How to Take a Screenshot on a Chromebook

You want a picture of what is on your Chromebook screen. One keyboard shortcut opens a capture toolbar that handles full-screen, partial, and single-window shots, and the file lands in Downloads.

Press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows

Press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows. The Show windows key has a rectangle with two lines beside it and sits where F5 would be on a standard keyboard. A screen capture toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen.

Newer Chromebooks have a dedicated Screenshot key (a camera icon) in the top row. Pressing it opens the same toolbar.

If you would rather not use the keyboard, click the clock at the bottom right to open Quick Settings, then click Screen capture.

Choose what to capture

On the toolbar, pick one of three modes:

• Full screen: click anywhere on the screen to capture all of it.
• Partial: drag a box around the area you want, then click Capture in the middle of the box.
• Window: click the window you want. Only that window is saved.

The toolbar remembers the mode you used last time.

Take the shot

Click or drag as described above. A preview slides in at the bottom right, and the image is copied to the clipboard at the same time, so you can press Ctrl + V to paste it into a document or chat right away.

Find the file

Screenshots are saved as PNG files in Downloads unless you changed the folder. To check or change the location, open the toolbar, click the gear icon, and look under Save to. Recent captures also appear in the Tote (called Holding space on some versions), the tray at the bottom right next to the clock. Click a thumbnail there to open, edit, or share it.

Record the screen instead

On the same toolbar, click the video camera icon to switch from screenshot to screen recording. Choose full screen, partial, or window the same way, then click to start. A red stop button appears in the tray; click it to finish. Recordings save as WEBM files to the same folder as screenshots.

If your Chromebook is in tablet mode. Fold the keyboard back or detach it, then press Power + Volume down together to take a full-screen shot.

If nothing happens. On a school or work Chromebook, an administrator can block screen capture on some or all pages. The toolbar may open but produce a black image, or the shortcut may do nothing at all.