Get add-ons.” Search for SlidesTimer and install it. Then open your presentation and open up the menu Add-ons > SlidesTimer > Start Timer.
Method 3: Using a Third-Party Website
Add a free countdown timer to your Google Slides with an added third-party web-based website. One popular website is called Online Stopwatch. This website has a simple interface and is easy to use.
To reach Online Stopwatch: Simply go to the website and click the Start button. Then copy the embed code and paste it in your presentation notes. This will automatically place a timer in your presentation, which refreshes each second.
Pro Tips
- You can change the fonts and colors of the text to ensure that your timer gets the appearance you require.
- You can make your countdown timer very attractive by adding a background image.
- If you are using a countdown timer, you can set the timer to automatically stop at zero.
- You can use a timer to hold a quiz or vote for your audience.
Conclusion
Adding a timer to your Google Slides presentations is very helpful for measuring the time it takes so that you will not run overtime. It can also help you keep on track and not miss some important points in your presentation. You can add a timer in a variety of ways.
I hope that you have been able to find this blog post helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below.
