How-to guide
How to Take Screenshots on a Chromebook (Including Full Page)
How-to
How to Take Screenshots on a Chromebook (Including Full Page)
On this page
- The short answer
- What is the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot on a Chromebook?
- How do you use the built-in Screen capture toolbar?
- How do you capture an entire scrolling webpage on a Chromebook?
- Where do Chromebook screenshots get saved, and how do you annotate them?
- How do you record your screen instead of a still image on a Chromebook?
- Is there a Snipping Tool extension for Chromebook?
- How do you take a screenshot on a Chromebook tablet or touchscreen?
- How do you save screenshots directly to Google Drive instead of Downloads?
- What do you do if Chromebook screenshot shortcuts aren't working?
- Frequently asked
The short answer
Press Ctrl + Show windows for an instant full-screen shot, or Ctrl+Shift+Show windows to open the capture toolbar for partial, window, or screen-record options. For a full scrolling webpage, which the built-in tool can't capture, use an extension like GoFullPage or Full Page Screen Capture instead.
What is the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot on a Chromebook?
Press Ctrl + the Show windows key (the key with a rectangle and two lines, usually where F5 sits) to capture the whole screen instantly, or Ctrl+Shift + that same key to open the screen capture toolbar with more options.
- Locate the Show windows key on the top row of your Chromebook keyboard.
- Press
Ctrl+ that key alone for an instant full-screen capture. - Press
Ctrl+Shift+ that key to open the on-screen capture toolbar instead, which lets you choose full screen, a window, or a specific area before you shoot. - Watch for the thumbnail notification in the bottom-right corner — click it to crop, annotate, or delete the shot before it's fully saved.
Keyboard layouts vary by model
Some newer Chromebooks put a dedicated Screen capture icon in the Quick Settings panel instead of relying on the key alone. If you can't find the key, click the clock and status area in the bottom-right corner and look for a camera-and-rectangle icon.
How do you use the built-in Screen capture toolbar?
The capture toolbar, opened with Ctrl+Shift + Show windows or the Quick Settings icon, gives you several capture types without installing anything.
| Option | What it captures | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Full screen | Everything currently visible | A quick capture of the whole desktop |
| Partial | A rectangle you drag manually | Cropping out clutter around one section |
| Window | One open app window only | Comparing windows without background mess |
| Screen record | Video instead of a still image | Walkthroughs and bug reports |
Check the settings gear in the toolbar
The small gear icon inside the capture toolbar usually lets you toggle whether the cursor is included in the shot and change where captures are saved by default.
How do you capture an entire scrolling webpage on a Chromebook?
The built-in tool only grabs what's visible on screen, so a long article or tall page gets cut off at the fold. A full-page capture extension scrolls and stitches the whole thing into one image automatically.
Extensions that capture the entire scrolling page, not just what's visible
-
GoFullPageFreemium
Screenshots & Recording
One-click full-page capture that exports as PNG or PDF. Main catch: it only captures what's on the page, not separate popups or elements loaded outside the normal scroll.
-
Screenshots & Recording
A similar one-click approach to scrolling and stitching an entire page into a single image. Main catch: very long pages can take a moment to fully render before the stitched image is ready.
-
Awesome ScreenshotFreemium
Screenshots & Recording
Adds annotation tools on top of full-page and region capture, plus a Freemium tier with extra features like screen recording. Main catch: some of the annotation extras sit behind the paid tier.
Where do Chromebook screenshots get saved, and how do you annotate them?
By default, Chromebook screenshots save inside the Downloads folder in the Files app, and the notification that pops up right after capturing lets you mark them up before that even matters.
- After capturing, click the thumbnail preview that appears in the bottom-right corner.
- Use the built-in markup tools — pen, highlighter, text, and crop — that open automatically.
- Click the download or save icon to keep your edits, or the trash icon to discard the shot entirely.
- Find the saved file later in the Files app under Downloads, sorted by date.
How do you record your screen instead of a still image on a Chromebook?
Screen recording lives in the same capture toolbar as screenshots on most current Chromebooks, so you don't need a separate app for basic clips. A dedicated recorder adds narration, editing, and easy sharing links on top of that.
Recording and sharing tools beyond the built-in recorder
-
LoomFreemium
Screenshots & Recording
Records your screen and camera together and shares an instant link instead of a downloaded file. Main catch: full editing and longer recordings sit behind the Freemium plan.
Full walkthrough for screen recording
For a complete comparison of built-in recording versus extensions across Chrome generally, see how to record your screen in Chrome.
Is there a Snipping Tool extension for Chromebook?
There's no app called Snipping Tool on ChromeOS — that's a Windows-only name — but the Ctrl+Shift + Show windows capture toolbar does the same job of letting you drag a custom-sized region before capturing.
