How to Take Screenshots on a Chromebook

The quickest way to capture what you see on your screen is to use Chrome OS' built-in tools.

Chromebooks have a great tool to capture screenshots and record your screen as a video clip. Here's how to use it.

 Taking a screenshot on your computer can be helpful for so  numerous  effects. From  snappily showing someone an issue you are troubleshooting to grabbing ideas for your coming big  design to helping out a friend or family member by showing them how to do  commodity, the list is endless. still, taking a screenshot differs from device to device, operating system to operating system. And that includes Chromebooks and ChromeOS. 

For times, the screenshot tool on Chromebooks was  introductory and could only be launched with a not- so- egregious keyboard roadway. That changed last time when Google introduced a screenshot tool that lets you take both  prints and  videotape clips of what is on your Chromebook screen. Then are two ways to launch the Screen Capture tool, how to use it and where to find your captures once you take them. 

Screenshot on a Chromebook with a keyboard shortcut

To launch the Screen Capture toolbar, you must press a three-key shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+Show Windows. The Show Windows key is up on the keyboard's top row with an icon that looks like a window with two windows stacked behind it. Just press those three and the toolbar will pop up at the bottom of the screen. 

Also, if you simply want to take a fast shot of your entire screen, as opposed to a specific region or window, you can simply press Ctrl+Show Windows.

These Chromebook keyboard shortcuts will work on any model. However, some Chromebooks have a Screen Capture key on the keyboard's top row. Look for a key with a camera icon on it, usually a rectangle with a circle in the center. When pressed it will automatically launch the tool -- no key combo necessary. 

Screenshot on a Chromebook from Quick Settings

I've a hard time flashing back  roadway keys, so I am always looking for another option. Luckily, Google added a roadway button to the Quick Settings panel for screenshots so I  noway  have to  suppose about what keys I need again. On Chrome's Shelf, click on the time to pop up the Quick Settings menu. Just click or tap on Screen Capture and the toolbar will launch. 

How to use the screenshot toolbar

The Screen Capture toolbar not only lets you take screenshots but can be used to capture screen recordings as well. The toggle for going from stills to  videotape is on the far left of the toolbar. To the right of that toggle, you have options to take a full- screen screenshot, a partial screenshot with a specific area you define or a screenshot of a specific window. These work for  prints and  videotape. Also, clicking on the settings cog on the toolbar lets you turn on or off the mic while recording your screen, making adding  history to your captures easy. 

Where screenshots are saved on a Chromebook 

When you take a screenshot or recording it's immediately accessible from the Clipboard, which stores the last five things you saved to it. To view what's available, simply press the Everything button (aka the Search key) plus V. 

Your Chromebook also has a holding spot on the Shelf called Tote. It's where you'll find your most recent screenshots. You can pin files to Tote, too, which means you can keep an important screenshot ready to open without searching for it. 

Screenshots that are no longer saved on the Clipboard can be found in your files. Just open the Files app on your Chromebook and you'll find your screenshots in the Images folder and screen recordings in the Videos folder.