How to Take a Screenshot in Chrome Without an Extension
September 19, 2026
You do not need an extension for most screenshots in Chrome. The operating system covers the basic ones, and DevTools quietly covers the advanced ones -- including a full-page capture that many people install an extension to get.
The operating system shortcuts
- Windows -- Win + Shift + S to drag an area to the clipboard; Print Screen for the whole screen.
- Mac -- Cmd + Shift + 4 to drag an area; Cmd + Shift + 3 for the whole screen; Cmd + Shift + 5 for the toolbar with timer and recording.
- Chromebook -- Shift + Ctrl + Show windows, then choose area, window or full screen.
DevTools: the hidden screenshot menu
Open DevTools (F12), press Ctrl + Shift + P (Cmd + Shift + P on a Mac) to open the command palette, and type "screenshot". Four options appear: Capture screenshot (the viewport), Capture full size screenshot (the whole scrolling page), Capture area screenshot (drag a region), and Capture node screenshot (the selected element).
Full size is the useful one. It renders the whole page to a single PNG at the current width, which is what most full-page extensions do with more steps.
A page at phone width
In DevTools, toggle the device toolbar (Ctrl + Shift + M), choose a device, then use the three-dot menu on the device bar to capture a screenshot or a full-size screenshot at that size. This is how to get a clean mobile screenshot without a phone.
When an extension is worth it
When the editing matters. The built-in routes give you a raw image; blurring a name, adding an arrow, or cropping again means opening something else. A browser tool that captures the area and opens an editor in the same motion saves that round trip, which is the case Demorta’s screenshot tool is for. Try the free screenshot tool.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I take a full-page screenshot in Chrome without an extension?
- Open DevTools, press Ctrl + Shift + P, type "full size" and choose Capture full size screenshot. Chrome saves the whole scrolling page as one PNG.
- Does Chrome have a built-in screenshot tool?
- Yes, inside DevTools: viewport, full page, area and element captures are all in the command palette (Ctrl + Shift + P, type "screenshot").
- How do I screenshot a mobile view in Chrome?
- Toggle the device toolbar in DevTools, pick a device, and use the device bar’s menu to capture a screenshot at that size.
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