Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Google Slides vs Google

Google Slides 4.7★ · Free + IAP 60
Winner Tie
Google 4.6★ · Free to download 65

Choose Google Slides if you need a free, collaborative presentation tool for basic tasks on a computer, but pick the Google app for general search and information retrieval, despite recent issues with its AI integration.

Full reviews: Google Slides · Google

Google Slides is a free presentation app praised for its ease of use and collaborative features on desktop, but it faces significant criticism for its limited functionality and performance issues on mobile devices, especially iPads. The Google app, while a popular search engine, is currently experiencing user frustration due to buggy AI integration, privacy concerns, and degraded search results.

Head to head

Features and Functionality tieR1R4R10R11
Google Slides Google Slides is appreciated for its core presentation capabilities and being a free alternative to paid software. However, users frequently complain about the mobile app, particularly on iPad, lacking essential features like transitions, animations, background options, and the ability to insert videos, which are available on the web version. Some find it difficult to manage and edit on mobile, and it struggles with opening larger PowerPoint files.
Google The Google app is valued for its ability to predict searches, provide quick answers, and offer accessibility features like read-aloud. However, recent updates have introduced issues, with users reporting the removal of useful features like translate and read-aloud in favor of a buggy AI mode. There are also complaints about degraded search results, difficulty with tab management, and the inability to create new Google accounts.
Ease of Use tieR1R9R10R11
Google Slides On desktop, Google Slides is generally considered easy to use. However, the mobile app, especially on iPad, is frequently described as difficult, frustrating, and even unusable for editing. Users struggle with UI compatibility, selecting text boxes, moving between slides, and accessing features, often preferring the web version or other apps like Canva.
Google Many users find the Google app friendly and easy to use for general searching. However, recent changes, particularly the AI integration, have made the app less intuitive for some, with complaints about tab management being broken and difficulty finding previously accessible features. There are also recurring issues with signing in and managing multiple email locations.
Reliability and Performance tieR3R6R17R19
Google Slides Google Slides users report frequent issues with the app being glitchy, slow, freezing, and unresponsive, particularly on mobile devices. Some experience problems with images disappearing after closing and reopening, and the app getting stuck during loading or editing.
Google The Google app is generally seen as fast and reliable by some, but many users report significant performance issues. Complaints include slow loading times for searches, the app crashing iPhones, and the AI mode making the app unresponsive or buggy. Some users also experience issues with the app disappearing or not downloading.
Price and Value edge: Google SlidesR11R63R72R85
Google Slides Google Slides is highly valued for being free, with users appreciating not having to pay for expensive plans. This makes it a popular choice for school and personal projects.
Google The Google app is free to download and use, offering a wide range of search and information services. However, users express concerns about privacy, data tracking, and the prevalence of ads, which detract from its perceived value despite being free.
Support tieR15R39R64R82
Google Slides Reviews do not directly discuss customer support for Google Slides. However, some users express frustration when help guides refer to non-existent features or when they cannot find solutions to their problems within the app.
Google Reviews do not directly discuss customer support for the Google app. However, users report difficulty with account creation and accessing help features, suggesting a lack of clear guidance or effective support channels for their issues.
Pick Google Slides if

You need a free, collaborative presentation tool primarily for use on a computer, or for basic viewing and minor edits on mobile R11. You are looking for an alternative to paid presentation software R11.

Pick Google if

You need a general search engine for quick information retrieval and have been a long-time user of Google's ecosystem . You are comfortable with the trade-offs regarding data privacy and recent AI integration issues R63R72.

Evidence note: Reviews for Google Slides are heavily skewed towards mobile app performance, particularly on iPad, often comparing it unfavorably to the desktop/web version. Reviews for the Google app are currently dominated by negative feedback regarding recent AI integration and privacy concerns, which may not reflect its long-term utility for many users.

