Google Slides Unveils New Sidebar with Creative Tools, Building Blocks, and Enhanced Features

Google Slides Introduces New Right Sidebar with Enhanced Creative Tools

Google is enhancing its web-based presentation tool, Google Slides, by introducing a new right sidebar that offers quick access to various creative tools. This sidebar is organized into three main sections:

• Image Generation: Utilizes Imagen 3 for creating custom images.
• Templates: Provides a wide range of pre-designed templates introduced in November.
• Building Blocks: Offers a library of pre-formatted content pieces, such as agendas, lists, key statistics, quotes, headlines, people, and cards. These elements can be customized once inserted.
• Stock Images: Grants access to millions of high-quality stock images, web images, stickers, and GIFs.
• Folder Icon: Allows users to upload their own images directly.

Additional features include:

• Slides Recordings: Enables users to record their presentations and share them asynchronously.
• Speaker Spotlight: Allows presenters to insert their video feed into the Slides content.

The sidebar will roll out gradually, with all users gaining access to Templates and Building Blocks. Image generation is available for those using Gemini, while Speaker Spotlight and Slides recordings are reserved for Workspace Business and Enterprise tiers.