How to Use Loom on a Chromebook

Can you use Loom on a Chromebook?

Yes — Loom works on a Chromebook the same way it works on any other Chrome browser, because it's a Chrome extension rather than a separate desktop app. You install it from the Chrome Web Store, sign in, and record; ChromeOS needs nothing extra beyond granting the usual screen, camera, and microphone permissions.

ChromeOS also has its own native Screen Capture tool in Quick Settings, which is separate from Loom and doesn't create a shareable cloud link or webcam bubble the way Loom does. That difference is the main reason people install Loom on a Chromebook instead of relying on the built-in tool — see the screen recorder use case or the built-in ChromeOS recorder guide if you want to compare both before choosing.

How to install and set up Loom on a Chromebook

Installing Loom on a Chromebook takes the same steps as installing it on Windows or Mac, since ChromeOS runs the same Chrome Web Store.

1. Open the Chrome Web Store and search for Loom, or go straight to the Loom extension page.
2. Click Add to Chrome, then Add extension to confirm.
3. Click the puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar and pin Loom so its camera icon stays visible.
4. Click the Loom icon and sign in or create an account.
5. When prompted, allow camera and microphone access in the ChromeOS system permission dialog, not just Chrome's own prompt — Chromebooks have both layers.
6. Confirm access under chrome://settings/content/camera and chrome://settings/content/microphone if the system dialog didn't appear.

How to record your screen with Loom on a Chromebook

Recording works identically to desktop Chrome — Loom adds a floating toolbar and automatically processes the video into a shareable link once you stop.

1. Click the Loom icon in your toolbar.
2. Choose a recording mode: Screen only, Cam only, or Screen and cam.
3. Select what to share: Entire Screen, A Window, or A Chrome Tab.
4. If sharing a tab, toggle Share tab audio so any sound the tab plays gets recorded.
5. Click Start Recording; a short countdown gives you a moment before it begins.
6. Use the floating controls to pause, draw on the screen, or trim, then click Stop (or the taskbar icon) when finished.
7. Loom uploads and processes the recording, then copies a shareable link to your clipboard automatically.

Sharing Entire Screen is required if you want full desktop audio, like a background app's notification sound — Chrome's screen-share dialog only offers a system-audio checkbox when you're sharing the whole screen, not a single window or tab. That's standard Chrome behavior, not something specific to Loom.

What are the ChromeOS-specific limits of Loom?

Loom runs fine on ChromeOS, but a few things behave differently than on Windows or Mac because of how Chromebooks handle hardware and permissions.

• Lower-end hardware: Budget Chromebooks with limited RAM can lag during long recordings, especially with the camera bubble and screen-and-cam mode both running at once — screen-only recording is lighter.
• System audio limits: You can only capture full desktop audio when sharing your Entire Screen; sharing a single window or tab only captures that tab's own audio if you enable the tab-audio toggle.
• Managed devices: School and work Chromebooks often restrict camera, microphone, or screen-capture permissions at the device level, which blocks Loom even if the extension itself is installed.
• Storage: Recordings process and store in Loom's cloud rather than locally on the Chromebook, which matters on Chromebooks with small onboard storage since you're not filling up local disk space the way a native recorder would.

How to fix Loom recording problems on a Chromebook

Most Loom problems on a Chromebook trace back to a permission the ChromeOS system layer is blocking, not a bug in the extension itself.

• No audio in the recording: Confirm you toggled Share tab audio (for a tab) or selected Entire Screen (for desktop audio) before you started — you can't add audio after recording stops.
• Camera bubble doesn't appear: Check chrome://settings/content/camera and the ChromeOS Settings > Security and privacy > Camera access toggle — both must allow access.
• Loom icon is greyed out: On a managed Chromebook, this usually means an admin policy has restricted the extension's screen-capture permission; contact your IT or school admin rather than troubleshooting locally.
• Recording stuck processing: Check your internet connection first, since Loom uploads footage to the cloud as part of processing; a slow or dropped Wi-Fi connection stalls this step longer than it would on a wired connection.
• Extension disappeared after a ChromeOS update: Reinstall it from the Chrome Web Store — ChromeOS updates occasionally reset extension permissions, which can make Loom appear uninstalled even though your account and past recordings are untouched.

What else helps before and after a Loom recording on a Chromebook

Loom does the recording; a few other Chromebook extensions clean up the setup around it.

If you're looking for a different screen recorder entirely rather than a companion tool, compare Loom alternatives or see the full best Chromebook extensions roundup for other categories.

Loom vs. Chromebook's built-in screen recorder

Chromebooks already have a native screen recorder in Quick Settings, so it's worth knowing what you give up by skipping Loom.

Reach for the built-in tool when you need a quick, private, local-only capture with no account and no upload. Reach for Loom when you need to send a shareable link fast without hosting or uploading the file yourself.

Using Loom on managed or school Chromebooks

A school- or work-issued Chromebook can block Loom entirely, even after you've installed it, because ChromeOS extensions on managed devices answer to a device policy first.

An admin may force-install or block extensions through a management console, disable camera or microphone access device-wide, or restrict which apps a school Google account can sign into — which can stop Loom from working even though the extension itself is installed correctly. If you hit a greyed-out extension icon or a missing camera bubble on a school device, check with your IT admin first rather than troubleshooting the extension's own settings.

See how to add extensions on a Chromebook and how to manage or remove extensions on a Chromebook for what you can and can't control yourself on a managed device.

Quick reference: Loom on a Chromebook

Here's the setup in one place if you just need the essentials.

Install

Chrome Web Store > search Loom > Add to Chrome > pin the icon.

Record

Click the Loom icon > choose a mode > select screen, window, or tab > Start Recording.

Full desktop audio

Only available when sharing your Entire Screen, not a single tab or window.

Managed Chromebook blocked?

Check with your school or work admin before troubleshooting locally — device policy usually overrides personal settings.

For the camera- and mic-heavy workflows Loom shares a Chromebook with, Grammarly on Chromebook covers writing tools that pair well with recorded walkthroughs, and the best Chromebook extensions guide rounds up picks across every category.