How to Take a Screenshot on Chromebook [3 Ways]

In Summary

ChromeOS is a lightweight and easy-to-use operating system that lets you use web-based applications.
Like most operating systems, ChromeOS also offers different ways to take a screenshot on Chromebook.
After you’ve captured a screenshot on ChromeOS, you can then view, edit, delete, and share the image. If you have a stylus then you can even draw and scribble on screenshots.

Chromebooks are simple and easy-to-use computers for the masses that help you get things done faster. They run on ChromeOS, an intuitive and easy-to-use operating system, and offer plenty of features while trying to bridge the gap between a computer and a tablet.

If you are just starting out with ChromeOS, learning how to take a screenshot on Chromebook can be extremely useful. Much like other operating systems, there are different ways to capture screenshots in ChromeOS.

Let’s go over each of these screenshot methods on Chromebook.

Table of Contents

Method 1: Take a Screenshot on Chromebook Using the Screen Capture Tool

Taking a screenshot using the Screen Capture tool is quite easy. It works on both touch screens and regular Chromebooks, and you can access all the different screenshot options using this tool.

Follow these steps to screenshot the screen with the Screen Capture Tool:

Click on the clock at the bottom right corner to open the Quick Settings panel.
Tap on the arrow on the top-right corner to expand the menu.
Select Screen Capture from the available options.
When you see a floating dock at the bottom, ensure the camera icon is selected here.
Now, the Screen Capture Tool will give you three screenshot options, namely Full Screen, Partial, and Window. Here’s what each of these does:
- Full Screen Screenshot: It lets you take a screenshot of the entire screen. Tap anywhere on the screen to capture the entire screen.
- Partial Screenshot: It lets you select a specific portion of the screen you want to screenshot. Use your mouse/trackpad to select the area you want to capture and hit Capture in the middle of the screen.
- Window Screenshot: It lets you take a screenshot of the active window on your Chromebook.

Once the screenshot is captured, it will appear on the bottom-right corner of the screen and automatically be copied to your clipboard. You can directly edit or delete the screenshot by selecting the appropriate option on the notification window.

Method 2: Take a Screenshot on Chromebook With Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts offer an easy way to capture the screen on ChromeOS. If you don’t wish to use the Screen Capture Tool, then you can use the screenshot keyboard shortcuts to take a screenshot.

Full Screenshot: Hit the CTRL + Window keys, and it screenshot your screen.
Partial Screenshot: Press CTRL + SHIFT + Window keys together. After the tool has opened up, select the area you want to capture using the cursor or your stylus pointer.
Window Screenshot: Hit the CTRL + ALT + Window keyboard combination. When this brings up the selection tool, select the window you want to screenshot to capture it. After you have selected the window, it will capture and save the screenshot.

As soon as a screenshot is captured, it will be copied to your clipboard, and you will see it on the bottom-right corner of the screen. Hit Edit or Delete to edit or delete the screenshot, respectively.

Method 3: Take a Screenshot on Chromebook Using Stylus

A stylus can be used to do a lot of things on a Chromebook. It also simplifies taking screenshots, and the best part is that you can scribble on the screenshot in the edit menu after you have captured it.

After pairing your stylus with your Chromebook, just tap on the pen icon present on the right side of the taskbar.
In the menu that opens, select Screen Capture to open the screenshot tool.
Next, you will see a floating dock at the bottom with several options. This is the screenshot tool in ChromeOS. Make sure that the camera icon is selected here.
Now, depending on your requirement, choose a screenshot option from the three available options: Full Screen, Partial, and Window.
Next, tap on the highlighted area with the stylus to take a screenshot.

Once the screenshot is captured, it appears on the right side and is also automatically copied to your clipboard. You can directly edit or delete the screenshot from the option present in this notification.

Where to Find the Saved Screenshots on ChromeOS

All the screenshots you capture are automatically saved to the Downloads folder on your Chromebook. This is the default location for saving the screenshots.

To access the Downloads folder, tap on the App Launcher icon in the bottom left corner of the taskbar. Then tap on the Files application icon to open it. Here, you will find the Downloads tab in the menu on the left side. Inside this folder, you can find all the screenshots you have captured.

If, for some reason, you want to save the screenshots to another location, tap on the Settings icon in the screenshot tool, select Select Folder, and choose the folder where you preferred folder.

Alternatively, you can also access the screenshots from the taskbar by simply clicking on the small circular thumbnails you can see. These are merely the previews of your last few screenshots so you can quickly access them when needed.

Easiest Way to Take Screenshots on Chromebooks

Screenshots are useful when you want to capture the contents of your screen. As you’ve just seen, there are a few different ways to do this on a Chromebook, so pick a method that suits your requirement and follow the appropriate steps to take screenshots on your Chromebook.

FAQs About Taking a Screenshot on Chromebook

Do we need a keyboard to take a screenshot on ChromeOS?

No, while you can use keyboard shortcuts to take screenshots in ChromeOS, it is not mandatory. You can use the touchscreen to also take screenshots using the on-screen shortcuts. Alternatively, you can use the Screen Capture Tool or the stylus to take screenshots on Chromebook as well.

Can we edit the screenshots before saving them on ChromeOS?

The screenshots will be saved automatically after you have captured them. You can edit it later from the files app or the gallery. Or, you can click on the Edit button that appears in the pop-up on the bottom-right of the screen as soon as you capture the screenshot to edit the screenshot.

How to take full screenshots on Chromebook?

Taking full screenshots on Chromebook is pretty easy. Here are the steps:

Go to Quick Settings, and select "Screen Capture".
On the Screen Capture tool, you can select to capture the full screen. You can even choose to record the screen.
Look for the screen capture icon with a PLUS (+) sign in the middle. Clicking that will help you take fll screenshots.