How to Screenshot on Chromebook Without the Show Windows Key

Not every keyboard has the Show Windows key. External USB keyboards, some education-fleet Chromebooks, and certain older models don't include it. The screenshot shortcuts still work — you just need the F5 substitute or the on-screen toolbar.

Use F5 instead of Show Windows

ChromeOS treats F5 as a direct substitute for Show Windows in every screenshot shortcut. No remapping, no settings changes — just swap the key:

Full Screen

CtrlF5

Captures the entire screen. Same behavior as Ctrl + Show Windows on a standard Chromebook keyboard.

Region (Partial)

CtrlShiftF5

Cursor turns into a crosshair. Drag to select your area, then click Capture.

Active Window

CtrlAltF5

Captures the focused window only. Click any window to confirm.

Open Toolbar

ShiftCtrlF5

Opens the full Screen Capture toolbar. Switch between still and video, change save folder, and more.

Top-row keys not working? Force function-key mode

Some Chromebooks ship with the top row mapped to media keys (brightness, volume, etc.) instead of F-keys. If Ctrl + F5 does nothing, you have two ways to make it work:

Option A — Hold Search while pressing F5

The Search key (the magnifying glass on the left side of the keyboard, where Caps Lock would be on Windows) toggles top-row keys to F-key behavior on the fly. So press Ctrl + Search + F5 for a full-screen screenshot. This is the no-config option.

Option B — Switch globally in Settings

  1. Open Settings (gear icon in Quick Settings).
  2. Go to Device → Keyboard.
  3. Toggle on Treat top-row keys as function keys.

Trade-off: this disables direct media-key behavior across the OS until you toggle it back. Hold Search while pressing a top-row key to use the media-key role temporarily.

Screenshot with no keyboard shortcut at all

If you'd rather skip the keyboard entirely — or you're on a touchscreen Chromebook in tablet mode — the Screen Capture toolbar gives you the same options through a touch-friendly UI.

  1. Step 1: Open Quick Settings

    Click or tap the time display in the bottom-right corner of your shelf. The Quick Settings panel slides up.

    Opening Quick Settings on a Chromebook by tapping the clock

    Opening Quick Settings on a Chromebook by tapping the clock

  2. Step 2: Tap Screen Capture

    Find the Screen Capture button (camera icon) in Quick Settings and tap it. The toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen.

    Screen Capture button inside Quick Settings panel

    Screen Capture button inside Quick Settings panel

  3. Step 3: Choose a capture mode

    Pick full screen, window, or region from the center of the toolbar, then tap Capture. The screenshot saves to Downloads — no keyboard needed.

    Screen Capture toolbar with mode selector

    Screen Capture toolbar with mode selector

External keyboards: which ones have Show Windows?

Most off-the-shelf USB and Bluetooth keyboards don't have the Show Windows key — they were designed for Windows or Mac. A few keyboards are built for ChromeOS and include the dedicated top row:

With those, the standard Ctrl + Show Windows shortcut works as expected. With every other keyboard, fall back to Ctrl + F5 or the Screen Capture toolbar.

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Show Windows key FAQ

Why doesn't my Chromebook keyboard have a Show Windows key?

Three common reasons: (1) you're using an external USB or Bluetooth keyboard designed for Windows or Mac. (2) Your Chromebook is an older education-fleet model that ships with a simplified top row. (3) Your keyboard layout is set to a non-Chromebook variant in Settings.

What replaces the Show Windows key?

<strong>F5</strong>. Every screenshot shortcut still works, just substitute F5 for Show Windows: <code>Ctrl + F5</code> for full screen, <code>Ctrl + Shift + F5</code> for region, <code>Ctrl + Alt + F5</code> for active window.

Ctrl + F5 isn't doing anything. What now?

Your top-row keys are probably mapped as media keys instead of function keys. Hold the <strong>Search</strong> key (the magnifying glass on the left, where Caps Lock would be) while pressing F5 — that forces F-key behavior. Or open Settings → Device → Keyboard and toggle <em>Treat top-row keys as function keys</em>.

Can I screenshot without any keyboard at all?

Yes. Click the time in the bottom-right corner to open Quick Settings, then tap <strong>Screen Capture</strong>. The on-screen toolbar offers full screen, window, and region capture — no keys needed.

Is there a way to remap a different key to Show Windows?

ChromeOS lets you remap modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Search, Caps Lock) in Settings → Device → Keyboard, but not arbitrary function keys to Show Windows. The supported workaround is to use Ctrl + F5 or the Screen Capture toolbar.

Related guides

How to Screenshot on Chromebook — Complete Guide

The full pillar guide covering every screenshot method.

Chromebook Screenshot Keyboard Shortcuts

Every shortcut combination including external-keyboard variants.

Tablet Mode &amp; 2-in-1 Screenshots

Power + Volume Down captures with no keyboard at all.

Where Chromebook Screenshots Are Saved

Find your captures in Downloads or Tote.