How To Take A Screenshot On A Chromebook - Digital Trends

Skip to main content

• Trending:
• Chromebook vs Laptop
• Screenshot on a Chromebook
• Reset a Chromebook
• Chromebook Problems
• Split Screen on a Chromebook

Taking a screenshot on a Chromebook should be as intuitive as copy and pasting text, but it may be difficult to figure out if you’re just coming over from Windows or macOS. I promise it’s not too difficult, though. You can take a screenshot on a Chromebook in just a few clicks. We’ll even go over some useful tools that can enhance your experience. Let me show you.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

• Chromebook

How to capture a full screenshot on a Chromebook

To take a screenshot of everything on your screen, press the following keys simultaneously: Ctrl + Show windows.

The latter button is typically located in the top row between the Full-Screen and Brightness down buttons, as shown above. It resembles a rectangle followed by two lines and replaces the typical F5 key found on standard keyboards.

How to upload screenshots to the cloud

Once you press both keys, a notification appears in the bottom-right corner displaying a thumbnail of your screenshot, as shown above. Selecting the thumbnail leads you to the Downloads folder, which is where all screenshots go by default, making them accessible offline. You can also access screenshots by selecting the blue Files folder-style icon on the Shelf and choosing either Images or Downloads.

ChromeOS labels all screenshots with the date and time they were captured.

Since ChromeOS saves screenshots locally on your device, they won’t be available on Google Drive unless you manually upload them to the cloud. To do so, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Files app, and select either Images or Downloads listed on the left.

Step 2: Choose the screenshot you want to upload. For multiple uploads, select the Check icon on each screenshot (thumbnail view) or draw a box around the files using a mouse or touchpad (list view).

Step 3: Select the Share button located on the top-right side of the screen.

Step 4: Select Save to drive on the drop-down menu. As shown below, you can send the screenshot to other accounts, like OneDrive and Dropbox. Read our guide on how to use Google Drive for more useful tips. If you have a Chromebook with a 360-degree hinge like a Pixelbook, skip to the “Screenshots in Tablet Mode” section in this guide for an alternate touch-based method.

How to capture a specific area for a screenshot on a Chromebook

In addition to a full shot, you can create a window to capture a shot of part of the screen by using the Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows shortcut.

Step 1: Hold down the Ctrl + Shift keys simultaneously, then press the Show Windows button.

Step 2: The screen dims, and the cursor temporarily changes to a cross-hair. Use the cross-hair to start one corner of your capture area and hold down on the mouse button or touchpad.

Step 3: Drag the cursor across the screen using your mouse or finger until you create a box.

Step 4: Let go of the mouse button or lift your finger to complete the box and capture the screen.

Step 5: The captured window saves to the Images and Downloads folders, the same as a full screenshot. Note: If you’re running ChromeOS 88 or newer, and you enabled the new Screen Capture utility using flags, you’ll see the new toolbar appear at the bottom of the screen with the Screenshot and Partial buttons selected by default. You’ll also see buttons to switch over to full-screen or Window modes.

How to capture screenshots in tablet mode using the buttons

Many 2-in-1 and tablet devices running ChromeOS may not have immediate access to a keyboard. Don’t worry; there’s an easy screenshot shorthand you can use in tablet mode.

Step 1: Press the following physical buttons simultaneously: Power + Volume down.

Step 2: Your screen registers the screenshot and takes an image of the entire screen.

How to take full-capture screenshots in tablet mode using a stylus

Follow these steps to capture a screenshot in tablet mode with a stylus.

Step 1: Select Stylus (or Pen).

Step 2: Use the stylus to choose the Capture screen option. This grabs a screenshot of your entire screen.

How to take partial-capture screenshots in tablet mode using a stylus

Want to capture only a part of your screen in tablet mode with a stylus? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Select Stylus (or Pen).

Step 2: Use the stylus to choose the Capture region option.

Step 3: Use the stylus to touch and hold your starting point on the screen.

Step 4: Drag your stylus to the final point, creating a box.

Step 5: Release to capture your screenshot.

Editing screenshots

Screenshots captured by ChromeOS are ready to share, but if you need to edit them first, familiarize yourself with the built-in image editor. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Select the blue Files folder icon on the Shelf and choose Images or Downloads listed on the left.

Step 2: Select your screenshot to open it in the Gallery app. If it’s not your default image viewer, right-click on the file and choose Gallery from the pop-up menu.

Step 3: Along the top of the Gallery app, you’ll see a toolbar with the following tools: Crop & rotate, Rescale, and Lighting filters. Each tool opens a panel on the right side, providing adjustable settings. For instance, the Lighting filters tool provides sliders for Exposure, Contrast, and Saturation, as shown above.

Step 4: In addition to the three main editing tools, you’ll see buttons to undo and redo any changes you make.

Step 5: When you’re done, click the blue Save button to save the edits to the original file.

Step 6: Alternatively, click the blue Down arrow icon to save the edited image as an altered copy.

