It’s always super awkward when you’re about to give a presentation but have to scramble with wires and connectors to figure out how to get your slideshow up on the big screen. Fortunately, Google is about to save you some embarrassment.
The Web giant just updated its Slides app for iOS and Android with support for Chromecast and AirPlay streaming.
“Now it’s even easier to share your presentations on big screens — whether you’re in a school board meeting, in charge of the slideshow at your best friend’s wedding or pitching your dream business idea,” Google Product Manager Ajay Surie, wrote in a blog post Thursday. “With just your phone or tablet and the Slides app, you can present easily to any screen with Chromecast or AirPlay. So you can say goodbye to wires and set-up stress.”
To beam your slideshow with Chromecast, just connect your phone to the same Wi-Fi network as the Chromecast, open your presentation, and touch the Cast icon (which looks like a little TV with a Wi-Fi symbol in the corner). To use AirPlay, open your presentation and if there’s an Apple TV or another AirPlay receiver in range, just swipe up from the bottom of your screen to connect to it. Then, switch the setting next to “Mirroring” from Off to On.
Once you have successfully beamed your presentation to the big screen, you can use your smaller device to advance slides, view speaker notes, and stay on track with a built-in timer. Once you’re done presenting, just touch the X on the toolbar.
“This way you can focus more on telling your story and engaging your audience…instead of on logistics,” Surie wrote.
Head over to the App Store or Google Play to download the updated Slides app now.