To record a Google Slides presentation, open the deck in Chrome or Edge and use the Record option in the right-hand panel (or the older Rec button), then choose camera and screen, audio only, or screen only. Google saves the result as a video you can share with a link. If you don’t see a recording option on your account, record the slideshow with a screen recorder instead: it captures your slides, your voice, and a camera bubble in one take.
Google Slides has no single “record” switch that works the same for everyone. Google has shipped two recording experiences, availability depends on your account, and inserting audio into slides is a separate feature again. This guide covers all three routes and when each one fits.
Three ways to record Google Slides
| Method | Records your voice | Records your face | Where the video goes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Vids recording (Record in the right-hand panel) | Yes | Yes, camera and screen together | Google Vids, with a share link | A narrated deck you may want to edit by transcript |
| Slides recording (Rec, now under View > Slides Recording) | Yes | Yes | A My Drive folder called “Slides recordings” | Quick recordings attached to the deck |
| Insert > Audio | Plays a clip you recorded elsewhere | No | Inside the presentation | Narration that plays when a slide appears |
| A screen recorder such as Chairkick | Yes, mic plus tab audio | Yes, camera bubble | A share link with a transcript | Any account, any slides, plus your other recordings |
Want to record your slides and your face in one take? If Google’s built-in recording isn’t available on your account, a browser screen recorder can capture the deck, your voice, and a camera bubble together. Record in browser
Google’s options require a Chrome or Edge browser for recording. The screen-recorder route works anywhere your browser can share a tab.
Option 1: Record with Google Vids from Slides
In August 2026 Google added a recording flow to Slides that is powered by Google Vids. Google’s announcement says it is rolling out to Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google accounts, while its help page still notes that the feature “may only be available on certain work or school accounts.” If you see the option, it is the most capable built-in route.
- Open your presentation in Google Slides in Chrome or Edge.
- In the right-hand panel, click the Record icon, then Record video.
- Pick a mode: Camera & Screen (your camera as picture-in-picture over the slides), Audio (your voice only), or Screen (slides only).
- Optionally apply visual effects, and choose your camera and microphone if you use external devices.
- Click Next, confirm the presentation you want to record, and start.
- Present your slides and talk through them. When you finish, the recording opens in Google Vids, where you can click Edit to trim with the transcript, then use Share to copy a link.
Because the video lives in Google Vids, viewers need access through Google Drive sharing, just like any other Google file.
Option 2: Use the original Slides recording (Rec)
Google’s earlier Slides recording feature launched for Workspace accounts in late 2023. It still exists alongside the Vids flow, but Google says it is moving to View > Slides Recording. On accounts that still show it, the button reads Rec in the top right.
- Click Rec, then Record new video.
- Choose your camera and microphone in the recording studio’s settings, and turn on Turn on camera blur if you want a blurred background.
- Click the red record button in the middle, then present your slides.
- Use Re-record to start over, or Save to Drive to finish.
Know the limits before you start:
- 30 minutes per recording. Split longer talks into parts.
- Edit access required. You can’t record a deck you can only view.
- Drive storage. Recordings count against your quota; if it’s full, you can’t record.
- Location. Videos save to a My Drive folder called Slides recordings, and collaborators on the deck can see them in the recordings list.
To remove one, open Rec, then More > Remove. Only the creator can also move the file to the Drive trash.
Option 3: Add recorded audio to individual slides
If you want narration that plays slide by slide, rather than one video, you can attach audio files to slides. Google Slides doesn’t record audio itself here; you record a clip first and then insert it.
- Record your narration with a voice recorder app and save it as .mp3 or .wav.
- Upload the file to Google Drive.
- In Slides, select the slide, then click Insert > Audio and choose the file.
- With the audio icon selected, open the format options to choose whether it starts on click or automatically.
This keeps the presentation editable and the narration short per slide, but your audience has to open the deck and play each clip. It doesn’t produce a video you can send to someone in one link, and it can’t show your face.
