Google Slides Laser Pointer or Pen: Check Before Buying Hardware

If you want to highlight a detail during a Google Slides presentation, try its software tools before buying a handheld laser. The pointer and pen do different jobs. Identify whether you need to point at a spot, draw a mark or keep that mark after the presentation.

Use the pointer for a position on the slide

Google’s desktop presentation instructions list a laser-pointer control at the bottom of the presentation window. The present-mode keyboard shortcuts also list l to toggle the laser pointer on PC, Mac and Chrome.

This is a software control in the slide presentation. It does not mean the computer emits a physical laser beam, or that a handheld pointer must be connected. A remote still needs to document support for the required commands; the keyboard shortcut alone does not verify its buttons.

Use the pen for lines, and check what remains

In the browser presentation, open Slideshow, then use the bottom-left Options menu to enable the pen tool. Google describes clicking and dragging on a slide to draw or annotate. The pen controls let you choose a color, erase the current slide’s annotations or turn the tool off.

The same instructions say annotations stay during the presentation but disappear when the slideshow ends. If your plan depends on keeping those lines, do not treat the slideshow pen as proof that they have been saved into the deck. Rehearse ending and reopening the actual presentation before relying on any marks you need later.

For remote attendees or a recording, check the view they receive separately. Our screen-sharing guide explains why the presenter’s own view does not confirm either result. This article describes documented Google Slides features; it is not a test of your meeting setup.

Buy for the action you still need

A presenter who wants physical next/previous buttons should compare a remote’s exact computer, connection and software support. A need to point at an object elsewhere in the room calls for a separate physical-pointing decision. Our pointer-versus-remote guide separates those functions.

The Light Tracer listing describes a handheld green pointer with a rechargeable battery and USB charging dock. It does not document Google Slides controls, a computer receiver or support for the pen tool. The charging dock does not establish those functions.

Try the pointer and pen in the deck you plan to use. Note any need that remains, such as remote slide buttons, before choosing an accessory. Check remote viewing and saved output where they matter to that presentation.