The fastest way to capture your screen
On a Chromebook, press Ctrl + Show Windows to take a screenshot of your entire screen. The Show Windows key is the one that looks like a rectangle with lines — it sits where the F5 key would be on a regular keyboard. Your screenshot saves automatically to the Downloads folder as a PNG file.
If you want to capture only part of your screen instead, press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows. Your cursor will change to a crosshair, and you can click and drag to select the area you want. Release the mouse button when you have the region you need, and that partial screenshot also saves to Downloads.
Both methods work the same way whether you are using Chrome OS on a standard Chromebook, a detachable tablet, or a Chromebook tablet. The keyboard shortcut is always the same.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl + Show Windows (the rectangle key) to capture your entire screen in one action.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows and drag to select only the part of the screen you want to save.
- Screenshots save automatically to your Downloads folder as PNG files with a timestamp in the filename.
- You can open the Files app and navigate to Downloads to find, rename, or move your screenshots to another folder.
Finding your screenshots after you take them
When you take a screenshot, Chromebook saves it with a filename that includes the date and time — something like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.34.56 PM.png". All screenshots go to your Downloads folder by default, not to your Desktop or Pictures folder.
To find them, open the Files app (the folder icon in your taskbar at the bottom of the screen) and click Downloads in the left sidebar. You will see all your screenshots listed there. You can right-click any screenshot to rename it, move it to a different folder, or delete it.
If you want to organize screenshots into a specific folder, you can create a new folder inside Downloads and drag your screenshots into it. For example, you might create a folder called "Work Screenshots" or "Game Clips" to keep them separate from other downloaded files.
Editing or sharing a screenshot right after you take it
After you take a screenshot, a small preview appears in the bottom right corner of your screen for a few seconds. Click that preview to open the screenshot in the built-in image editor, where you can crop it, draw on it with a pen or highlighter, or add text before you save it.
From the editor, you can also share the screenshot directly to Gmail, Google Drive, or other apps without saving it to Downloads first. If you do not click the preview, it disappears and your screenshot is already saved — you can always edit it later by opening the Files app and double-clicking the image.
The editor lets you use a pen tool to draw, a highlighter to mark areas, or a text tool to add words. You can undo any change by pressing Ctrl + Z, and when you are done, click Save to overwrite the original or Save As to keep both versions.
Taking screenshots of windows or tabs
The full-screen and partial-screen methods work for most situations, but if you want to capture only one window or browser tab, the partial screenshot is usually the fastest approach. Press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows, then drag around just the window or tab you want.
If you are taking a screenshot of a web page that is longer than your screen, the partial method will only capture what is visible on the screen at that moment. To capture an entire web page, use your browser instead: in Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + I to open Developer Tools, then press Ctrl + Shift + P and type "screenshot" to find the full-page screenshot option.
Troubleshooting if your screenshot is not saving
If you take a screenshot and it does not appear in Downloads, check whether your Chromebook is in Guest mode. Guest mode does not save files to Downloads — screenshots disappear when you close the guest session. Sign in to your Google account instead to save screenshots permanently.
If you are signed in but screenshots still are not saving, make sure you have storage space available. Press the keyboard shortcut to open Settings, search for "Storage", and check how much space is left. If your Chromebook is almost full, delete old files or move them to Google Drive to free up room.
If the Show Windows key is not working, try restarting your Chromebook. Press the power button, select Shut Down, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. After restart, the keyboard shortcut should work again.
Using Google Drive or Google Photos to store screenshots
Instead of keeping all your screenshots in the Downloads folder, you can move them to Google Drive or Google Photos for backup and easier access from other devices. Open the Files app, right-click a screenshot, and select "Move to Google Drive" or drag it into a Google Drive folder.
Google Photos also backs up screenshots automatically if you turn on backup in the Photos app settings. This way, your screenshots are safe even if something happens to your Chromebook, and you can view them on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Show Windows key on my Chromebook keyboard?
The Show Windows key is the one that looks like a rectangle with horizontal lines through it. It is located in the top row of your keyboard where the F5 key would be on a regular computer keyboard. On some Chromebooks, it may be labeled with an icon instead of text.
Can I take a screenshot of just my cursor or pointer?
The standard screenshot tools do not include the cursor in the image. If you need a screenshot that shows your cursor, you can use the partial screenshot method and then use the built-in editor to draw an arrow or circle pointing to where your cursor was. Some third-party apps in the Chrome Web Store also offer cursor-capture features.
Do screenshots include audio or video?
No. Screenshots capture only what is visible on your screen at that moment — they are still images, not video or audio. If you want to record video of your screen, you can use the built-in screen recording feature in Chrome OS by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Show Windows instead.
Can I change where screenshots save by default?
Screenshots always save to the Downloads folder on Chromebooks — you cannot change the default location. However, you can move or copy screenshots to other folders after they are saved, or set up Google Drive to sync so files appear in multiple places.
What file format are Chromebook screenshots saved in?
Chromebook screenshots save as PNG files, which is a format that keeps the image quality without making the file size too large. PNG files work with all image viewers and can be opened in any photo editor or web browser.