How to Screen Record on Chromebook

Open the Settings gear in the Screen capture toolbar before you start and turn on the microphone to record your voice. Newer versions of ChromeOS can also record system audio here, the sound your Chromebook plays. If you don’t see that option, update ChromeOS or use the browser method below.

In recorder.video, ChromeOS supports system audio from the whole screen. Click Screen, choose your entire screen and turn on system audio in the picker, or share a single tab with its audio. Your microphone is recorded at the same time, with noise suppression.

recorder.video is a website, so it works on any up-to-date Chromebook in Chrome with no extension, Play Store app or account. It adds what the built-in tool lacks: pause and resume, a webcam bubble you can move or place side by side, a pen to draw on the recording, a teleprompter, trimming, and MP4 downloads that play almost anywhere. Recordings stay on your Chromebook and aren’t uploaded.

1. Click Screen and choose your entire screen, a window or a tab. Turn on audio in the picker if you need sound.
2. Keep your camera on for a face bubble, or switch the Camera button off. Check that the level meter on the mic button moves when you speak.
3. Press Record or R, pause with P, and stop when you’re done. Trim the scene and download MP4, WebM, audio only or a GIF of up to 20 seconds.

Just need your face on camera? The webcam recorder works the same way without sharing your screen.

There’s no sound in the recording

Open the Settings gear in Screen capture and make sure the microphone (or system audio, where offered) is on before you start. In the browser, turn on audio in the share picker; a window can’t be shared with its audio, so share the entire screen or a tab instead.

Screen capture is missing or blocked on a school Chromebook

School and work Chromebooks are managed, and administrators can turn off screen capture. The same policy can block screen sharing in the browser too. If it’s disabled, ask your school or IT team.

The video is black

Copy-protected video, which includes many streaming services, records as black. That’s the protection working, not a fault with the recorder.

Where are screen recordings saved on a Chromebook?

In Downloads in the Files app, unless you chose another folder in the Screen capture settings. Built-in recordings are WebM videos. recorder.video keeps recordings in your browser until you download them, and downloads also go to Downloads.

For a quick clip, the built-in Screen capture tool is all you need. For a lesson, demo or assignment where you want pause, drawing, trimming or an MP4 file, use the browser recorder. Screen recorder extensions also work, but they need permission to run in your browser, and some free plans add watermarks or time limits.