For a full-screen screenshot, press Ctrl + Show windows. To capture only part of the display, press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, then click and drag over the area you need. The same Screen Capture toolbar also offers window capture and screen recording.
Chromebook screenshots are copied to the clipboard and saved in the Downloads folder by default. You can change the destination in Screen Capture settings.
Chromebook screenshot shortcuts at a glance
| What you want | Shortcut or control | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Entire screen | Ctrl + Show windows | Immediate still image of the whole display |
| Rectangular region | Shift + Ctrl + Show windows | Drag a selection box around the area to capture |
| Window, region, full screen, or recording | Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, then use the toolbar | Screen Capture controls and mode selection |
| Chromebook tablet | Power + Volume down | Still image of the display |
| Devices with a Screenshot key | Press the dedicated key | Opens the capture flow |
The Show windows key is the rectangle-with-two-lines key in the top row on most Chromebook keyboards. If your keyboard labels differ, use the equivalent Search/Launcher key described below.
Take a full-screen screenshot with the keyboard
- Arrange the Chromebook display exactly as you want it saved. Close menus or notifications that should not appear.
- Press Ctrl + Show windows at the same time.
- Wait for the screenshot confirmation. The image is copied to the clipboard and saved automatically.
Open the Files app and choose Downloads to find the file. You can paste the clipboard copy directly into an email, document, chat, or image editor with Ctrl + V.
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Capture only part of the Chromebook screen
- Press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows.
- When the selection cursor appears, click at one corner of the desired area.
- Drag to the opposite corner and release the mouse or trackpad button.
- Use the resulting clipboard copy or open Files > Downloads for the saved image.
Make the selection slightly larger than text or controls that sit on an edge; you can crop again later, but information outside the selection cannot be recovered. On a touchscreen, drag with your finger. A compatible stylus can expose a Capture region command in its stylus menu.
Use the Screen Capture toolbar for a window or more controls
The toolbar is the best choice when you need to capture one application window, switch between full-screen and region modes, or record video.
- Press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows.
- In the bottom toolbar, choose the Screenshot mode if it is not already selected.
- Select Full screen, Partial screen, or Window.
- For Window, click the application window you want. For Partial screen, drag the rectangle. For Full screen, confirm the display.
You can open the same Screen Capture menu by selecting the system time area, then choosing the capture control. Chromebooks that include a dedicated Screenshot key open this flow directly.
Chromebook tablet, external keyboard, and stylus shortcuts
Chromebook tablets
Press Power + Volume down together. This uses the tablet hardware buttons and does not require the on-screen toolbar.
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Windows keyboards
On a Windows external keyboard, use the Windows key in place of Search when a shortcut calls for Search/Launcher. The exact key mapping can depend on the keyboard and ChromeOS version.
Mac keyboards
On a Mac keyboard connected to a Chromebook, use Command in place of Search or Launcher.
Keyboards without Show windows
If the keyboard has no Show windows key, Google’s Chromebook shortcut guidance lists Ctrl + Shift + F5 to open the capture flow. A dedicated Screenshot key, when present, is another option.
Touchscreen stylus
With a compatible stylus, open the stylus menu and choose Capture region or Capture screen. Stylus commands and availability vary by device.
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ChromeOS keyboard labels and controls can differ by model, keyboard layout, version, and administrator policy. The standard shortcut descriptions are written for US English QWERTY keyboards, so international layouts may show different legends.
Where Chromebook screenshots are saved and copied
ChromeOS automatically puts a screenshot on the clipboard and saves a file in Downloads unless you select another folder. To change the destination:
- Open the Screen Capture toolbar from the system time area or with Shift + Ctrl + Show windows.
- Open the toolbar’s settings or options control.
- Choose the folder where new screenshots should be stored.
In the Files app, use Downloads for the default location, or the folder you selected in Screen Capture settings. Rename or move the file there before uploading it to another service.