Option 4: Record Google Slides with a screen recorder
A screen recorder captures exactly what an audience would see: your slides in presentation mode, your voice, and a small camera bubble of you. It works on any Google account, including ones where the built-in options are missing, and on decks you can only view.
With Chairkick it works in the browser, with nothing to install:
- Open your deck and click Slideshow so it fills the tab.
- Open the Chairkick recorder in another tab, turn on your microphone and camera, and pick a corner for the camera bubble.
- Choose the Google Slides tab when the browser asks what to share. Sharing a tab also captures sound from that tab, such as a video embedded in a slide, mixed with your microphone.
- Present. When you stop, Chairkick gives you an unlisted share link with a transcript. Viewers don’t need an account.
The same approach works on a Chromebook, Mac, or Windows PC. If audio is missing from a recording, our guide to whether screen recording captures audio walks through every platform.
Which option should you use?
- You see Record in the right panel and want an editable video: use Google Vids. Transcript-based trimming is the strongest built-in editing.
- You only see Rec and the talk is under 30 minutes: the original Slides recording is quick and keeps videos next to the deck.
- You want narration inside the deck itself: insert audio per slide.
- Your account has no recording option, the deck isn’t yours to edit, or you want one link that works for anyone: use a screen recorder.
Tips for a better recorded presentation
- Write talking points in speaker notes. Keep the notes on a second screen or window you don’t share.
- Present one idea per slide. Recorded talks feel slower than live ones; cut slides you’d normally skip past.
- Check your microphone first. A quick test with a microphone test saves a re-record.
- Use a light source in front of you. A window or lamp behind the screen makes the camera bubble readable.
- Keep it short. Split anything over ten minutes into chapters, the way you would a tutorial video.
Sharing your Google Slides recording
Google’s built-in recordings share like Drive files: anyone you share them with needs the right Drive permissions, which can trip up people outside your organization. A downloaded video file can be attached to an email only if it’s small; most providers cap attachments around 20–25 MB, so a link is usually better. Our guide to sending a video through email covers the options.
If you also present from PowerPoint, see how to record a PowerPoint presentation. The built-in options there work differently.
FAQ
Can you record audio on Google Slides?
Yes, in two ways. The Record option (Google Vids) and the older Rec feature both record your voice while you present. Separately, Insert > Audio adds an .mp3 or .wav file you recorded elsewhere to a slide.
How do you record yourself presenting a Google Slides presentation?
Choose Camera & Screen in the Google Vids recording flow, or turn on your camera in the Rec studio. A screen recorder with a camera bubble does the same on any account.
Why don’t I see the Rec or Record button in Google Slides?
Google limits recording to Chrome and Edge, needs edit access to the deck, and says the feature may only be available on certain work or school accounts. Google also moved the original recording to View > Slides Recording. If neither appears, use a screen recorder.
How long can a Google Slides recording be?
The original Slides recording is limited to 30 minutes per video. Chairkick recordings can run up to two hours on Pro.
Where are Google Slides recordings saved?
Original Slides recordings save to a My Drive folder called Slides recordings. Recordings made through the Google Vids flow are saved in Google Vids.
Can you do a voice-over on Google Slides?
Yes. Record a voice-only video with the Audio mode in the Google Vids flow, or record per-slide clips and add them with Insert > Audio.
Can I record Google Slides on a Chromebook?
Yes. The built-in options work in Chrome on a Chromebook, as does a browser-based recorder. ChromeOS also has its own screen capture tool; see how to screen record on a Chromebook.
Sources
Checked October 2026: Google Docs Editors Help, “Use slides recording in Google Slides” and “Record a presentation with Google Vids”; Google Workspace Updates, “Record presentations in Google Slides with Google Vids” (August 20, 2026); Google Docs Editors Help on inserting audio (.mp3 and .wav from Drive).