The fastest way: Power + Volume Down

On most Samsung Chromebooks, press the Power button and Volume Down button at the same time. Hold them both for about a second. Your screen will flash or dim slightly, and you will hear a camera shutter sound if your audio is on. The screenshot is saved to your Downloads folder automatically.

This method works on all Samsung Chromebook models because it uses the hardware buttons on the device itself. You do not need to open any menu or app first — just press and hold both buttons wherever you are on the screen.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Power and Volume Down together to capture your entire screen; it saves to Downloads automatically.
  • Use Ctrl + Show Windows (the key with four squares) to take a screenshot and open the crop tool at the same time.
  • The crop tool lets you select just part of your screen before saving, which is useful when you only need one window or section.
  • Screenshots are saved as PNG files with a timestamp in the filename, so each one has a unique name.

Using the keyboard shortcut with the crop tool

If you want to choose which part of your screen to capture before saving, use Ctrl + Show Windows. The Show Windows key is the one with four small squares — it is in the top row of your keyboard, usually where the F4 key would be on a regular laptop.

When you press Ctrl + Show Windows, your screen will dim and a crosshair cursor will appear. Click and drag to draw a box around the area you want to capture. You can adjust the corners and edges of your selection before you save. Once you release the mouse, the cropped screenshot is saved to Downloads.

This method is slower than Power + Volume Down but gives you control over what gets included in the image. It is useful when you are taking a screenshot of a single window or a specific part of the page.

Where your screenshots are stored

All screenshots go into your Downloads folder by default. You can open the Files app (the folder icon in your taskbar) and click Downloads on the left side to see them. Each file is named with a timestamp — for example, "Screenshot 2024-01-15 at 14.32.45.png" — so you can tell them apart by date and time.

If you want to move a screenshot somewhere else, right-click it in the Files app and select Move. You can create a new folder for screenshots or move them to Google Drive, an external USB drive, or any other location you use for storing files.

What to do if the screenshot did not save

If you pressed the buttons but nothing happened, check that your Chromebook has enough storage space. Open the Files app and look at the bottom of the window — if you see a red bar or a message saying storage is full, you need to delete files or move them to the cloud before you can save more screenshots.

If storage is not the problem, restart your Chromebook and try again. Power off completely, wait 10 seconds, and turn it back on. Then attempt the screenshot using Power + Volume Down. If it still does not work, try the Ctrl + Show Windows method instead — sometimes one method works when the other does not.

Sharing and editing screenshots directly

After you take a screenshot with Ctrl + Show Windows, a small preview window appears in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click that preview to open the screenshot in a basic editor where you can draw, add text, or crop it further before saving. This is faster than taking the screenshot, opening it in a separate app, and editing it there.

If you use Power + Volume Down instead, the screenshot goes straight to Downloads without showing a preview. You can still open it later by clicking the Files app, finding it in Downloads, and right-clicking to open it with any app you have installed — such as Google Photos, a drawing app, or a document editor.

Taking screenshots of multiple windows or the entire desktop

The Power + Volume Down method always captures your entire screen, including the taskbar and any windows that are open. If you have multiple windows visible and want to capture all of them at once, this is the fastest way.

If you only want one window, use Ctrl + Show Windows and draw a box around just that window. This keeps the screenshot smaller and focused on what you actually need. You can also use this method to capture just a portion of a webpage, a single paragraph of text, or any other part of your screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take a screenshot of just part of my screen?

Yes, use Ctrl + Show Windows and drag a box around the area you want. You can adjust the edges before you save. The Power + Volume Down method captures the entire screen, so use the keyboard shortcut if you only need a portion.

Where do I find my screenshots after I take them?

Open the Files app and click Downloads on the left side. All screenshots are saved there with a timestamp in the filename. You can move them to another folder or to Google Drive if you want to organize them differently.

What if my Chromebook does not have a Volume Down button?

Some older or smaller Samsung Chromebook models may not have physical volume buttons. Use Ctrl + Show Windows instead — this works on all Chromebooks. You can also check your device manual to see which buttons your specific model has.

Can I take a screenshot and edit it right away?

Yes, if you use Ctrl + Show Windows, a preview appears in the bottom right corner after you capture. Click it to open a basic editor where you can draw, add text, or crop before saving. With Power + Volume Down, the screenshot saves directly to Downloads without a preview.

How much storage space do screenshots use?

A full-screen screenshot is usually between 100 and 300 kilobytes depending on what is on your screen. You can take hundreds of them before running out of space on most Chromebooks, but if your storage is nearly full, delete old files or move them to Google Drive to make room.