How-To

How to Lock Objects in Google Slides

By Ben Stockton

Published March 23, 2023

Stop objects being moved or deleted in Google Slides by locking them in place. This guide explains how.

Have you ever wanted to lock an image or object in Google Slides so that it doesn’t move or get deleted by mistake? Thankfully, you can, as Google Slides allows you to restrict the movement of objects (such as shapes and images) on your slides.

Locking objects allows you to create a consistent background, add a logo, or insert some text that you don’t want to see changed. We’ll show you how to lock objects in Google Slides below.

How to Lock Objects by Grouping Them

If you want to lock images or shapes together, so they don’t move away, you could group them. Grouping will link the position of these objects, moving them as if they were one item.

This allows you to keep the distance between objects right, locking them in place. However, you can still move the items collectively.

To group items in Google Slides together:

1. Open your Google Slides presentation.
2. Select a slide containing the items you want to group.
3. Holding the Shift key, select the items you want to group.
4. Right-click the items and select Group.
   
5. To ungroup the items, right-click the items and select Ungroup.
   

How to Lock an Image by Using it as a Background

One of the easiest ways to lock an image in Google Slides is to set it as a background. This will allow you to add the image that will stay behind all your other elements on every slide.

To set an image as a background in Google Slides:

1. Open your Google Slides presentation.
2. Go to Slide > Change background.
   
3. ClickChoose image to upload an image from your computer, Google Drive, or the web. You can also use one of the stock images provided by Google.
   
4. Once you’ve selected your image, click Insert.
   
5. To save the image as a background, click Done.
   

Your background image or color will now be locked and cannot be moved or deleted by anyone. If you don’t have an image to use as your background, you could alternatively use a solid color for your background or use a preset theme (with backgrounds) provided by Google instead.

How to Lock an Object Using the Master Slide

Another way to lock objects in Google Slides is to use the master slide. This is a special slide that controls the layout and design of all your other slides. Add any text, images, shapes, or objects to lock on the master slide.

Once they appear in your master slide, they’ll appear on every slide in your presentation, remaining locked in position.

To lock objects in Google Slides using the master slide:

1. Open your Google Slides presentation.
2. Go to Slide > Edit theme.
   
3. Right-click on any layout and select Duplicate layout. This will create a copy of the layout that you can customize.
   
4. Paste any objects that you want to lock on the duplicated layout. You can also resize, rotate, crop, format, or rearrange them.
5. When you’re finished editing your layout, click the X (exit) button.
   

Your objects will now be locked. The objects can’t be moved or deleted without making further changes to the master slide.

Creating Engaging Google Slides Presentations

Using the steps above, you can lock objects in Google Slides—just one way to create more professional, consistent presentations. However, there are other steps you can take to help you improve your presentations.

For instance, if you’re working as part of a group to create a presentation, you can leave comments in Google Slides to help provide feedback. You may want to consider hiding slides in Google Slides during your presentation, especially if they’re incomplete or need more work.

Don’t have an internet connection? You could always turn your Google Slides presentation into a video and present it offline.