I think we can all agree that we’ve been in at least one position where we’ve wanted to share something with our friends but don’t know how to share it, and neither do we know how to screenshot it. It does suck. You might be familiar with devices like Windows, MacOS, iOS, and Android. Chromebook which runs ChromeOS is nothing like them at all. It is a workaholic laptop for people and students who can’t go a day without Google services. It has a different graphic design, a different user interface, and a different operating system altogether.
Functions and shortcuts work differently on different operating systems. ChromeOS is no such exception. It is notably different on a Chromebook because approximately 80% of the Chromebooks in the market don’t have a button on their keyboard called the “Print Screen.” In case you don’t know, is one of the default keyboard shortcuts in Windows OS for screen capture. The question that now arises is how do you take a screenshot? There are several ways of taking a screenshot on your Chromebook. And they’re all listed below.
Using your keyboard
Every Chromebook has a keyboard, and that keyboard can be used to take a screenshot. Here’s how:-
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- Capturing the entire screen – Sometimes you might want to take the screenshot of everything that is currently showing up on your screen. To capture your screen fully, press and hold the “Ctrl” key. Then press the “Switch Window” button. This button might be hard to find if you’re not well acquainted with your system and hardware. It can be located next to the “Full-screen” and “Brightness down” buttons on the top of your keyboard. By just using this keyboard shortcut and pressing both of them simultaneously you can capture a screenshot.
- Capturing the partial screen – This is a handy option usually used when you’re not willing to share the entire of the screen with someone. It can be something related to an important document or just something embarrassing that you don’t want to share. In any case, this option is the most viable one. You can click a partial screenshot of the screen by pressing “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Switch Window.” Once you’ve done this, click and drag your cursor across the screen, and you will see a separate window (boundary window) appear on the screen. Everything within that window will be included in the screenshot. When you’re done selecting the area, release the mouse click. That should do the job, and you should’ve successfully clicked a partial screenshot.
Using the Android way
A Chromebook can be used as either a laptop or a tablet. This makes most of its features extremely fun to use and somewhat similar to Android. This is also the case with screenshots as the shortcut for this is the same as in any other Android device.
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- “Volume down” and “Power” buttons need to be pressed simultaneously like any other Android device to capture a screenshot. Keep in mind; this will only work when you’re in tablet mode.
- The only unfortunate thing about this is that you cannot click a partial screenshot while in tablet mode, you’ll have to use the keyboard shortcuts for that.
Using an extension
You can always install and run extensions on your Chromebook to make basic tasks easier and just a click away. Now, of course, the stock methods work flawlessly, but often times people are used to certain extensions which they might’ve used before. They certainly are convenient. In this case, the extension called “Nimbus Screenshot and Screen Video Recorder” should help you out loads. Not only does it let you take a screenshot by just clicking, but it also has a lot of features which offer a lot of functionality. You can screenshot, screen capture, screen record the entire screen or just selected area of the whole. This is an extremely famous extension, one which you might want to consider using.
Using the stylus
Most Chromebooks come with a stock stylus, or an included one. If not, you must’ve bought one if you’re an artist or writer or designer of some sort. Chrome OS has added features to its system which let its connected styluses to take screenshots or record screens using special gestures, buttons, or system applications built in. Once your stylus is connected, you will be able to see a menu of tools on the bottom right corner of the screen. Navigating through the menu, you will find options which let you take screenshots, record screens, and more, both – entirely and partially.
Chrome OS is a smart system. By default, it assesses the photo material and saves the clicked screenshots, screen captures, and recording in the “Downloads” folder present in the system applications. Going to the folder will give access to all the screenshots or captures every made on the screen. It also gives you a sharing option. You can individually tweak different aspects of the screenshots and edit or even markup on them.
So here are all the ways you can capture your screen to be shared with friends, family, or colleagues on your Chrome OS-powered Chromebook device.
