How To Screenshot On Chromebook Like A Pro


If you’ve never used a Chromebook before and are looking to learn how to screenshot on Chromebook, this guide is for you. Chromebook’s UI does not resonate with traditional laptops or desktop computers and looks very similar to a tablet’s UI. Regardless, it is packed with tools and features that make it one of the most chosen portable Ultrabooks over others.

There are two main ways to take a screenshot on Chromebook. One using the keyboard and the other from Chrome OS UI. Depending on your preference and feasibility you can use either of them depending on the kind of screenshot you are trying to take.

How To Screenshot On Chromebook

First, if you are not aware and are wondering where is show Windows button on your Chromebook is, the Show Windows(screenshot key) on your keyboard, let’s get familiar with that first.

where-is-the-show-windows-key-on-my-chromebook
Image Source: partnerdash.google.com

 It’s called a Show windows(F5) key and should be the key on top of the number 6 key, next to the full-screen key. If you have used other windows laptops, almost all of them have a row of function keys on top of the keyboard. The top row keys on a Chromebook are the windows laptop’s equivalent of function keys.

There are different modes and types of screenshot on Chromebook that you can take using these function keys.

READ: How To Connect Samsung Galaxy Buds To Chromebook

How To SS On Chromebook : Full Screen

Ctrl + "Show windows"

If you want to take a screenshot of the whole screen, press the “Ctrl” + “Show windows” key together. This takes the screenshot of the whole screen as you see it currently and saves it inside the Downloads folder automatically.

Depending on the version of Chrome OS you are running, it shows you a notification on the bottom right corner after the process is completed.

taking-screenshot-on-chromebook

If you would like to draw on it or edit the screenshot, you can do so directly by clicking on the “edit” option on the card that slides on the screen.

To learn how to access these Chromebook screenshots, please follow the steps mentioned below.

How To Take A Screenshot Of Selection Region

Ctrl + Shift + Show windows

If you would only like to take a screenshot of a part of the window or the screen, hit the “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Show windows” button. This triggers the screenshot mode on the Chromebook and allows you to select any region or section on the screen. After you’ve selected the region, click on capture at the center of the selection.

screenshotting-part-of-screen-chromebook

Chromebook will automatically save the selected screenshot in the downloads folder and lets you know that it has also been copied to your clipboard.

Where Are The Screenshots Saved On Chromebook

If you just took some screenshots and now they’ve disappeared, there is no need to panic. ChromeOS automatically saves all the screenshots taken with the built-in screenshot tool to the downloads folder.

You can access this using the file manager. If you don’t have that pinned, click on the launcher icon located on the bottom left corner of the screen and search for “Downloads”.

where-are-chromebook-screenshots-saved

This directly opens the downloads folder in the Files app. Right-click on the Files app icon on the bottom toolbar > Pin. This makes it easier in the future to quickly access screenshots.

pinning-downloads-folder-Chromebook

Chromebook Screenshot App

If you would like to access and use the full-fledged Chromebook screenshot application, you can access it in two different ways.

  • Press “Shift” + “Ctrl” + “Show Windows” key together which brings up the screenshot bar where can choose different options and features.
  • Click on the clock on the bottom right corner and open “Screen capture”
accessing-screenshot-chromebook-features

Record Screencast Video

You can use this tool to even record your screen, clicking on the video option on the screenshot toolbar puts it into screen recording mode.

After it’s on the recording mode, you can choose from three different options as you would for a screenshot.

recording-screen-chromebook

Record the whole screen, record a section that you select by using the mouse or any active window on the screen.

Chromebooks Making Easier To Take Screenshots

Chromebooks are made for work and consuming content, all the features on the Chromebook serve a purpose. It is very lightweight yet, I can use it to create content for the blog or the YouTube channel without much hassle.

Hopefully, you now know how to screenshot on Chromebook after following this guide. If you have any queries or suggestions regarding this please reach out to us using the comments section below.

Prajwal is a senior editor @Windowslovers. A Tech enthusiast who loves to read and write articles that aid users in getting the most out of their gadgets and tech it easy.

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