Move an Image and Text Box Together in Google Slides

By ON Lab · Sources checked November 6, 2026

In Google Slides on a computer, select the image and text box as objects, then choose Arrange → Group or right-click the selected objects and choose Group. Move the group once to check that both pieces stay together. Grouping keeps objects related for movement and formatting; it does not turn them into one flattened image.

Start with the intended pair

A Slides Community reader wanted an image and text box to move and be edited together, but looked for the control in formatting options. Google's arrangement controls provide the relevant operation: Group. Use this when a caption or label should travel with an image while remaining part of the editable slide.

Before grouping, place the image and text box in the intended relationship. Check that the correct text is visible and that the label is not partly outside the slide. For a complex slide, keep an unchanged copy so you can return to it if the wrong objects are selected.

Select objects rather than text inside a box

Open the presentation and go to the intended slide.
Click the image to select it.
Add the text box to the selection, for example by holding Shift while clicking its border.
Check that both intended objects are selected. A text insertion caret inside the box means you are editing text rather than selecting the box as an object.
Choose Arrange → Group, or use Group from the selected objects' right-click menu.

If Group is unavailable, first check the selection. Clicking only the picture, or highlighting words inside the text box, is not the same as selecting two slide objects. Avoid using a select-all shortcut on a busy slide when you only want the image and its label; other objects can become part of the operation.

Test the group immediately

Drag the grouped pair a short distance to an open area of the slide. Both the picture and text box should move together, with the intended spacing preserved. If an unrelated item moves too, undo the operation and select the intended pair again.

Check the text and image after repositioning. Moving together is not enough if the group is outside the slide boundary, the caption overlaps another element, or a layer hides part of the label. Google's Arrange → Order controls handle front-to-back order; grouping and layer order are separate operations.

Use alignment and sizing deliberately

Google's arrangement menu also includes Align, Distribute and Center on page. These do different jobs. Group relates multiple objects for movement and formatting; Align adjusts edges; Distribute spaces three or more objects; Center on page positions the selection on the slide.

For controlled dimensions or placement, Google's documentation points to Format → Format options → Size & Position. Read the selected object or group before entering values. Check the image's proportions after resizing, and use the aspect-ratio control where appropriate rather than stretching the picture unintentionally.

Undo the grouping when separate edits are needed

If you need to adjust the picture and caption independently, select the group and ungroup it. Google's official shortcut list provides Ctrl + Alt + Shift + G on Windows or ChromeOS, and Command + Option + Shift + G on Mac. Use the documented shortcut for the computer you are using.

After ungrouping, adjust the intended object, inspect its placement, then select the pair and group again if they should continue moving together. Deleting one object and rebuilding it is unnecessary when the real need is simply to remove the grouping relationship.

Save and reopen the actual slide

Allow Slides to finish saving, then reopen the presentation and select the pair. Check that they still behave as a group and that the caption text remains correct. Inspect the slide in presentation view as well as in the editor.

If the deliverable is a PDF or image export, inspect the exported slide separately for visible text, placement and clipping. A flattened export will not provide the same editable-object behavior as the original Slides file. This guide covers the computer editor and does not claim identical controls in the mobile app or reproduce a private presentation.