Smart Pointer Support

Smart Pointer turns your iPhone into a remote and pointer for Google Slides™. It works with Google Slides only and needs our free Chrome extension on your PC. No laser light is emitted: the red dot appears on screen, inside your slides.

• Contact formGoogle Forms; English or Japanese
• Privacy policyWhat stays on your devices
• Terms of useFree, provided "as is"
• For IT administratorsHow it works, permissions, policies

News and known issues

Getting started

1. Install the app on your iPhoneGet "Sirevo Smart Pointer" on the App Store (link added at launch).
2. Add the extension to ChromeAdd "Sirevo Smart Pointer for Google Slides™" from the Chrome Web Store (link added at launch).
3. Connect (before you start the slideshow)Keep the app open on your iPhone and open your deck in Chrome. In the connection window, click "Connect to iPhone" and pick the code shown in the app.Connection window: Alt+Shift+K (Windows) / Option+Shift+K (Mac)Pick: SP-1A2B (example)
4. PresentWhen the app shows "Connected", start the slideshow. The red dot appears inside your slides while you press the pad. You can minimize the connection window, but don't close it.

Connecting, step by step

1. Open the app on your iPhone and keep it on screen. (If the app is not in the foreground, your PC cannot find it.)
2. On your PC, open your deck in Google Slides in Chrome.
3. Click the Smart Pointer icon in the Chrome toolbar, or press the shortcut (Windows: Alt+Shift+K, Mac: Option+Shift+K; you can change it at chrome://extensions/shortcuts), to open the connection window.
4. Click "Connect to iPhone" and, in the chooser, pick the code shown in the app (for example SP-1A2B).
5. When the app shows "Connected", start the slideshow. The connection window shows the slideshow tab as its target. You can minimize the connection window, but don't close it.

If something goes wrong

Common symptoms and what to try first. Each link opens the matching FAQ entry.

• My iPhone doesn't appear in the chooser
  • Keep the app open on screen on your iPhone
  • Turn Bluetooth on, on both the iPhone and the PC
  • Allow Bluetooth in iPhone Settings > SmartPointer (on a Mac, also allow Chrome under Privacy & Security > Bluetooth)
  • Make sure it is not connected to another PC

  Details
• It won't reconnect after a break
  • Click "Connect to iPhone" in the connection window and pick your iPhone again

  Details
• I can't see the pointer
  • The dot shows only while you press the pad
  • Check that the slideshow is running and the target tab is right

  Details
• Slides don't advance, or skip two
  • Update the app and the extension
  • Carry on with the keyboard and send us "Copy diagnostic report"

  Details
• It doesn't work on my work PC
  • Your organization may block it. Show your IT team the page for IT administrators

  Details

Confirmed setups

We list only the combinations we have actually tested. Other setups may work, but we have not checked them.

Intended range: iPhone on iOS 17 or later; PC with Google Chrome on macOS or Windows 10/11 (Windows is beta, see below)

• iPhoneiOS 17 or later
• Google Chrome on MacmacOS
• Google Chrome on WindowsbetaWindows 10/11
• Bluetooth Low EnergyPC with Bluetooth 4.0 or later

• Windows: beta. Built-in Bluetooth differs from laptop to laptop, so Windows stays "beta" until people independently report that it works on at least 3 Windows laptops.
• Microsoft Edge: the extension installs from the Chrome Web Store, but we have not tested it.
• iPad: the app can be installed on an iPad as an iPhone app, but we have not tested it on an iPad (we checked only the screen layout, in the simulator).
• Not supported: Safari, Firefox, Linux, Android, PowerPoint, Keynote and others.

FAQ

• Requirements
• Connecting
• Slides and pointer
• Handy features
• Data and use at work

Requirements

Q. What do I need?

An iPhone on iOS 17 or later, a PC with Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0 or later) running Google Chrome on macOS or Windows 10/11, and a Google Slides deck. The app and the extension are both free. There is no Smart Pointer account to create.

Q. Do I need Wi-Fi?

No Wi-Fi, server or account needed between your phone and PC: they connect directly over Bluetooth. Google Slides itself needs an internet connection, unless you have set up Google's offline access.

Q. Does it work with PowerPoint, Keynote or other slide tools?

No. It currently works only with Google Slides in Chrome on your PC. If you'd like support for another tool, tell us through the feedback form.

Q. Does it work on Android?

Not at the moment. iPhone only.

Q. Can I use it with a desktop PC?

Yes, if it has Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth 4.0 or later). A desktop PC without Bluetooth needs a USB Bluetooth adapter. Adapters we have tested will appear under "Confirmed setups".