Frequently asked

Is Google Slides good for iPad?
Google Slides on iPad is generally not recommended for extensive editing or creating presentations, as many users report it is glitchy, slow, lacks key features like transitions and image search, and is difficult to use compared to the web version or other apps R1R4R9R10.
What are the main problems with the Google app?
The main problems with the Google app currently include buggy and intrusive AI integration that breaks tab management and replaces useful features, privacy concerns regarding data tracking and ads, and degraded search results that are less relevant or push unwanted content R61R63R70R72.
Is Google Slides free?
Yes, Google Slides is free to use, and users appreciate not having to pay for expensive plans, making it a popular choice for school and personal projects R11.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] Google Slides 1/5 · US Trash on iPad: I can’t use google images or stock images I thought google slides on my work iPad would be useful but no it’s not
  2. [R4] Google Slides 1/5 · US iPad issues: Can’t figure out how to access a .PPTX file
  3. [R10] Google Slides 2/5 · US Bad for editing, good for presenting: Their web based functionality is perfect, I’m not sure what got lost in translation to the app but it was miserable trying to create a presentation. I wasn’t even getting fancy, just updating text.
  4. [R11] Google Slides 5/5 · US Best presentation program: Love to use all Google apps they are free and easy to use. Don’t have to pay expensive plans
  5. [R9] Google Slides 3/5 · US Eehhhh: You can’t use on iPad
  6. [R3] Google Slides 3/5 · US Idk read: It's ok sometimes it’s really glitchy
  7. [R6] Google Slides 3/5 · US Slow: It would freeze a lot and highlighting gets annoying, except that it’s GREAT!
  8. [R17] Google Slides 4/5 · US Needs a fix: In the past Google Slides has performed flawlessly. Recently while trying to set up a slide presentation on my phone or on an external device, the app continues “loading “ and never displays.
  9. [R19] Google Slides 2/5 · US Slow annoying not cooperative: I will always use canva this is the most annoying app if you just use it on safari way easier but its just so frustrating I cant get my work done either stick with safari or canva dont get the app.
  10. [R63] Google 3/5 · US It’s Just Okay!: I prefer a different search engine that doesn’t change the screen if you leave it and come back to it. I also prefer one that doesn’t track your information or location. I also don’t like having suggestions based on something that I looked up because I wasn’t sure what it was.
  11. [R72] Google 3/5 · US Too many ads, privacy cookies and sales of personal data.: Way too much! People forget there are other, safer ways to search. Anytime I google something, it ends up in ads and emails with an hour. Not everyone wants a Gmail account.
  12. [R85] Google 1/5 · US Wow…: If anyone thought Google was bad before, being biased and all, just wait until you learn about Reckless Ben. Evidently google doesn’t care one bit about anyone’s privacy. They will give ALL your emails and information over to any corporation that asks for it. SHAME ON YOU GOOGLE. You can put those legos somewhere dark and lonely, Google.
  13. [R15] Google Slides 3/5 · US UGHHHHH: ALL I ASK IS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A BACKGROUND THE HELP GUIDE SAYS TO DO WHAT DOSNT EVEN EXIST ALSO CAN YOU MAKE IT NOT LIMITED I JUST WANT A APP THAT ALLOWS ME TO USE THE COMPUTER FETRUS ar least it’s okay for limited presentations
  14. [R39] Google Slides 3/5 · US This is OK: When you use it on an iPad or phone it’s hard to use so I prefer using it on a computer. If you have like know how to like you on iPad or phone please tell us for the people who don’t know how to and it’s hard to move on the next slide.
  15. [R64] Google 1/5 · US I can’t make a new Google account for some reason.: Been trying to make a new Google account for me and my friends to start a YouTube channel Together. For some reason, o can’t get through to the next page for creating the account. I’m always stuff at a loading screen that ends up not loading. So frustrating. Maybe I’ll just ask them if they want to do instagram instead.
  16. [R82] Google 1/5 · US Why are the features I used now just an AI Mode button?: I use the Google app for just two things, reverse image search and translation. I can sort of get to the reverse image search if I’m ok with Google having camera access, but the translate button is gone, presumably to make room for the very unwelcome AI Mode button. There may be a setting to change this, but it’s not clear in the settings, a
  17. [R61] Google 1/5 · US Uses ai: horrible for the planet, your ruining our planet . We need to survive with the planet, The planet doesn’t need us. We need the planet.
  18. [R70] Google 1/5 · US Broken tab management: The AI/Gemini interface inside the Google App completely breaks basic tab management. When I click the "New Tab" button while inside an active AI thread, it fails to open a separate, additional tab. Instead, it completely ignores the command and overwrites my current thread. This destroys my active research progress and pollutes the AI's context window with unrelated questio

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store