Using external keyboards

If you’re using a ChromeOS-powered desktop (Chromebox) or an external keyboard plugged into a Chromebook, the keyboard probably uses a standard function key row instead of Chrome’s dedicated button row. Here are the ChromeOS commands that replace the typical function key commands:

• F1 — Previous page
• F2 — Next page
• F3 — Refresh
• F4 — Full screen
• F5 — Show windows
• F6 — Decrease brightness
• F7 — Increase brightness
• F8 — Mute
• F9 — Decrease volume
• F10 — Increase volume

Step 1: For capturing a screenshot, type Ctrl + F5 on a standard keyboard.

Step 2: For a partial capture, press Ctrl + Shift first, followed by F5.

Step 3: You can customize the shortcut, too, by pressing Alt + Shift + S.

Step 4: Then select Settings > Device > Keyboard. There, you can change the function of your keys.

Other screenshot tools

The built-in image tools for ChromeOS are a bit lackluster, but there are plenty of apps and extensions on Google’s Chrome Web Store to help add extra functionality. Here are some helpful picks:

Lightshot: Lightshot is a great beginner option that allows you to drag and drop a screenshot over any section of the screen. You can edit the screenshot in place, then download it or send it to the cloud. It’s easy to use and widely applicable for most purposes.

FireShot: Save an entire page as an image without taking multiple screenshots. You can save in multiple formats and send them directly to OneNote or email.

Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder: For those who want a broader, more powerful tool, Awesome Screenshot and Screen Recorder allows you to choose between screen capture and screen recording so you can also capture video whenever you want. The app supports annotations and easy blurring as well.

NinjaCapture: This is a multipurpose Chrome extension that lets you capture screenshots, record your screen, and even display your own webcam at the same time. You can use this to record instructions and guides for your coworkers or students.

GoFullPage: Yet another screenshot tool that’ll let you capture the whole page you’re on. It offers crop, annotation, and emoji sticker tools, and also lets you export your screenshots to PNG, JPEG, or PDF.

I know that’s quite a lot of information for what may seem like a simple task, but if you got through all of it, then you probably know more than the average person about taking a screenshot on a Chromebook. Congrats! If you want to learn more about some other useful tools like Google Docs or Google Gemini, we’ve got you covered.

Kevin Parrish Former Contributor facebook twitter Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then… Topics

• Chromebooks
• Google Chrome
• How-To Guides
• Laptops

• Computing

Lenovo leaks show an unnecessarily cool laptop with a hidden display under a see-through lid Lenovo’s latest ThinkPad concept imagines a future where displays aren’t fixed, information lives in layers, and laptops feel more like adaptive tools than static machines.

Ahead of the CES 2026, leaks about a new Lenovo ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept laptop have surfaced on the internet, but this isn't like your usual power-packed notebooks. This one is about the potential successor to the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable AI PC, one which could feature a "vertically expanding display."

As reported by Windows Latest, the Lenovo ThinkPad Rollable XD Concept should transform a traditional 13.3-inch laptop into one with a 16-inch upright display. However, that's the least interesting part about the device, as it is also said to feature a transparent lid that shows the screen when it is rolled inside the chassis.

Read more

• Computing

LG’s new OLED panel combines LCD-like sharpness with a 240Hz refresh rate By pairing a 240Hz refresh rate with a true RGB stripe subpixel layout, LG Display is redefining what OLED monitors can be, eliminating long-standing text clarity issues while doubling down on speed and contrast.

The South Korean display technology giant LG has officially announced the world's first 240Hz OLED panel featuring an RGB stripe subpixel layout, making it one of the most critical and exciting display reveals at CES 2026.

The 27-inch 4K OLED panel supports a peak refresh rate of 240Hz. This makes it an excellent option for professional use cases such as high-end gaming or competitive esports, while also appealing to creators and power users who rely on precise frame timing.

Read more

• Computing

Your Windows SSD Could Be Faster, Microsoft’s New Update Reveals Why A hidden NVMe driver could unlock higher speeds but comes with caveats for everyday users.

Microsoft has quietly added a potent piece of storage tech to Windows, and enthusiasts are buzzing about what it could mean for SSD performance. The company introduced a native NVMe driver in Windows Server 2025 that bypasses decades-old legacy bottlenecks in how Windows talks to modern solid-state drives. While this update wasn’t officially meant for Windows 11, resourceful users have found a way to activate it there too. More importantly, the results suggest you can squeeze noticeably more speed from your NVMe SSD if you’re willing to tinker.

Taking a deeper dive into the technical aspects, for years, Windows has employed a general-purpose approach to storage known as SCSI translation. Even when you plug in a super-fast NVMe drive capable of handling thousands of parallel I/O commands, the operating system essentially forces those commands into an older, hard-drive-friendly pathway, adding latency and limiting throughput. The newly introduced native NVMe driver eliminates this translation step, allowing your drive to communicate more directly with Windows. On enterprise systems that use this driver officially, Microsoft claims big gains in random IOPS and lower CPU overhead.

Read more

More Computing Guides

How to download 4K and 8K YouTube videos

How to watch the Google IO 2025 keynote

How to install Windows 11 with an offline account

How to check whether your graphics card has missing ROPs

How to cancel Amazon Music Unlimited

Upgrade your inbox: sign-up for our newsletters Subscribe Check your inbox! Privacy Policy