The fastest way to capture your screen
On a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Show Windows to take a screenshot of your entire screen. The Show Windows key is the one that looks like a rectangle with lines — it sits where the F5 key would be on a regular keyboard. Your screenshot saves automatically to the Downloads folder on your Chromebook, and a notification appears in the bottom right corner so you can find it right away.
If you want to capture only part of your screen instead of the whole thing, press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows. Your cursor will change to a crosshair, and you can click and drag to draw a box around the area you want. Release the mouse button when you have selected what you need, and that portion saves to your Downloads folder the same way.
Both methods work the same way whether you are using a Chromebook at home, at work, or at school. The keyboard shortcut is built into Chrome OS itself, so you do not need to install anything or open a special program first.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl + Show Windows to capture your entire screen in one keystroke.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows and drag to select only the part of the screen you want to capture.
- Screenshots save automatically to your Downloads folder with a timestamp in the filename.
- A notification appears in the bottom right corner when ready after you capture, letting you know the screenshot was saved.
Where your screenshots go and how to find them
Every screenshot you take lands in the Downloads folder on your Chromebook. You can open the Files app (the folder icon in your taskbar) and click Downloads on the left side to see all your screenshots in one place. They are named with the date and time you took them, like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM.png", so the newest ones appear at the bottom of the list.
If you want to move a screenshot somewhere else, right-click it in the Files app and choose Move. You can create a new folder for screenshots, move them to Google Drive, or organize them however makes sense for your work. You can also right-click a screenshot and choose Delete if you no longer need it.
Capturing a screenshot when you have multiple windows open
When you press Ctrl + Show Windows for a full-screen capture, Chromebook takes a picture of whatever is currently visible — if you have multiple windows open and overlapping, it captures all of them as they appear on your screen at that moment. This is useful if you want to show someone your entire workspace, but it means any windows behind the active one will also be in the picture.
If you only want to capture one window and ignore everything else, use the partial screenshot method instead. Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, then carefully drag a box around just the window you need. This way you can exclude other open windows, notifications, or anything else you do not want in the final image.
Taking a screenshot of your entire screen, including areas you cannot see
If you are viewing a long webpage or document and want to capture more than what fits on your screen at once, the standard screenshot methods will only capture what is currently visible. To get the entire page, you need to use your browser's built-in tools instead of the keyboard shortcut.
Open Chrome (or whatever browser you are using), go to the webpage you want to capture, and press Ctrl + Shift + I to open the Developer Tools panel. Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner of the Developer Tools, choose Run Command, type "Capture full page screenshot", and press Enter. This captures the entire webpage from top to bottom and saves it to your Downloads folder as a PNG file.
Editing or annotating your screenshot right after you take it
When you take a screenshot, a notification appears in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click that notification to open a straightforward editing tool where you can draw on your screenshot, add text, or crop it before you save the final version. You can use a pen, highlighter, or eraser to mark up the image, and you can choose different colors for your annotations.
If you miss the notification or close it by accident, you can still edit the screenshot later. Open the Files app, find your screenshot in the Downloads folder, right-click it, and choose Open With, then select the image editor. However, the quick edit tool that appears right after you capture is the fastest way if you want to mark something up when ready.
Sharing a screenshot directly without saving it first
After you take a screenshot, the notification in the bottom right corner gives you options beyond just opening the file. Click the notification and look for a Share button or option — this lets you send the screenshot directly to Gmail, Google Drive, or another app without having to save it and find it later. The exact sharing options depend on what apps you have installed on your Chromebook.
If you do not see a Share button in the editing tool, you can always save the screenshot first and then right-click it in the Files app to share it from there. Most Chromebooks let you share files directly to email or cloud storage through the Files app menu.
Troubleshooting when your screenshot does not appear
If you pressed Ctrl + Show Windows but do not see a notification or a file in your Downloads folder, first check that you used the correct key. The Show Windows key is not the same as the F5 key on a regular keyboard — it is the key with a rectangle and lines icon, usually in the top row of your keyboard between the search key and brightness controls. If you pressed the wrong key, try again with the correct one.
If you used the right key and still do not see your screenshot, check your Downloads folder by opening the Files app and clicking Downloads on the left. Sometimes the notification disappears before you notice it, but the file is still there. If the Downloads folder is empty and you are certain you pressed the right key, restart your Chromebook and try taking a screenshot again — this fixes most issues with the screenshot feature not working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a screenshot of just my cursor or pointer?
The standard Chromebook screenshot methods do not include your cursor in the image. If you need to show someone where your cursor is pointing, you can take a partial screenshot and then use the editing tool to draw an arrow or circle around the area you want to highlight.
What file format do Chromebook screenshots save in?
Chromebook screenshots save as PNG files, which is a format that works on any computer or device. PNG files preserve the quality of your screenshot and are smaller in file size than some other image formats, making them straightforward to email or upload.
Can I change where my screenshots save?
By default, all screenshots save to your Downloads folder and you cannot change this location directly. However, you can move screenshots to Google Drive or another folder after you take them by opening the Files app and dragging them where you want them to go.
Do I need to be connected to the internet to take a screenshot?
No. Taking a screenshot works whether you are online or offline. The only time you need an internet connection is if you want to share your screenshot directly to Gmail or Google Drive through the notification menu.
What happens if I take a screenshot while I am in a video call?
The screenshot captures whatever is on your screen at that moment, including the video call window. If you want to capture something without showing the video call, minimize the call window first, take your screenshot, and then bring the call back to the front.