How to Take a Screenshot on a Chromebook [FAQ]

If you’re new to using a Chromebook, one of the first things you might be wondering is how to take a screenshot -- while it’s simple, it’s certainly not intuitive if you’re used to a Mac or PC.

Luckily, there are two different keyboard commands you can use to take screenshots of either your entire Chromebook screen, or a portion of it -- best of all, you can take, save, and access screenshots even while you’re offline.

Next time you’re putting together a presentation or writing a how-to blog post, use these instructions to take screenshots on your Chromebook.

How to Take a Full-Screen Screenshot on a Chromebook

To take a screenshot of your entire Chromebook screen, simply hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the “Switch window” key (this key is at the top, in between your brightness and full screen buttons).

When you press them both at the same time, you’ll see an alert in the bottom right corner that your screenshot has been saved. You’ll find your screenshot in your “Downloads” folder.

Image courtesy of ReplacementLaptopKeys.com (edited to illustrate instructions).

How to Take a Partial Screenshot on a Chromebook

If you’d prefer to take a screenshot of a specific, smaller section of your screen, you’ll still press the “Ctrl” and “Switch window” keys, like before. However, you’ll want to additionally hold down the “Shift” key.

Image courtesy of ReplacementLaptopKeys.com (edited to illustrate instructions).

Similar to the full-screen screenshot, your partial screenshot will be automatically saved. To locate it, open your “Downloads” folder.

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