How to take a screenshot on Chromebook

Sometimes describing what’s on your computer screen is a hassle. “Show, don’t tell” is the golden rule for many things. Luckily, that’s easy to do on a Chromebook; you can take a screenshot. By generating an image of your screen, you can easily share it in a group chat, email, or social media. Let’s find out how to take a screenshot on Chromebook devices.

Also read: What is a Chromebook, and what can it do?

Taking a screenshot on a Chromebook with the keyboard

Here are all the ways to capture a screenshot on a Chromebook with a keyboard.

• To capture your entire screen as a Chromebook screenshot, press the Ctrl + Window Switch.
• If you want a screenshot of part of the screen, hit Ctrl + Shift + Window Switch. Select the area using the crosshairs icon to capture it.
• Hit Ctrl + F5 for a full screenshot if you use an external keyboard.
• For a partial screenshot using an external keyboard, press Ctrl + Shift + F5.

More: The best external keyboards you can buy

Taking a Chromebook screenshot in tablet mode

More and more Chromebooks have been designed as 2-in-1 devices, where you can either flip the display around 360 degrees or fully detach the display from the hardware keyboard. You can then use the display as a large touchscreen tablet (assuming the display is a touchscreen model).

To take a screenshot on Chromebook while in tablet mode, press the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously.

Also: Here are the best tablet Chromebooks you can buy

Taking a screenshot on a Chromebook using a stylus

More Chromebooks now come with an included stylus, such as the Google Pixelbook, the HP Chromebook x2, the Samsung Chromebook Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook.

There are a couple of ways to take a screenshot on a Chromebook using the stylus. If your Chromebook has a touchscreen stylus, tap the screen to bring up the stylus menu.

• Tap the screen with the stylus to take a full screenshot, and tap Capture Screen.
• Tap the screen with the stylus to take a partial screenshot and tap Capture region. Tap, hold, and drag on the screen portion, and lift the stylus off the screen when done.

Also: The most useful Chromebook shortcuts and gestures

Taking a Chromebook screenshot using a screenshot capture tool

You can also use a screenshot tool to take a screenshot on a Chromebook, which are extensions for Google Chrome. Chrome extensions are designed to help you use Chrome OS and your Chrome web browser in new and better ways.

It’s not shocking to see many Chrome extensions available for taking full or partial screenshots on Chromebook devices. Here’s a list of just some of the extensions that are available from the Chrome store:

• FireShot
• Nimbus
• LightShot
• Blipshot

We’ve tried to use Android apps for taking screenshots too, but they never work very well for some reason. We can’t recommend using Android apps to take a screenshot on a Chromebook quite yet.

Also: How to take a screenshot on any computer

Accessing your screenshots

Once you’ve taken a screenshot on your Chromebook, you’ll see a notification window confirming you have indeed taken a screenshot. It’s pretty simple to access your Chromebook screenshots afterward.

• Open your Chromebook screenshot directly from the notification pop-up you see when you take the screenshot.
• Go to your Downloads folder by opening your app launcher and searching for Files.

Next: These are the best Chromebooks around