How To Take a Screenshot On Chromebook
Similar to other laptops but different
If you just got a Chromebook, you’ve probably noticed that it’s a bit different from most laptops. One of these differences is the absence of the Print Screen (PrtSc) key that’s mostly found on Windows laptops, whose function is to capture screenshots.
Chromebooks don’t have a dedicated screenshot key. Instead, the function is built into the Chrome operating system. However, the process is still fairly simple and in some ways similar to taking screenshots on a Windows PC or Mac, except for a few keyboard shortcut differences, and other steps.
Whether you want tograb the entire screenor a specific portion of the window, we’ll walk you through the various ways to take a screenshot on Chromebook, to produce the images you need.
Different Methods To Take a Screenshot On Chromebook
Using The Show Windows Key
Before you go on your Chromebook and take screenshots using any of these methods, you need to familiarize yourself with a specific key on the keyboard called theShow Windowskey. In some cases, it’s referred to as the Overview key or Windows Switcher key, but Google describes it as theShow all windows in Overview modekey.
For this guide, we’ll useShow Windows. This key is located just above the number row, between the full screen and brightness down buttons on your keyboard. It looks like a little rectangle followed by two vertical lines on its right side.
There are different key combinations used with the Show Windows key to capture a full or partial screenshot. The keys referenced in the steps below may appear differently on your Chromebook’s keyboard depending on the model and manufacturer.
Once again, a notification window will appear at the lower right corner of your screen indicating the process was successful and the screenshot has been saved.
Using The Power & Volume Down Buttons
If your Chromebook is a two-in-one with a 360-degree hinge, you can take screenshots in tablet mode using the power and volume down buttons, as you would on an Android smartphone or tablet.
The keyboard is usually inactive in tablet mode, so the Show Windows and CTRL key method won’t work.
To take a screenshot in tablet mode, press and hold down thepower and volume down buttonssimultaneously, and it’ll capture an image of the entire screen.
If you want a partial screenshot, you’ll have to crop the full screenshot you just captured, and save it. There’s no option for capturing specific regions of your screen in tablet mode.
Using a Stylus Pen
Some Chromebooks like Pixelbook or Samsung Chromebook Plus come with a stylus, which you can use to capture a full or partial screenshot while in tablet mode, and annotate it if you want.
A menu of tools will appear in the bottom right side of the screen. From here, you can capture the part of the screen you want using the pen to draw or select the region.
Using An External Keyboard
You can plug in an external keyboard into your Chromebook, or use a Chrome-powered desktop (Chromebox) and use it to take screenshots.
External keyboards don’t necessarily use Chrome’s dedicated button row, but their function keys do the same job. For example, the F5 button works as the Show Windows key on standard function keyboards, in which case you’ll use theCTRL+F5command to take a full screenshot andCTRL+SHIFT+F5for partial screenshots.
Where Does The Screenshot Save To In a Chromebook?
Screenshot image files are saved locally on your Chromebook’sDownloadsfolder and organized according to the date and time they were taken. However, they won’t be available on Google Drive so you have to move the files manually.
How To Edit Screenshots Using The Native Image Viewer
If you want to do a little more with your screenshots before using them or sharing with others, you can use the built-in image viewer editor.
Image Viewer doesn’t let you save copies of your edits, so click the pen icon again to finalize your edits.
Use Advanced Chromebook Apps
There are plenty of Chromebook extensions and apps you can use to take screenshots on a Chromebook, which offer extra functionality than the built-in methods described above. Here are a few of the best Chromebook apps you can use for more screenshot-capturing abilities.
This is a free-to-use extension that lets you take whole (including web pages) or partial screenshots, edit and save in multiple formats, and send directly to Gmail or OneNote.
This extension offers an easier and faster way of capturing full screenshots of web pages. It has tools that let you screenshot entire websites, plus editing, sharing and conversion options in various formats including converting to PDFs.
With this extension, you can choose to capture a screenshot or screencast (screen record) and take videos when you want. It supports annotations and blurring, among other screenshot-related functionality.
This is an easy-to-use tool for taking screenshots over any section you want. Drag and drop the image to any part of your screen, edit it in place, and then download it to your Chromebook or send it to the cloud.
Elsie is a technology writer and editor with a special focus on Windows, Android and iOS. She writes about software, electronics and other tech subjects, her ultimate goal being to help people out with useful solutions to their daily tech issues in a simple, straightforward and unbiased style. She has a BCom degree in Marketing and currently pursuing her Masters in Communications and New Media.Read Elsie’s Full Bio
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