If you specifically want extras that Windows' Snipping Tool doesn't even have, like a delay timer or direct cloud upload, an extension such as Awesome Screenshot layers those features on top of the built-in tool rather than replacing it.
How do you take a screenshot on a Chromebook tablet or touchscreen?
In tablet mode or on a detachable with the keyboard removed, hold the Power button and Volume down button together for about a second to capture the full screen, since there's no Show windows key available.
A convertible Chromebook with the keyboard still attached keeps using the standard keyboard shortcut. The button combination only becomes necessary once the device switches into tablet mode or the keyboard is physically detached.
How do you save screenshots directly to Google Drive instead of Downloads?
Screenshots pile up in Downloads fast on a Chromebook with limited local storage. Saving them straight to Drive keeps them off the device and makes them easy to share with a link instead of an attachment.
Send captures straight to Google Drive
-
Productivity
Saves any webpage or screen capture straight to your Drive in one click. Main catch: it needs Drive access, which is worth reviewing on the extension's permissions page before installing.
-
Web Clipper for DriveFreemium
Productivity
Clips full webpages, screenshots, or PDFs into Google Drive with a single action. Main catch: it's a Freemium tool, with some export formats limited on the free tier.
What do you do if Chromebook screenshot shortcuts aren't working?
If Ctrl+Shift + Show windows does nothing, the most common causes are a remapped keyboard, an external keyboard without that key, or a managed Chromebook with capture disabled by policy.
- Try the Quick Settings panel's Screen capture icon instead of the keyboard shortcut.
- Check Settings > Device > Keyboard to see if keys have been remapped.
- On a school or work Chromebook, ask your admin — enterprise policies can disable screen capture entirely.
- If an extension's capture button is greyed out on a page, it's likely a restricted page where extensions can't run at all.
Some pages block extensions by design
chrome:// settings pages and the Chrome Web Store itself block most extensions from capturing content there. That's a Chrome platform limitation, not a bug in any specific screenshot tool, so use the built-in keyboard shortcut on those pages instead.
Extensions mentioned in this guide
- GoFullPageCapture a full-page screenshot in one click.
- Full Page Screen CaptureOne-click capture of an entire webpage as a single scrolling screenshot
- Awesome ScreenshotCapture, annotate and share full-page or region screenshots and screen recordings
- LoomRecord your screen and camera, share a link.
- Save to Google DriveSave any webpage or screen capture straight to your Google Drive in one click.
- Web Clipper for DriveClip full webpages, screenshots or PDFs into Google Drive with a single click.
Frequently asked
What is the keyboard shortcut to take a screenshot on a Chromebook?
Press Ctrl + the Show windows key (the rectangle-with-two-lines key) for an instant full-screen capture, or add Shift to open the capture toolbar with more options.
How do you screenshot just part of the screen on a Chromebook?
Press Ctrl+Shift + Show windows to open the capture toolbar, choose the partial-screenshot option, then drag a rectangle around the area you want.
Where do Chromebook screenshots save by default?
Inside the Downloads folder in the Files app, unless you've changed the default save location using the settings gear icon inside the capture toolbar.
How do you take a full-page screenshot of a scrolling webpage on a Chromebook?
The built-in tool only captures what's visible, so use a full-page capture extension like GoFullPage or Full Page Screen Capture to scroll and stitch the whole page automatically.
Is there a Snipping Tool for Chromebook?
There's no app by that name — ChromeOS's built-in Ctrl+Shift + Show windows capture toolbar does the same region-selection job natively.
How do you screenshot a Chromebook without a keyboard?
In tablet mode or with the keyboard detached, hold the Power button and Volume down button together for about a second.
How do you screen record on a Chromebook without an extension?
Open the same capture toolbar with Ctrl+Shift + Show windows and choose the screen record option, which most current Chromebooks include alongside screenshots.
Why isn't the screenshot shortcut working on my Chromebook?
Check for a remapped keyboard under Settings > Device > Keyboard, try the Screen capture icon in Quick Settings instead, and ask an admin if it's a managed school or work device.
Can you annotate a screenshot right after taking it on a Chromebook?
Yes — click the thumbnail notification that appears after capturing to open built-in markup tools for cropping, drawing, and adding text before saving.
How do you save a Chromebook screenshot directly to Google Drive?
Use an extension like Save to Google Drive or Web Clipper for Drive to send the capture straight to your Drive instead of the local Downloads folder.
Do screenshot extensions work on chrome:// pages or the Chrome Web Store?
No — Chrome blocks extensions from running on its own internal pages and the Web Store, so use the built-in keyboard shortcut for those instead.
What's the difference between a window screenshot and a partial screenshot on a Chromebook?
A window screenshot captures one entire open app window automatically, while a partial screenshot lets you drag a custom rectangle of any size, even across windows.