Google Slides: How to Add a Timer, Stopwatch & Live Clock

Want to master your timing in Google Slides? This quick guide will show you how to easily add a countdown timer, a stopwatch, and a real-time clock with just a few clicks.

Clocks give your audience a visual cue to know how much time is left or when a break is coming up. Seeing the remaining time also helps you stay on track, which is crucial when you manage tight schedules or several daily meetings.

So, keep reading to learn how to add a clock to Google Slides to improve your next presentation!

Here are the topics we'll cover:

Ways to Add a Clock to Google Slides

You might have noticed that there’s no built-in feature in Google Slides for adding a clock. However, I’ve found different hacks to display the time depending on the time of clock you want to add. In this article, we will explore the following options:

How to add a timer to Google Slides

There are two ways to insert a timer into Google Slides. The first is as simple as inserting a YouTube video of a timer, while the second involves using a Chrome extension.

Method 1: Embedding a Clock Video

Clock timers are a thing on YouTube, and you can insert them into your slides by following these steps:

Go to Insert > Video and look for a timer on the YouTube search bar. For example, a 5-minute timer or 30-second countdown, depending on the set time you need.

How to insert a timer into Google Slides

Select your favorite video and click Insert to add it.
Resize the video element to make it fit into the slide.

Adding a 5-minute timer in Google Slides

Select your video and use the Format options box to set it up. You can choose how it plays—on click, automatically, or manually. In this section, you can also mute the audio if needed.

Finally, when you reach the slide with the video timer, press Play as you would with any other YouTube video.

Embeding a clock timer into Google Slides

And there you go! Your first Google Slides clock - Simple and fast.

Method 2: Adding a Digital Clock Using “Slides Timer”

As I mentioned, Google Slides doesn’t allow us to add a clock from its menu, but you can use the Chrome extension “Slides Timer.”

First, go to “Slides Timer” in the Chrome web Store or type it on the search bar.
Click “Add to Chrome” to add the extension to your browser.
After installing the add-on, restart your browser.

Adding a digital clock using Slides Timer

Open your Google Slides and create a text box.
Now, you’re ready to insert a timer in Google Slides using the following command:

Type <<preferred time->> in your text box to set your countdown. Next, click on “Slideshow” to visualize the final result.

For example, <<15:00->> will count down 15 minutes, as you see below.

Adding a countdown timer using Slides Timer

And that’s it! From here, you can use the text box options to customize your Google Slides timer.

How to add a stopwatch to Google Slides

For this option and the next, we will use the same Chrome extension we used earlier: Slides Timer. The only difference is that we will only modify the command.

If you don’t have the "Slides Timer" extension, follow these steps to install it:

First, go to “Slides Timer” on the Chrome web store.
Then, click “Add to Chrome” to install the extension.
After installing the add-on, restart your browser.

How to add a stopwatch to Google Slides — Using Slides Timer to insert a Stopwatch into Google Slides

Now, let's add the stopwatch:

Open your Google Slides and create a text box.
Insert your stopwatch into Google Slides and use the following command:

For a count-up timer, type in <<preferred time+>>. If you want a stopwatch that starts at zero, use <<0:00+>>.

Once you activate the Slideshow mode, it will look like this:

Finally, use the text box options to customize your Google Slides stopwatch.

Note: The stopwatch won’t stop automatically. However, you can use a countdown timer or add a video stopwatch. To add a video stopwatch, follow the steps from Method 1, but search for a stopwatch or count-up timer video.

How to add a real-time clock for Google Slides

Once again, we’ll use “Slides Timer” to add a live clock to Google Slides. If you haven’t installed it yet, follow these steps:

Visit “Slides Timer” in the Chrome Web Store.
Click “Add to Chrome” to install it.
Restart your browser after installation.

Now, it’s time to add the real-time clock to Google Slides:

First, open your Google Slides and create a text box.
Then, insert your live clock into Google Slides using the following command:

If you want to display the current time in your slides, type in <<time>>. You can use variations like <<time^>> to display the current time without seconds or <<time&>> to get rid of the am/pm at the end.

How to add a real-time clock for Google Slides

It's that easy! Like the other options, you can customize your clock using the text box features.

In this tutorial, I used the PowerPoint Backgrounds Template from Templates by 24Slides. Our professional template library with hundreds of presentation resources you can download for free!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you insert a clock into Google Slides?

Yes! You can add a clock to Google Slides using the Slides Timer extension. Here’s how:

Install the “Slides Timer” add-on for Chrome and restart your browser.
Then, insert a text box on your slide and type in <<time>> to display the current time. Use <<time^>> to hide seconds or <<time&>> to remove am/pm.
Finally, play your slideshow to see the result.

How do you add a timer between slides in Google Slides?

You can use the auto-play option to set a timer between slides from one second to one minute. Here’s how:

Click “Slideshow” at the top to start your presentation.
Open the three-dot menu at the bottom left and select AutoPlay.
Finally, choose a time between slides and click Play.

How to add a timer between slides in Google Slides

How do you add a 15-minute timer to Google Slides?

You have two options to insert a timer in Google Slides:

1: Using the Slides Timer Chrome Extension

Install the “Slides Timer” add-on and restart your browser.
Insert a text box and type <<15:00>> for a 15-minute countdown timer or <<15:00+>> to count up.
Finally, format the text box and start your slideshow to see the result.

2: Embedding a YouTube Video.

Go to Insert > Video and search for a "15-minute timer" video on YouTube.
Select your favorite video timer and click Insert.
Resize the video to make it fit, and use the Format options to customize it.

If you don’t see the Format options, right-click the video to access it.

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