How to Make an Image a Circle in Google Slides: Complete Tutorial for Beginners
If you want to create clean slides, turning an image into a circle is one of the quickest ways to improve your design. Whenever I work in Google Slides, I use this simple feature to create profile photos and polished layouts. In this guide, I’ll show you how to make an image a circle in Google Slides using the built-in crop and other solutions.
So, let’s begin today’s discussion with reasons behind it!
Why Use Circular Images in Google Slides?
You probably have your own reason for making an image a circle. But there are actually more advantages why this simple trick is so helpful:
- They make the slides look clean and modern
- Circular photos draw attention
- Great for profile photos, team slides, and introductions
- Circles help maintain a consistent and professional design style
- They work well with most templates and background colors
- Circular images reduce visual clutter and create balance
- They help important people or objects stand out clearly
Now I’m sure you feel more confident about why making an image a circle is useful. In the next section, I’ll address your curiosity and explain how to do it step by step.
Related article: How to add a YouTube video to PowerPoint
How to Make an Image a Circle in Google Slides?
There are several simple ways to create a circular image in Google Slides, and I’ll cover each one in detail, i.e.
#Method 1. Using the Crop Tool
This is the method users mostly preferred, including me, because it takes less than 10 seconds. Here’s how:
- Open the Google Slides presentation
- Go to Insert > Image
- Upload an image or select one from Google Drive, Photos, or the web
The image will appear on your slide. Just click on the picture so that you see blue selection borders around it.
- Now, with the image selected:
- Click the Crop icon in the toolbar
- Click the drop-down arrow next to the crop icon to see more options
- Go to Shapes > Shapes
- Choose the oval/circle shape
- If your image looks like a vertical or horizontal oval after cropping:
- Hold the Shift key and drag the corner handle to resize it into a perfect circle.
- Adjust the crop (optional):
- Double-click the image
- Move the image inside the shape
- Drag the black crop handles until you get the desired framing
- Click outside the image to apply the final circular mask.
#Method 2. Using a Shape Placeholder
If you want precision in borders and background, use this method:
- Go to Insert > Shape > Shapes
- Choose the Oval
- Hold Shift while dragging to draw a perfect circle
- Fill the circle with an image
- Select the circle
- Click the Fill color icon
- Choose Image
- Upload or select your picture
- Now your circle shape contains the image.
- Adjust formatting (optional)
- Add borders
- Apply shadows
- Insert a drop glow
- You can find all these options under:
- Format Options
- Then, click Drop Shadow
- Afterwards, Reflection / Size & Rotation
Also read: Convert Canva Presentations to PowerPoint
#Method 3. Use Border Options
After creating the circular image, add:
- Border color
- Border weight
- Border dash
These are available in the toolbar at the top of Google Slides.
#Method 4. A Smarter Way to Speed Up This Process
Above, we discuss all the built-in Google Slides tools, and no doubt, they will make it easy to crop an image into a circle. But, what if you have more than 20+ slides to add the same? You think, is it okay manually? Of course not!
Instead, there’s an even faster way if you create presentations often. I’m talking about MagicSlides AI PPT Generator, which generates decks with AI power. Additionally, it automatically formats images, even converting them into clean circular shapes, without needing any manual cropping or anything.
So, instead of adjusting each image one by one, the tool handles the formatting and layout instantly. Try this solution now for free and automate most PPT-related tasks.
After signing up for the solution, follow the steps below:
- Step 1. Enter your topic or prompt.
- Step 2. Upload any images you want in the deck, such as team photos or product visuals.
- Step 3. The tool automatically formats these images into clean circular shapes.
- Step 4. Choose any desired template, and generate the presentation to let the AI build the full deck.
- Step 5. Export the completed deck to Google Slides.
When the PPT is created, you can customise it inside the tool, and after exporting it to Google Slides, you can make further changes there as well.
Author’s Verdict
Making an image a circle in Google Slides is simple once you know where the Crop and Mask options are located. And the best part is, you don’t need any design skills or extra plugins to get the expected results. I guarantee, now you know everything about how to make an image a circle in Google Slides efficiently and hassle-free.
People Also Ask
Q1. Can I make any image a circle in Google Slides?
Yes. Google Slides lets you crop any image into a circle using the built-in crop-to-shape feature.
Q2. Do I need add-ons to create a circular image?
No. The default crop and mask tools in Google Slides are enough for creating a perfect circular image.
Q3. Why doesn’t my image look like a perfect circle?
You probably resized it without holding Shift. Hold Shift while resizing to maintain the circle shape.
Q4. Can I adjust what part of the image appears inside the circle?
Yes. Double-click the image, then drag it inside the circular crop to reposition it.
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