I’m using a Chromebook that doesn’t seem to have a Windows key, and all the guides I’ve found say to use that key for screenshots. I need to capture my screen for school and work, but I’m stuck because the usual shortcuts don’t match my keyboard. What other key combos or settings can I use to take screenshots without a Windows key on a Chromebook?
On a Chromebook you do not use a Windows key at all. Those guides are for regular PCs.
Here is what you use instead.
- Full screen screenshot
Press
Ctrl + Show Windows
The Show Windows key is the one above the number row, looks like a rectangle with two lines on the right. On some keyboards it is where F5 would be.
-
Partial screenshot
Press
Ctrl + Shift + Show Windows
Your cursor turns into a crosshair. Click and drag to pick the area. Release to capture. -
Window screenshot
Press
Ctrl + Alt + Show Windows
Then click the window you want. -
Use the Screenshot tool from the shelf
Press
Shift + Ctrl + Show Windows
Then pick from the toolbar at the bottom: full, partial, or window. You also pick screen recording there. -
If your Chromebook is in tablet mode
Press
Power + Volume Down
Hold them for a second. It works like Android phones. -
Where the screenshots go
By default they go to Downloads as PNG. You see a pop up in the bottom right. You can click Copy to clipboard to paste into Docs, Slides, Canvas, etc. -
If your keyboard looks different
On some school Chromebooks the keys are labeled weird. Look for any key with a little screen icon and two lines. That is the Show Windows key.
If you still do not see it, press Ctrl + Search + at the top row, one by one, until you find the right combo. Annoying but you only do it once. -
Bonus for school work
• To paste a screenshot in Google Docs: Ctrl + V
• To insert from file: Insert > Image > Upload from computer
• If teachers want PDFs: open the image in the Gallery app, hit Print, pick Save as PDF.
If none of these shortcuts respond, your admin might have disabled them in Google Admin. Then you need to bug IT, nothing on your side will fix that.
Yeah, the “Windows key” stuff is just totally the wrong set of instructions for ChromeOS. Your Chromebook literally doesn’t have that key, so those guides are barking up the wrong tree.
@stellacadente already covered the built‑in shortcuts really well, so I’ll skip rehashing those key combos. A few extra angles you can try that people usually don’t mention:
-
Use the Quick Settings menu
- Click the time in the bottom‑right corner (system tray).
- In the little panel that opens, look for “Screen capture.”
- That opens the same Screenshot tool without touching the keyboard at all.
Super handy if your top row keys are weird or partially broken.
-
Change where screenshots save
If you’re doing school/work stuff, it’s nice to avoid clutter in Downloads.- Open the Screenshot tool (via shortcut or Quick Settings).
- On the toolbar, hit the gear icon.
- Change the save location to somewhere like “My Drive” so they sync to your Google Drive automatically. Helps a lot when you switch devices or your Chromebook gets powerwashed.
-
Use keyboard remapping if your Show Windows key is missing
Some education Chromebooks have that top‑row key replaced or disabled.- Go to Settings → Device → Keyboard.
- You can remap some keys (like “Search” or “Launcher”) to act as other keys.
It’s a bit clunky, and I don’t totally agree with @stellacadente on “just hunt for the icon”; on some district‑locked devices there genuinely is no usable Show Windows key, so remapping or the Quick Settings button is more reliable.
-
Use Chrome extensions when all else fails
If your admin did not block extensions:- Search the Chrome Web Store for screenshot tools (for example, look for ones that can capture the entire page, even the part you have to scroll).
- These are great for long web pages your teacher posted in Classroom.
Some extensions also let you blur info or add arrows/text without needing another app.
-
For turning screenshots into something teacher‑friendly
- Multiple screenshots for one assignment? Drop them all in a Google Doc or Slide instead of sending 10 separate images.
- For submissions that “must be PDF,” you can throw the screenshots into a Slide deck, then File → Download → PDF. I actually prefer that over printing from the image viewer because it keeps everything lined up and multi‑page.
If literally none of the capture options work (shortcuts, Quick Settings button, tablet‑style Power + Volume Down), there’s a decent chance your school’s admin has disabled screenshots completely. At that point it’s not you, it’s the policy, and IT has to flip that switch in the admin console.
Use your phone’s camera as a quick fallback.
Place the Chromebook screen in good light. Turn off the flash to reduce glare. Hold your phone straight, take the photo, then crop it tightly. Use Google Photos or your phone’s editor to adjust brightness and straighten the image.
For clearer text, increase the Chromebook zoom to 125% before taking the photo. This isnt a true screenshot, but it works for urgent school or work submissions when ChromeOS capture tools fail.
Realistically, you’ll have this sorted in about ten seconds once you stop looking for a Windows key that was never there. ChromeOS just doesn’t use it, so the guides you found aren’t broken, they’re written for the wrong device.
The combo everyone keeps calling Show Windows is the same key some newer Chromebooks now print as an Overview icon, that little rectangle with two lines. Same key, different label depending on how old your machine is. A few recent models even have a dedicated screenshot key sitting on the top row already, so scan for a tiny camera-looking icon before you go hunting for anything else. If your device has that, it’s one press and done.
I’d skip the keyboard remapping route @waldgeist mentioned unless you’re truly desperate. It’s fiddly, and for something you do a couple times a day it’s not worth the setup. The Quick Settings shortcut they pointed to is the actual winner here, since it never depends on the top row keys working at all. Click the clock, find the capture button, done. That’s what I’d reach for on a locked-down school device.
The phone camera trick from @alphaexplorer8166 works in a pinch, but be honest with yourself about readability. Small text and anything on a dark background tends to come out muddy or full of glare, and teachers do notice when you send a photo of a screen instead of a clean capture. Fine for proving something quick, not great when the assignment is text-heavy.