How to Screenshot on Chromebook
Take a screenshot on a Chromebook with Ctrl+Show Windows or the Screen Capture toolbar, then find, edit, and share it.
Chromebook keyboards do not have a Print Screen key, at least not one labeled that way. They also do not have the same shortcuts as Mac or Windows.
Chrome OS has its own set of shortcuts and a built-in Screen Capture tool that handles screenshots and screen recordings. There is one main shortcut and a toolbar behind it, and that is most of the story. But getting there requires knowing that the key labeled with a rectangle and two lines is the Show Windows key, and that it replaces Print Screen in Chromebook land.
You will know the two shortcuts, the toolbar behind them, and where your screenshots end up. We checked these steps against Google's Chromebook Help pages in September 2026.
Full screen capture with Ctrl+Show Windows
Press Ctrl and the Show Windows key simultaneously. The Show Windows key is the rectangular icon with two vertical lines to its right, located in the top row of your keyboard where F5 would be on a standard keyboard. This captures your entire screen. A notification appears in the bottom right corner confirming the capture, with a thumbnail preview. Click the notification to open the screenshot for editing or sharing. The file saves automatically to your Downloads folder as a PNG. Newer Chromebooks make this easier still. If your Chromebook has a dedicated Screenshot key, pressing it opens the Screen Capture toolbar, where you choose full screen, partial, or window.
Partial screen capture with Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows
Press Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows to enter selection mode. Your cursor changes to a crosshair. Click and drag to select the exact area you want to capture. A toolbar appears at the bottom of the screen offering additional options. Release the mouse button, adjust the edges if you need to, then click Capture in the middle of the selection. The screenshot saves to Downloads and a notification confirms the capture. Partial capture is the same toolbar step 3 describes, with the drag mode already active, which is why both share a shortcut.
Good to know: If you use an external keyboard that does not have the Show Windows key, press Ctrl+F5 for full screen capture or Ctrl+Shift+F5 for partial capture. The F5 key maps to Show Windows on external keyboards.
Use the Screen Capture toolbar for all options
Press Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows to open the Screen Capture toolbar at the bottom of the screen. This toolbar gives you three capture modes (full screen, partial screen, specific window) and two capture types (screenshot or screen recording). Click the camera icon for screenshots or the video icon for recordings. Select your capture mode, then click Capture or start recording. The toolbar also has a Settings icon, where you can change the save folder and, for recordings, choose microphone or device audio, turn on the front camera, or show your clicks and keys.
Capture a specific window
From the Screen Capture toolbar, select the window capture mode (the icon showing a single window). Your cursor changes to a highlight tool. Hover over any open window and it highlights with a blue border. Click the window to capture it. This captures just that window without the desktop background or other windows. It works for browser windows, apps, and system dialogs.
Paste a screenshot straight from the clipboard
You do not have to do anything special to paste a screenshot. Google says screenshots and recordings are automatically copied to your clipboard, so Ctrl+V works straight after a capture, and the file lands in Downloads as well. To reach something you captured a few minutes ago, press the Search key + V (or Launcher + V) for the clipboard manager, which holds recent screenshots alongside copied text.
Find, edit, and share your screenshots
Screenshots save to the Downloads folder as PNG files by default. Open the Files app to find them. Chrome OS includes a basic built-in image editor. Double-click a screenshot to open it in the Gallery app, where you can crop, rotate, adjust brightness, and annotate with drawing tools. To share, right-click the file and choose Share, or open it in the Gallery and use the share icon. You can also access recent screenshots from the Tote (the small shelf area in the bottom right of the taskbar) for quick access without opening the Files app.
Learn Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows first, because the toolbar it opens covers every kind of capture, including recordings. If a shortcut does nothing on an external keyboard, use the F5 versions from the tip in step 2. If you also use a Windows PC or a Mac, our guides on how to screenshot on Windows and how to screenshot on a Mac cover the shortcuts there.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
The Show Windows key sits in the top row, where F5 would be on a standard keyboard. Look for the icon rather than counting along the row, because the layout varies between models. It is a rectangle with two vertical lines to its right, and it usually sits near the Full Screen and Brightness keys. If your keyboard has standard function keys instead, use F5 as the equivalent.
Chrome OS does not have a built-in scrolling screenshot feature. For capturing long webpages, you have a few options. Use a browser extension like GoFullPage or Fireshot, which capture the entire scrollable content of a webpage. Alternatively, you can use the Chrome DevTools method by pressing Ctrl+Shift+I to open developer tools, then Ctrl+Shift+P and searching for "Capture full size screenshot." This captures the entire page as rendered.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows to open the Screen Capture toolbar. Click the video camera icon (instead of the camera icon) to switch to recording mode. Select whether to record the full screen, a partial area, or a specific window. Optionally enable microphone audio from the settings. To start, click anywhere on the screen for a full-screen recording, drag out an area for a partial one, or click the window you want to record. To stop, Google says to select Stop recording at the bottom right, or press Search+Shift+X. Recordings save to your Downloads folder as WebM, and a partial-screen recording can be saved as a GIF instead if you prefer.
Yes. Open the Screen Capture toolbar (Ctrl+Shift+Show Windows), click the gear icon, and select a different save location. You can choose any folder in your local storage or Google Drive. Setting a dedicated Screenshots folder keeps them separate from other downloads.
When your Chromebook is in tablet mode (keyboard folded back or detached), press the Power button and Volume Down button together, which is the method Google lists in its Chromebook keyboard shortcuts. This works the same as taking a screenshot on an Android phone. The screen flashes and the screenshot saves to your Downloads folder. You can also access the Screen Capture toolbar from the Quick Settings panel in the bottom right corner.
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