Google Slides on iPhone or iPad can change a presentation’s theme and a selected slide’s layout. These controls have different scopes. A theme coordinates design choices; a layout changes how content areas are arranged on a slide. Choose according to the actual editing problem.
Select another theme
Open the presentation in the iOS Slides app. At the top right, use More > Change theme and choose the desired theme. Google’s iPhone and iPad guidance gives this route. Review title, content, and image slides afterward rather than judging the whole deck from one preview.
Change a selected layout
Touch and hold the slide you want to change. Open More > Change layout and select the arrangement. Inspect existing text and pictures after applying it, especially objects that were added independently of the original placeholders.
The iOS guidance also documents a background control for selected slides. Do not assume Android has identical controls merely because both platforms use a Slides app.
Verify content and readability
Present the changed section and check the title, body text, contrast, and relationship between images and captions. A new layout may reveal that the slide contains too much material; divide or shorten it rather than forcing a tiny font. Check neighboring slides for consistency. If the presentation will be exported or delivered from another device, inspect that route separately. A successful theme selection confirms a design change, not that every manually formatted object or downstream file remains visually equivalent. Inspect any manually colored chart labels.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.