How to Take a Screenshot on a Chromebook: A Quick Guide

Chromebook Key Configuration

When taking a screenshot on your Chromebook, it’s essential to understand the key configurations. Specific keyboard shortcuts allow you to capture the whole screen or a portion of it.

To take a full-screen screenshot, press the Ctrl key and the Show Windows key simultaneously. The Show Windows key is located on the top row of the keyboard and has an icon that resembles a rectangle with two vertical lines on its right side.

If you want to take a partial screenshot, you must use a slightly different keyboard combination. Press Ctrl, Shift, and the Show Windows key together. This will open the Screen Capture tool, allowing you to select the area you want to capture with your mouse cursor. Release the mouse button when you’ve selected the desired region, and the screenshot will be taken.

Here’s a summary of the keyboard shortcuts:

• Full-screen screenshot: Ctrl + Show Windows
• Partial screenshot: Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows

After capturing a screenshot, you will receive a notification in the lower-right corner of your screen. By clicking on this notification, you can quickly access the screenshot file, which is stored in the Downloads folder by default.

Remember, when using an external keyboard, the key configurations could differ. In such cases, press Ctrl + Shift + F5 for a full-screen screenshot. However, the process for taking partial screenshots remains the same.

Now you can take screenshots on your Chromebook using the appropriate key configurations. Good luck, and happy capturing!

Locating Screenshot Key Combination

Standard Key Combination

To take a screenshot on your Chromebook, you’ll want to use the standard key combination. This combination involves pressing Ctrl and Show Windows keys simultaneously. The Show Windows key is located on the top row of the keyboard, and its icon looks like a rectangle with two lines on either side.

When you press these keys together, you will immediately capture a full-screen screenshot. The screenshot will be saved in your Chromebook’s Downloads folder for easy access.

Alternate Key Combination

If your Chromebook doesn’t have a Show Windows key, or you’re using an external keyboard without one, there’s an alternate key combination you can use. In this situation, press Shift + Ctrl + F5 together to capture a full-screen screenshot.

For taking a partial screenshot, press Shift + Ctrl + Show Windows keys, then click and drag to select the desired area to capture.

Taking a Full Screen Screenshot

To take a full-screen screenshot on your Chromebook, follow these steps:

1. Locate the necessary keys on your keyboard. If your Chromebook has a dedicated screenshot key, you can take a screenshot. Otherwise, press the Shift, Ctrl, and Show Windows keys. If you use an external keyboard without a Show Windows key, press Ctrl, Shift, and F5 instead.
2. Press the appropriate key combination. Press either the Screenshot key or the key combination identified in the earlier step. This action will instantly capture your entire screen and save the screenshot as a PNG file.
3. Access the screenshot. The screenshot will automatically be saved to your “Downloads” folder. A notification will also appear in the bottom right corner of the screen, allowing you to quickly access the screenshot by clicking on the notification.

Remember, a full-screen screenshot will capture everything visible on your screen at the time of pressing the key(s). Close any unnecessary windows or applications before taking the screenshot to ensure you get the desired image.

Before sharing or using the screenshot, make sure to review the image for any sensitive or personal information that you may not want to be visible.

Now that you know how to take a full-screen screenshot on your Chromebook, you can easily capture and share information with others or keep a visual record for your own reference.

Taking a Partial Screenshot

When working on a Chromebook, you might want to take a screenshot of only a part of the screen rather than the entire display. One convenient way to accomplish this is using the keyboard shortcuts available on Chromebook devices.

To take a partial screenshot, press and hold Ctrl + Shift + Switch window. Upon pressing these keys, your cursor will transform into a crosshair symbol. Click and drag the cursor over the desired screen section you want to capture. Once you have selected the area, release the mouse button, and the screenshot will be taken automatically. The image will be saved in your Chromebook’s “Downloads” folder, accessible through the Files app.

Sometimes, you might need to screenshot a specific window rather than a customized area. To do so, press Ctrl + Alt + Show Windows. After pressing these keys, click on the window you want to capture, and the screenshot will be taken and saved to your “Downloads” folder.

It’s important to remember that these keyboard shortcuts are designed specifically for Chromebook devices. The process may vary if you use a device with a different operating system. However, within the Chromebook ecosystem, these methods offer a quick and easy way to capture partial screenshots for your needs.

Accessing and Managing Screenshots

In this section, we’ll cover how to find and manage the screenshots you’ve taken on your Chromebook.

Finding Your Screenshots

Once you’ve taken a screenshot on your Chromebook, it will be saved in the “Downloads” folder by default. To locate your screenshots, follow these steps:

1. Open the Files app on your Chromebook.
2. In the left-hand side panel, click on Downloads.
3. Your screenshots will be saved as image files, in PNG format, with names like “Screenshot 2023-11-05 at 10.08.00 AM.png”, where the date and time reflect when the screenshot was taken.

Managing Your Screenshots

Managing your screenshots involves organizing, renaming, and deleting them as needed. Here’s how:

• Organizing: Create folders to categorize your screenshots. For example, you can create separate folders for work, personal, and school-related screenshots. To create a folder:

  1. Open the Files app.
  2. Navigate to the location where you want to create the folder.
  3. Click the New Folder button or right-click and select New Folder.
  4. Enter a name for the folder and press Enter.
  5. Drag and drop the screenshots into the appropriate folders.

• Renaming: To rename a screenshot:

  1. Locate the screenshot in the Files app.
  2. Right-click on the file and select Rename.
  3. Enter the new name and press Enter.

• Deleting: To delete a screenshot

  1. Locate the screenshot in the Files app.
  2. Right-click on the file and select Delete, or press the Delete key on your keyboard.
  3. To permanently delete the screenshot, go to the Trash folder, right-click the file, and choose Delete Forever.

Remember to periodically back up your screenshots to an external storage device or a cloud storage service to prevent data loss.

Last Updated : 19 November, 2023