How to Take Screenshots on a Chromebook

Chromebooks exploded in popularity during the pandemic as parents snatched up these affordable laptops for kids now taking classes from their kitchen tables or bedrooms. And while that demand has cooled off in recent quarters, millions of Chromebooks are in circulation, and chances are, there are a few things you don't know about these Chrome OS-based devices.

Take screenshots, for instance. As Chromebooks are internet-based laptops, there aren't as many options for third-party screenshot tools as there are for Windows or macOS. Chrome extensions are plentiful, but the quickest way to capture what you see on your screen is to use Chrome OS' built-in tools. Here's how that works.

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Take a Screenshot With the Keyboard Shortcut

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
(Photo: Molly Flores)

Chrome OS has long supported a screenshot keyboard shortcut. On your Chromebook, press the Shift + Ctrl + Show buttons (the Show window looks like a rectangle with two vertical lines next to it). In the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen, select Screenshot. Choose whether you want to take a full-screen screenshot, a partial screenshot, or window screenshot. If you're using an external keyboard that doesn't have the Show button, press Shift + Ctrl + F5 to access the screenshot menu.

With the launch of Chrome OS 89 in March 2021, Google added a screen-capture tool to the Quick Settings menu on Chromebooks.

Go to Quick Settings on the bottom-right of your screen and select Screen Capture. Double-check that what you want to capture is on your screen. In the tool that appears, choose whether you want to capture the full screen, a single window, or just one part of your screen. Click Capture.

(Photo: Google)

Where to Find Your Chromebook Screenshots

(Photo: Google)

Screenshots are automatically copied to your Clipboard. They'll also show up in Tote, which rolled out with Chrome OS 89 and keeps important files at your fingertips. Open Tote from the Shelf to access recent downloads, screen captures, and pinned files. 

To find them later, screenshots also get saved to your “Downloads” folder. To change where they go, press the Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, select Settings > Select folder, pick the folder you prefer, and future screenshots will be sent there.

Given that Chromebooks have limited hard drive space, one option is to back up these images to Google Drive, where they will be accessible across devices.