Chrome has a built-in screenshot tool you don't need to install anything for

Chrome's screenshot feature is built into the browser itself. You can capture your entire screen, a single window, or just the part of the page you're looking at — all without leaving the browser. The tool saves your screenshot to your Downloads folder automatically, and you can also copy it straight to your clipboard to paste into email, documents, or messaging apps.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're on Windows, Mac, or a Chromebook, but the feature works the same way on all three. You'll use either a keyboard shortcut or the menu, depending on what you prefer.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl + Shift + S on Windows or Cmd + Shift + 5 on Mac to open Chrome's screenshot tool instantly.
  • You can select a rectangular area, capture the whole screen, or grab a single window — the tool shows you all three options when it opens.
  • Screenshots save to your Downloads folder by default, but you can copy to clipboard instead and paste directly into another program.
  • If the keyboard shortcut doesn't work, open the Chrome menu (three dots), go to More Tools, and select Screenshot.

Taking a screenshot on Windows

Press Ctrl + Shift + S on your keyboard. The screen will dim slightly and your cursor will change to a crosshair. You now have four options shown at the bottom of the screen: capture a selected area, capture the full page, capture the visible window, or capture the full screen.

For a selected area, click and drag to draw a rectangle around what you want to capture. For the full page, full window, or full screen, just click the option you want. Once you've made your selection, a small notification will pop up in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it to open the screenshot, or click the download icon to save it to your Downloads folder. If you don't click anything, the screenshot saves automatically after a few seconds.

If the keyboard shortcut doesn't work, open Chrome and click the three-dot menu in the top right corner. Go to More Tools, then select Screenshot. This opens the same tool.

Taking a screenshot on Mac

Press Cmd + Shift + 5 on your keyboard. Your screen will dim and you'll see the same four capture options at the bottom: selected area, full page, visible window, or full screen. The process is identical to Windows — click and drag for a selected area, or click one of the preset options.

After you capture, a thumbnail appears in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click it to open the screenshot in the preview window, where you can edit or annotate it before saving. If you don't click the thumbnail, the screenshot saves to your Downloads folder after a few seconds.

If the keyboard shortcut doesn't work on your Mac, use the menu instead: click the three-dot menu in the top right, go to More Tools, and select Screenshot.

Taking a screenshot on a Chromebook

Press Ctrl + Show Windows (the Show Windows key is usually where F5 would be on a regular keyboard, or look for an icon that looks like a rectangle with lines). This opens the screenshot tool with the same four options. Select the area or full screen you want to capture the same way you would on Windows or Mac.

Your screenshot saves to the Downloads folder. You can also press Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows to copy the screenshot directly to your clipboard instead of saving it to a file — this is useful if you want to paste it into an email or document right away.

Copying a screenshot to your clipboard instead of saving it

On Windows, after you take a screenshot with Ctrl + Shift + S, look at the notification that appears in the bottom right. Click the copy icon (it looks like two overlapping squares) to copy the image to your clipboard. You can then paste it directly into email, documents, or messaging apps using Ctrl + V.

On Mac, click the thumbnail that appears after you take a screenshot, then click Copy in the preview window. On a Chromebook, use Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows instead of the regular shortcut to copy directly to clipboard.

Copying to clipboard is faster than saving a file if you only need the screenshot for one thing and don't want to keep it on your computer afterward.

Where Chrome saves your screenshots

By default, all screenshots go to your Downloads folder with a filename like "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 2.30.45 PM" (the exact format varies slightly by operating system). You can find them the same way you'd find any other downloaded file.

If you want to change where screenshots save, you'll need to change your browser's download settings. In Chrome, click the three-dot menu, go to Settings, then Downloads. Toggle on Ask where to save each file before downloading. After that, Chrome will ask you where to save each screenshot instead of automatically putting it in Downloads.

What to do if the screenshot tool isn't working

If the keyboard shortcut doesn't open the screenshot tool, the most common reason is that another program on your computer is using the same shortcut. Check what other programs you have open and close any that might be intercepting the keys.

If closing other programs doesn't help, try using the menu instead: click the three-dot menu in Chrome, go to More Tools, and select Screenshot. This always works even if the keyboard shortcut is blocked.

On Chromebook, if Ctrl + Show Windows doesn't work, make sure you're pressing the actual Show Windows key and not trying to use F5 as a substitute. The Show Windows key is specific to Chromebook keyboards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a screenshot after I take it?

On Mac, the preview window that appears after you take a screenshot has basic editing tools — you can draw, add text, or crop before saving. On Windows and Chromebook, Chrome doesn't include editing tools, but you can open the screenshot in any image editor afterward. Windows comes with the Snipping Tool and Paint, and Mac comes with Preview.

Does Chrome screenshot the whole webpage or just what's visible?

It depends which option you choose. "Visible window" captures only what you see on screen right now. "Full page" scrolls down and captures the entire webpage, even the parts below the fold. If you're not sure which one you used, check the size of the saved image — a full page screenshot will be much taller than your screen.

Can I take a screenshot of just part of a webpage?

Yes. Use the "selected area" option and click and drag to draw a rectangle around the part you want. This works on any webpage, in any tab, and captures only the pixels inside the rectangle you draw.

What if I want to screenshot something that's not in Chrome?

Chrome's screenshot tool only works inside Chrome. For screenshots of other programs or your desktop, use your operating system's built-in tool instead: Snipping Tool on Windows, Screenshot on Mac, or the Chromebook screenshot shortcut for the desktop.