Timer Bar Colors Explained
When the pacing timer is enabled, SpeakerView shows a time bar during your presentation that changes color depending on whether you’re ahead of, on, or behind pace. This guide explains exactly what each color means and what to do about it.
How pacing is calculated
SpeakerView compares two things in real time:
- How much of your allotted time has elapsed (based on the Duration or Finish By time you set)
- How far through your cards/pages you’ve progressed
If those two percentages match closely, you’re “on pace.” If time is running out faster than your slides are progressing, you’re behind. If you have more time left than slides remaining, you’re ahead.
What each color means
| Color | What it means | Suggested action |
|---|---|---|
| 🟢 Green | You’re on pace — your slide progress closely matches your time progress. | Keep going as you are. |
| 🔵 Blue | You’re comfortably ahead of pace — you have more time remaining than your current slide would suggest. | You can slow down, add detail, or take audience questions without falling behind. |
| 🟠 Orange | You’re moderately behind pace — time is elapsing a bit faster than your slide progress. | Start picking up the pace, or plan to skip/shorten an upcoming section. |
| 🔴 Red | You’re significantly behind pace — time is elapsing much faster than your slide progress. | Speed up noticeably, or cut ahead to a later card to protect your ending. |
The bar updates continuously and automatically re-colors itself as your pacing changes throughout the talk — there’s nothing to configure beyond enabling the timer itself.
“The timer says I’m behind but I just started”
Make sure you tapped Start Timer at the moment you actually began speaking, not when the presentation screen first appeared. If there’s a gap between opening the presentation and actually starting your talk (e.g., waiting to be introduced), the timer will read as behind pace if you forgot to tap Start Timer right when you began.
“The colors seem too sensitive” or “not sensitive enough”
The color thresholds are fixed and aren’t currently user-adjustable. If you find yourself frequently in orange/red even when comfortable with your pace, it may help to build a little slack into your Duration or Finish By setting — for example, setting a 20-minute duration for content you know takes about 18 minutes, so minor natural variation in pacing doesn’t push you into the “behind” colors.
Related
- Using the Pacing Timer — full setup guide for Duration vs. Finish By modes
- Settings Reference — every timer-related setting