Full vs Partial Snip: Step-by-Step Touch Gestures to Capture Exactly What You Need
Every capture you make generates a floating thumbnail preview in the lower-right corner of your screen for roughly five seconds. This visual toast includes action buttons to annotate, edit, or delete the image immediately. If you dismiss it or let it expire, your file is not lost.
ChromeOS automatically saves all images into your local storage. Open the Files app from the application launcher and select the Downloads folder. Your captures appear chronologically as PNG files named with the prefix "Screenshot" followed by the exact date and timestamp (e.g., Screenshot 2026-03-30 10.15.22.png). If you prefer saving them directly to Google Drive or an SD card, tap the gear icon inside the Screen Capture toolbar to reassign your default storage folder.
ChromeOS also routes your most recent capture straight into the clipboard history preview. If you are drafting an email, writing a document in Google Docs, or replying to a chat thread, you do not need to upload the image manually from the Files app. Simply tap any open text field to bring up the on-screen virtual keyboard, tap the clipboard icon located on the keyboard suggestion strip, and select your thumbnail to paste it directly into the document.