While Chromebooks can’t install more traditional screen recording applications, the truth is that these days all you need to record your screen is a good Chrome extension. Google doesn’t offer its own screen recording extension, unfortunately, but there are plenty of screen recording extensions out there from third parties, chief among them being Screencastify. Now that a lot of us are working from home and might need some extra help on our home devices, here’s how to start recording.
Products used in this guide
- Compact workhorse: Lenovo Chromebook C340-11 ($320 at Amazon)
- Record and store: Screencastify (Free at Chrome Web Store)
How to record the screen on your Chromebook
Your steps might have some small variations based on which recording extension you install. I chose Screencastify because it doesn’t watermark free recordings and the five minute limit on free recordings should be enough for most of us.
Tap Add to Chrome on Screencastify’s Chrome Web Store listing.
Tap Add extension.
Tap the Screencastify icon in the top right corner of your Chrome browser.
Tap Sign in with Google.
Tap Next.
Tap Allow to allow Screencastify to see your screen/data.
Tap the Screencastify icon in the top right corner of your Chrome browser.
Tap Record.
A window will pop up asking what of your screen you want to share. Tap the screen under Your Entire Screen to record the entire display.
Tap Share.
When you’re done, tap the pause icon in the recording controls at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the stop icon.
The video editing tab will open. Tap the Untitled name.
Type in a new name for your video.
If you want to trim the video, you can do so by tapping the scissors icon to the right of the video timeline, or by tapping Open in Editor.
Once the video is named, close the tab and let Screencastify finish processing the video and saving it to Google Drive.
The video will appear in a Screencastify folder in your Google Drive when it’s done processing. You can also move the Screencastify folder into a subfolder without messing up the way videos are saved, if you prefer to keep your Drive more organized.
Compact workhorse
Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11.6″)
- $310 at Lenovo
- $320 at Amazon
Best Chromebook for your buck.
I love this Chromebook for so many reasons: it runs all day on a single charge, it doubled the USB ports from the previous generation, it’s lightweight enough to easily carry around, and the keyboard is comfortable to type on for hours at a time.
There are a great many screen recording extensions out there, but Screencastify remains my favorite because it’s easy to use, reputable, and while the non-student pricing steep, it’s really not expensive for what you get here.
Record and store
Screencastify
Free at Chrome Web Store
Record your screen for free on any Chromebook.
Screencastify is easy to install and even easier to use once you get used to the extra step Google requires of sharing your screen. The five minute limit for free recordings should be enough for most folks, but there are discounts available for schools and students.
