The fastest way to remove a slide

Open your presentation in Google Slides. On the left side, you'll see thumbnails of all your slides arranged vertically. Right-click on the slide you want to remove. A menu will appear with several options — click "Delete slide". The slide disappears when ready.

If you're using a trackpad or touch device without a right-click option, click once on the slide thumbnail to select it, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. This works the same way.

You can delete multiple slides at once by holding Ctrl (on Windows) or Command (on Mac) while clicking each slide you want to remove, then pressing Delete. All selected slides will vanish together.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click a slide thumbnail on the left panel and select "Delete slide" to remove it in one action.
  • You can delete multiple slides by selecting them with Ctrl or Command, then pressing Delete.
  • Deleted slides go to your trash folder for 30 days before permanent removal, so you can recover them if you change your mind.
  • Deleting a slide does not affect the content of other slides — only the slide itself is removed.

Recovering a slide you deleted by mistake

Google Slides keeps deleted slides in your trash for 30 days. Click the trash icon in the left sidebar (it looks like a small bin). You'll see all recently deleted slides from this presentation. Click on the slide you want back, then click "Restore" at the top of the screen.

After 30 days, deleted slides are permanently removed and cannot be recovered. If you think you might need a slide later, move it to a different presentation instead of deleting it — that way it stays in your Google Drive and you can copy it back whenever you need it.

What happens when you delete a slide in a shared presentation

If you're working on a presentation with other people, deleting a slide removes it for everyone who has access. The deletion shows up in the version history, so collaborators can see what was removed and when. If someone else deletes a slide and you disagree, you can recover it from the trash — but only if you have editor access to the presentation.

Before deleting a slide in a shared presentation, consider whether other people might need that content. If you're unsure, move the slide to a separate "Archive" presentation instead, or ask the group first.

Deleting slides versus hiding them

Google Slides does not have a "hide slide" feature the way some presentation tools do. If you want to keep a slide but not show it during a presentation, your options are to move it to a different presentation, duplicate the file and delete it from the copy you'll present, or straightforward skip over it when you're speaking.

If you're building a presentation and want to keep draft slides separate from final ones, create a second presentation called "Archive" or "Drafts" and move experimental slides there. This keeps your main presentation clean while preserving work you might use later.

Deleting slides on mobile devices

On the Google Slides app for iPhone or Android, tap the slide thumbnail you want to delete. A menu will appear at the bottom of the screen — tap the trash icon. The slide is removed when ready.

To delete multiple slides on mobile, tap and hold the first slide, then tap each additional slide you want to remove. Once you've selected all of them, tap the trash icon. The process is the same as on a computer, just adapted for touch.

Why you might want to keep slides instead of deleting them

Deleting a slide is permanent after 30 days, so think twice before removing content you spent time creating. If a slide contains information you might reference later — even if it's not in the current presentation — move it to an archive file instead. This takes the same amount of time as deleting but preserves your work.

If you're cleaning up a presentation before sharing it, consider whether any slides contain sensitive information that should be removed entirely versus slides that are straightforward out of date. Outdated slides can live in a separate file; slides with private details should be deleted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a slide deletion if I already closed the presentation?

Yes. Open the presentation again and click the trash icon in the left sidebar. Any slides deleted within the last 30 days will be there. Click the slide and select "Restore" to bring it back.

What if I delete a slide by accident during a live presentation?

The deletion happens in the file itself, not just on your screen. If you're presenting and accidentally delete a slide, stop presenting, restore it from trash, and resume. Your audience will see the pause but the slide will be back.

Does deleting a slide delete the notes I wrote on it?

Yes. Speaker notes attached to a slide are deleted along with the slide. If you need to keep those notes, copy them to a document before deleting the slide, or move the slide to an archive presentation instead.

Can I delete all slides at once?

You can select all slides using Ctrl+A (or Command+A on Mac) and press Delete, but Google Slides will not let you delete every slide in a presentation — you must keep at least one. If you want a blank presentation, delete all but one slide, then clear the content from the remaining slide.