Q. Where is it available?

At launch, the iPhone app is not offered on the App Store in European Union countries, South Korea or mainland China. The Chrome extension is not offered on the Chrome Web Store in South Korea.

Q. Does it cost anything?

No. It is free and has no ads.

Connecting

Q. My iPhone doesn't appear in the chooser.

Check that:

• the app is open on screen on your iPhone (if you switch apps or the screen turns off, the PC cannot find it);
• Bluetooth is on, on both the iPhone and the PC;
• Bluetooth is allowed for the app in iPhone Settings > SmartPointer (the app's name on the Home Screen);
• on a Mac: Google Chrome is allowed under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Bluetooth;
• your PC has Bluetooth (a desktop PC may need an adapter);
• the iPhone is not already connected to another PC (it connects to one PC at a time).

Q. The chooser's button says "Pair". Will it pair my iPhone?

No. That is Chrome's wording, but no operating-system Bluetooth pairing happens; you only allow the extension to connect for now. If your iPhone ever shows a pairing request, please let us know.

Q. The chooser showed my name.

It may show your iPhone's name (Settings > General > About > Name). If that bothers you, rename the iPhone, or connect before you put your screen on the projector.

Q. It won't reconnect after a break.

Click "Connect to iPhone" in the connection window and pick your iPhone again. iPhones change their Bluetooth address from time to time to protect your privacy, so after a while you may need to pick it again.

Q. Can I switch apps during a talk?

A short switch usually keeps the connection, but the pointer doesn't move meanwhile. Keep the app open while you present; the screen stays on while the app is open.

Slides and pointer

Q. Does the pointer show on the venue screen and in the stream?

Yes. The dot is drawn inside the slideshow window, so unlike a light-emitting laser pointer it shows on the venue TV or monitor, in the stream and in the recording. No laser light is emitted. In an online meeting, share a window or screen that includes the slideshow.

Q. I can't see the pointer.

The dot shows only while you press the pad in the app. Also check that Google Slides is in slideshow mode and that the connection window's target is the right tab.

Q. What happens on slides with animations?

Like a normal clicker: one "next" plays one animation step.

Q. Slides don't advance, or skipped two.

Update the app and the extension. If it still happens, carry on with the keyboard and send us the text from "Copy diagnostic report" in the connection window. If a Google Slides change breaks slide control, the pointer is designed to keep working.

Q. Can I check everything before going on stage?

"Pre-talk check" in the connection window checks the connection, next/previous, the pointer and a few reminders in about a minute.

Q. Can I adjust how the pointer moves?

Yes. In the app's settings you can change sensitivity, start position and pointer size. Finer tuning is under "Advanced settings" in the same screen.

Handy features

Q. How does the LT timer work?

Pick a length (3, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes) in the app and start it. While the app is open, your iPhone vibrates at 1 minute left and at the end. It works without a PC.

Q. Can I try just one part?

Without a PC: "Practice mode" in the app moves a dot on the iPhone screen. Without an iPhone: the extension's "Demo mode" lets you try it with the mouse.

Q. I used it in a talk. Can I tell you?

Please do: tap "I used it in a talk" on the app's share screen or the extension's help page. The form is optional and asks for no name or email.

Data and use at work

Q. Is my slide content or other data sent anywhere?

No. The app sends pointer positions and commands over Bluetooth to your PC only. The app and the extension contain no code that connects to the internet (links open in your browser only when you click or tap them). See the privacy policy for details.

Q. Is the connection encrypted?

No. The Bluetooth link between the app and the extension is not encrypted. It carries pointer positions and commands such as "next" and "previous", never slide content. Always pick your own code (SP-XXXX) when connecting.

Q. It doesn't work on my work PC.

Your organization's settings may block Web Bluetooth or extension installs. Show your IT team the page for IT administrators. For team use, see Smart Pointer for teams and organizations.

Q. Does anything remain after I uninstall?

Deleting the app removes its settings from the iPhone; removing the extension removes its settings and logs from the PC. Neither sends anything to us, so uninstalling leaves nothing with us either. To have something you sent us through a form or by email deleted, use our contact form.

Report a problem or contact us

• "Send feedback" in the app or the extension opens a form (optional; no name or email needed).
• Our contact form (Google Forms) asks for your email address so that we can reply. Tell us your PC and iPhone models and versions and what you were doing. Pasting the text from "Copy diagnostic report" in the connection window speeds things up (it contains no slide content and no device names).
• We usually reply by email within 3 business days. Replies are drafted with an AI tool and checked by the operator before they are sent. How we handle what you send: see the privacy policy.

Open the contact form