Record the screen instead of taking a still image
The Screen Capture toolbar also records the full display, a selected region, or one window.
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- Open Screen Capture with Shift + Ctrl + Show windows.
- Switch from Screenshot to Screen recording.
- Choose Full screen, Partial screen, or Window.
- In recording settings, choose whether to show the front camera, device audio, microphone, both audio sources, and indicators for clicks or key combinations.
- Start recording, then select Stop recording when finished. You can also press Search + Shift + X to stop.
Partial recordings can be saved as .webm video or .gif. GIF output does not include audio or video input. Recording files follow the Screen Capture save-location setting.
Choosing the right capture method
- Use the full-screen shortcut when speed matters and everything visible belongs in the image.
- Use partial capture for a dialog, error message, image, or a small section of a webpage.
- Use window capture when you want one app without manually drawing a selection rectangle.
- Use the tablet buttons when the Chromebook is folded into tablet mode or a keyboard is unavailable.
- Use a stylus when selecting a region by touch is more precise than using the trackpad.
- Use recording when still images cannot explain a sequence of actions or a moving problem.
Troubleshooting Chromebook screenshots
The shortcut does nothing
Check that you are pressing the Chromebook’s Show windows key, not a function key with a similar symbol. Try opening the system time area and launching Screen Capture from the menu. If you are using an external keyboard, apply the Windows- or Mac-key substitutions above, or try Ctrl + Shift + F5 to open the capture flow.
The selection tool appears, but the image is wrong
Start the drag from inside the intended corner and keep holding until you reach the opposite corner. On a trackpad, a firm click followed by a controlled drag is more reliable than tapping. If a menu closes during selection, reopen the toolbar and capture the region after the page settles.
I cannot find the screenshot
Check Files > Downloads first, then inspect the folder configured in Screen Capture settings. If you only need to paste the image, use Ctrl + V immediately after capture; the clipboard copy can exist even when you are looking in the wrong folder.
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The toolbar has fewer choices than expected
ChromeOS version, device type, keyboard layout, and administrator policy can change which controls appear. A school or company administrator may restrict capture or recording. Ask the administrator which policy applies rather than installing an unapproved extension.
Tablet buttons are difficult to press together
Hold Power and Volume down simultaneously for a moment. If that is unreliable, rotate the device to expose the keyboard and use Screen Capture from the system menu, if available.
The recording has no sound
Before starting, open recording settings and explicitly enable device audio, microphone, or both. A GIF cannot contain audio, so choose .webm when sound or camera input is required.
Or skip the browser setup
If you are a developer who needs a screenshot of a public webpage rather than the Chromebook desktop, ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one GET request. It is useful for documentation builds, visual checks, and scripts where opening Chrome manually is unnecessary.
See the parameter reference in the ScreenshotNeo documentation. This cURL example captures Stripe:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);ScreenshotNeo can accept cookie and consent banners before capture and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server includes take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.
Every plan includes the features, including full-page lazy-image loading, CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, device presets, custom viewport and retina scale, PDF controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, waits, request blocking, headers, cookies, user agent, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous webhooks, bulk capture for up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API, OpenAPI, and compatibility with parameter names used by other screenshot APIs.
| Plan | Allowance | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 1,000 shots/month | $0, no card |
| Starter | 3,000 shots | $5 |
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Yearly billing provides two months free. The free tier includes 1,000 screenshots each month with no card required; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account when you want automated webpage captures instead of setting up a browser.
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Quick Recap
Practical checklist
- Need everything visible now? Press Ctrl + Show windows.
- Need a rectangle? Press Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, then drag.
- Need one app, recording, audio, or save-location controls? Open the Screen Capture toolbar.
- Using tablet mode? Press Power + Volume down.
- Cannot find the file? Check Downloads and the configured Screen Capture folder.
- Capturing webpages repeatedly in code? Use the ScreenshotNeo API or its MCP tools instead of manual Chromebook shortcuts.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
