How To Insert a Timer into Google Slides

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Adding a timer to your Google slides presentations can be incredibly useful to help you pace your talks and manage time effectively. Whether you want a simple countdown timer or an elaborate digital clock display, there are a few easy methods to insert timers directly into your slides.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process to insert timers using YouTube videos, Chrome extensions, and text formatting tricks. By the end, you’ll have all the knowledge needed to spice up your next presentation with slick embedded timers.

Step 1: Decide What Type of Timer You Need

First things first – determine what kind of timer functionality would work best for your presentation needs:

  • Countdown timer: Counts down from a set time, great for pacing sections and talks.
  • Stopwatch: Starts at 0:00 and counts up indefinitely, perfect for timing activities.
  • Digital clock: Displays the current time, ideal for keeping track of time during the day.

Think about when and how you want to use the timer. This will guide which method you choose to implement.

Step 2: Add a Countdown Timer with YouTube

Adding a countdown timer by embedding a YouTube video is quick and easy. Here’s how:

  1. Open your Google Slides presentation and select the slide you want to add the timer to.
  2. Click “Insert > Video” in the top menu.
  3. Search for “5 minute countdown timer” or any duration you need.
  4. Choose a timer video you like and click the “Select” button.
  5. Resize and position the embedded video how you like – you’re done!

YouTube timers are great when you want a bold, front-and-center countdown for everyone to see.

Step 3: Use the “Slides Timer” Chrome Extension

For more customization and control, install the Slides Timer Chrome extension. This lets you insert timers with just a few keystrokes.

To add a timer:

  1. Install Slides Timer and open your Google Slides presentation.
  2. Add a text box to the slide where you want the timer.
  3. Type your timer format, like <<5:00>> for a 5 minute countdown.
  4. The extension will automatically render the live timer during presentations!

With Slides Timer you can also add stopwatches, digital clocks, date displays, and more. It’s customizable and less visually distracting than a YouTube video.

Step 4: Format Timer Text Directly

If you can’t install browser extensions, there’s still a way to add basic timers:

  1. Add a text box to your slide.
  2. Type your timer manually, such as 5:00.
  3. Update the text manually as time elapses to count down.

While this manual process isn’t as slick as other methods, it’s good in a pinch if you just need a basic countdown display.

Step 5: Practice and Customize Your Timers

Once you’ve inserted timers into your presentation, the fun begins! Here are a few tips:

  • Practice with timers to get comfortable with the pacing and flow.
  • Tweak timer formats like durations and display styles.
  • Use multiple timers per slide if needed.
  • Set animations to emphasize important countdowns.

Take some time to rehearse with timers and customize configurations until you have them working perfectly!

Summary

And with that, you have all the techniques needed to insert countdown, stopwatch, or digital clock timers into Google Slides.

The best options are using YouTube video embeds or the Slides Timer browser extension for the most flexibility. But even just manually adding text-based timers can work when needed.

So try out some timers for your next presentation – they can truly help refine the pacing and flow to keep audiences engaged. Just practice beforehand so the timers enhance your talks instead of becoming a distraction.

With the ability to embed slick timers directly into slides, your presentations will be better organized and professional than ever!

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