How to Screen Record on a Chromebook (With Audio)

Every Chromebook has a screen recorder built into ChromeOS, so you don't need an app or extension to record a lesson, a bug or a how-to. Below: the exact steps, audio and webcam options, where the file goes, how to turn WebM into MP4, and what to do when a school Chromebook blocks recording.

Where this comes from: built-in steps and shortcuts follow Google's Chromebook Help page on screen capture; Screencast and admin details follow Google's Chrome Enterprise and Education Help. All were checked in October 2026. ZoomCap details come from our own product (see how we test).

Ways to screen record on a Chromebook

Three of these are free with nothing to install. Loom, the usual extension people add, is described from its own site; we did not hands-on test it.

For a quick clip only you or a teacher will see, the built-in tool is enough. For anything handed to a client, a class or a website, you'll usually want an MP4 and some editing, which is where ZoomCap fits. More options across every platform are in our roundup of free screen recorders.

How to screen record on a Chromebook, step by step

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows (Show windows is the top-row key that shows all your open windows). On an external keyboard without it, press Ctrl + Shift + F5. If your Chromebook has a Screenshot key, press that.
2. In the bar at the bottom of the screen, select Screen record.
3. Choose Record the full screen, Record a partial screen or Record a window.
4. Optional: select Settings to turn on your camera, pick audio, or turn on Show clicks and keys.
5. Start: click anywhere for full screen, drag to select an area for a partial screen, or click the window you want.
6. Stop with Stop recording at the bottom right, or Search + Shift + X.

No keyboard? In tablet mode, or if the shortcut doesn't respond, select the time at the bottom right to open Quick Settings, then Screen capture. The same bar opens.

Chromebook screen record shortcuts

These come from ChromeOS, not the hardware maker, so they're the same on HP, Lenovo, Acer, Asus, Samsung and Chromebook Plus models. Some keyboards label Search as the Launcher key; on a Windows keyboard, the Windows key does the job. Show clicks and keys draws your clicks and shortcuts on the video; Google notes it shows only key combinations that include a modifier such as Ctrl, so ordinary typing stays off screen.

How to screen record on a Chromebook with audio

Sound is off until you choose it. In the capture bar, select Screen record, then Settings, and pick one of Google's three options:

• Device audio: the sound the Chromebook plays (a video, app or game).
• Microphone: your voice.
• Device audio and microphone: both, for a narrated walkthrough.

If you only see a microphone choice, your Chromebook may be on an older ChromeOS version; check for updates under Settings, About ChromeOS. Test your mic first with our webcam and mic test, which shows a live level meter in the browser. GIF recordings never carry sound, and streaming services that protect their video can record silent or black.

In ZoomCap's recorder, leave the Microphone toggle on for your voice and tick the share-audio option in Chrome's picker for the Chromebook's sound; on ChromeOS, Chrome can share the whole computer's sound, not only a tab's. Our guide to screen recording with audio covers the same choices on Windows, Mac and Linux.

How to record yourself and your screen at the same time

In the built-in recorder, select Settings and turn on Front Camera before you start, and your camera is included in the recording. That covers most “explain your work” assignments. GIFs leave the camera out. Two alternatives:

• Screencast: choose a camera in its settings; it also writes a transcript.
• ZoomCap's signed-in recorder at /record (free account) records screen, camera and mic in Chrome, and the editor shows the camera as a circle or rounded-square overlay. The no-sign-up recorder doesn't record a webcam.

How to stop a screen recording on a Chromebook

Select Stop recording at the bottom right, or press Search + Shift + X. Google's instructions include no pause, so record a long session in parts. ZoomCap's recorder stops from its Stop button or Chrome's “Stop sharing” bar, and it can pause and resume.

Where screen recordings go on a Chromebook

ChromeOS saves recordings in Downloads: open the Files app and select Downloads. Videos are .webm files; GIFs are .gif. To change the folder, press Ctrl + Shift + Show windows, select Settings, then Select folder, and pick a new one.

ZoomCap downloads go wherever Chrome saves files, which is also Downloads unless you changed it. Screencast recordings live in Google Drive instead.

