Experiencing words overlapping in Google Slides presentations can be frustrating. Fortunately, there are several methods you can try to resolve this issue.
Use Google Slides in Incognito Mode
Using Google Slides in incognito mode is one of the top recommendations from Google experts. Incognito mode allows you to browse without saving browsing history, cookies, or website data.
To enable incognito mode:
- Click the 3-dot menu in Chrome
- Select “New incognito window”
- Sign into your Google account
- Open Google Slides
Incognito mode eliminates potential conflicts with browser extensions that could cause formatting issues like overlapping text.
Restart Google Slides
Simply closing and reopening Google Slides can fix overlapping text issues:
- Click the “X” to completely close Google Slides
- Wait a few minutes
- Relaunch Google Slides
Restarting flushes out any corrupted resources that could be causing text rendering problems.
Adjust Text Formatting
Overlapping text can also occur from incompatible text formatting. Try tweaking the text properties:
- Select overlapping text boxes
- Adjust font size, line height, alignment, etc.
- Resize text boxes if needed
Editing the text box properties may realign the text correctly.
Use Another Browser
Switching browsers is an easy fix you can try out:
- Open Google Slides in Firefox, Edge, Safari etc. instead of Chrome
- See if the overlapping text persists
Google Slides relies on the browser for rendering, so another browser could display text properly.
Disable Extensions and Adblockers
Extensions and ad blockers can interfere with Google Slides functionality.
To disable:
- Click the 3-dot Chrome menu > More tools > Extensions
- Toggle off any extensions
- Also disable any ad blocker extensions
- Refresh Google Slides
With extensions disabled, check if overlapping text is fixed. Re-enable extensions one by one to identify any conflicts.
Reset Browser Cache and Data
Clearing the browser data forces a fresh render of Google Slides:
- Click 3-dot Chrome menu > Settings
- Go to Privacy and security > Clear browsing data
- Select “Cached images and files”
- Click “Clear data”
After clearing cached data, restart the browser and reopen Google Slides.
Contact Google Support
If all else fails, reach out to Google experts for troubleshooting help:
- Go to Google Slides > Help > Contact support
- Explain the overlapping text issue in detail
- Include screenshots and steps to reproduce if possible
Google Support can investigate further based on your Google Slides version, browser details, and specifics of the problem.
Prevent Overlapping Text in Google Slides
Here are some tips to avoid overlapping text issues when creating Google Slides:
Use slide templates – Stick to standard Google Slides templates to minimize compatibility issues.
Simplify formatting – Use minimal text formatting. Complex styling can cause rendering problems.
Check on multiple devices – Preview slides on desktop, mobile etc. to catch issues early.
Use shapes and text boxes properly – Improper use of text boxes can result in overlapping text.
Following these best practices will help you avoid headaches from overlapping text in Google Slides!
