How To (Force) Screenshot & Screen Record On Chromebook Amidst Errors, Without 3rd Party Apps

How To Screenshot & Screen Record On Chromebook Amidst Errors Without 3rd Party Apps & What To Do When Your Chromebook Won't Screenshot Or Screen Record

Chromebook | Img src @Google

Taking screenshots on Windows and android is pretty simple; but is that also the situation on a Chromebook?

Taking screen grabs on Chromebook was meant to be easy, simply using a combination of keys, one would be able to screenshot on a Chromebook.

However, that is not always the case, as these keys combinations may not always work for some people.

So what is the normal keys combination for taking screenshots or screen recording on a Chromebook?

Normally, you'd have to press the Ctrl + Shift + Window Switch keys combination to screenshot on a Chromebook.

For some people, the above keys combination may not work. This may be due to a bug on their Chrome OS. There is a work around though. In this scenario, you can force engage Chromebook to screenshot with the addition of the Search key to the above keys combination. Hence, we'll have Ctrl + Shift + Search + Window Switch key.

Make a selection of the screen area to capture, by selecting the make a partial screenshot option. This is automatically selected when the above keys combinations are pressed. If you'd like to capture the entire screen, select Capture entire screen or Capture window instead. Click anywhere on the screen to take the screenshot.

What can you do when your computer does not have the window switch key?

If your computer manufacturer did not include the window switch key, you can still screenshot or video record on a Chromebook. To mitigate this, you'll need to use the F5 key in place of the window switch key. Definitely, your computer manufacturer should include the function keys if Chromebook's custom keys are not available on your computer, as the custom keys replace the function keys on a normal PC. This is also applicable to those using custom keyboards such as USB keyboards, Bluetooth keyboards and others that may not have these customized keys.

How to Screen Record on a Chromebook

Just as easy as it is to screenshot on a Chromebook, it is also pretty easy to screen record on a Chrome OS device. Luckily with a Chromebook, you don't have to install a third party application to record your screen, as the function is directly built into the operating system.

If you need to screen record a Chromebook, press the above keys combinations mentioned earlier. A popup appears on your screen. Toggle the selection to the video recording option. With this popup, you can select the screen area/region to record. There are options available to record partial screen, full screen or a window. If you don't wish to go with any of these options, you can draw the screen area to record. To also record the microphone during the recording session, click the gear icon, and toggle on Record Microphone. After you've made your selection, you can click the record button that appears in the middle of your selection box to start the recording operation.