Chromebook screen recording: WebM vs MP4, and how to convert

WebM is an open video format. It plays on the Chromebook and in Chrome, and YouTube lists it as a supported upload format. Some upload forms, older editors and phones expect MP4, which plays almost everywhere. Four ways to get one:

1. Record MP4 to begin with. ZoomCap's online screen recorder saves MP4 in Chrome.
2. Convert in the browser. Open our free video compressor, choose Light (best quality) to keep full resolution, and drop in the WebM. In current Chrome it saves an H.264 MP4; browsers that can't write MP4 get WebM back. It runs in real time (a 5-minute video takes about 5 minutes), so keep the tab in front. Nothing is uploaded.
3. Convert in the ZoomCap editor. It imports WebM and exports H.264 MP4 up to 4K, with trims and captions on the way. Free account; 2 watermarked exports a month.
4. Use ffmpeg. If your Chromebook allows it, turn on Linux (Settings, About ChromeOS, Developers, Linux development environment, Set up; Google notes school and work Chromebooks might not allow it). Move the WebM into Linux files, run sudo apt update and sudo apt install ffmpeg in Terminal, then ffmpeg -i recording.webm -c:v libx264 -c:a aac recording.mp4.

How to record a GIF on a Chromebook

ChromeOS records GIFs of part of the screen only. Select Screen record, then Record a partial screen, and pick Record GIF from the drop-down instead of Record video. GIFs capture no audio or camera. To turn an existing recording into a GIF, our video to GIF converter takes WebM or MP4 and converts the first 30 seconds in your browser.

The Screencast app

Screencast is Google's second recorder, aimed at teaching. Per Google's Screencast help page, it comes with ChromeOS 104 or later; open it from the Launcher.

• Records the entire screen, a window or part of it, with an optional camera.
• Transcribes your narration so viewers can search and translate it. Your device language must be one of the supported languages (Google lists 51).
• Lets you trim, mute a sentence, add titles and edit the transcript.
• Saves to Google Drive. School-account recordings open only for people in the same school domain with the link; personal-account ones open for anyone with the link. Edits keep the original in Drive, so people with the link can still see it.

If Screencast is missing on a school Chromebook, the admin may have turned it off.

Record an MP4 with zooms in Chrome, no extension

The built-in recorder gives you a flat WebM. When the video has an audience (a product demo, a tutorial, a class project), it helps to zoom in on what matters and frame the screen on a background. That's what ZoomCap does, and since we make it, weigh this accordingly.

1. Open the free recorder. No sign-up, nothing to install.
2. Leave Microphone on for your voice, then click Start.
3. In Chrome's picker, choose your entire screen, a window or a tab, and tick the share-audio option for sound.
4. Record, pausing and resuming if you need to, then stop.
5. Play it back on the page and download the MP4. No watermark and no time limit set by us; very long recordings are limited by the Chromebook's memory.

Add zooms in the editor (free account) to place zooms, a background, padding, rounded corners, captions, music, trims and 9:16 or 1:1 versions. The free plan exports 2 videos a month with a small watermark; Lifetime is $29 once or Pro $12.49 a month for unlimited exports without it (see pricing). The recording stays in your browser until you download it and the editor exports on your computer; nothing is uploaded to us, as the security page explains.

Limits on a Chromebook: automatic zoom needs click data from our command-line recorder (macOS and Linux), so here you place zooms yourself. There are no hosted share links. If you need a link a class can open without a file, Screencast or Loom fits better.

How to screen record on a school Chromebook

On a school or work Chromebook, the admin decides what you can record. Google's admin settings reference lists two settings in the Admin console's Content section:

Admins can also turn off Screencast, and Linux may be unavailable. If an assignment needs a recording and the option is missing, ask your teacher or IT team: only they can change these, and some schools allow specific sites while blocking the rest. If recording is allowed, everything above works the same on a school Chromebook.

Fixes for common Chromebook screen recording problems

• Screen record greyed out or missing: on a managed Chromebook, the Screenshot setting is off. On your own, restart and update ChromeOS.
• Shortcut does nothing: on an external keyboard use Ctrl + Shift + F5, or select the time, then Screen capture.
• No sound: no audio option was chosen in Settings, Microphone was picked instead of Device audio, or it's a GIF. In a browser recorder, the share-audio box in Chrome's picker was off.
• Black video: some streaming sites protect their video from capture.
• Can't find the file: check Downloads or the folder set under Settings, Select folder. Screencast recordings are in Google Drive.
• Won't save or stops early: storage is probably full. Search Settings for “storage”, free space, and make a short test.
• Choppy video: close tabs and apps you don't need, and record a window or partial area instead of the full screen.

Frequently asked questions

Record your Chromebook screen as an MP4

Open the free screen recorder in Chrome and record now: no sign-up, no watermark, MP4 out. When you want zooms, a background and captions, the editor is free to try, and $29 once removes the watermark and the export limit.