How to take a screenshot on Ubuntu

Ubuntu screenshot shortcuts

Ubuntu's default desktop is GNOME, and since Ubuntu 22.04 (GNOME 42) it has a built-in screenshot tool that works a lot like the Windows Snipping Tool. These shortcuts are the defaults on Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 and later releases with the standard desktop.

• Print Screen: opens the interactive screenshot tool.
• Shift + Print Screen: captures the whole screen immediately.
• Alt + Print Screen: captures the window you are using immediately.
• Ctrl + Shift + Alt + R: starts and stops a screen recording.

How to use the Ubuntu screenshot tool

The same panel has a camera and video switch. Change it to video (or press V) to record the screen instead, and click the button again to stop.

1. Press Print Screen. The screen dims and a panel appears at the bottom.
2. Choose Selection, Screen or Window. Keyboard users can press S, C or W to switch.
3. For Selection, drag a box and adjust its edges. For Window, click the window you want.
4. Use the pointer button (or press P) if you want the mouse pointer in the image.
5. Press Enter, or click the round capture button. Press Esc to cancel.
6. A notification confirms it. The image is saved and also copied to the clipboard, so you can paste it with Ctrl + V.

Where Ubuntu saves screenshots

Screenshots go to Pictures/Screenshots in your home folder, named with the date and time, for example Screenshot from 2026-09-24 10-30-15.png. Screen recordings go to Videos/Screencasts. The built-in tool does not let you choose a different folder, so move files afterwards or use one of the tools below if you need that.

Ubuntu 20.04 and older releases

Older Ubuntu releases used different shortcuts, which you will still see in many guides. On Ubuntu 20.04, Print Screen saves the whole screen to Pictures straight away, Shift + Print Screen lets you drag an area, and Alt + Print Screen captures the current window. Add Ctrl to any of them to copy the image to the clipboard instead of saving a file.

If a shortcut does something unexpected, check your version under Settings, About. You can view or change every shortcut under Settings, Keyboard, View and Customise Shortcuts, Screenshots.

Snipping tools for Ubuntu and Linux

The built-in tool captures and saves, but it has no editor and no timer. If you want a Linux snipping tool with annotation, these are common choices, all free and available from the Ubuntu App Center or your package manager:

• Flameshot: drag an area, then draw arrows, boxes, text and blur before saving or copying. Popular as a Snipping Tool replacement, though some features depend on your display server.
• Ksnip: a screenshot tool with a fuller annotation editor.
• GNOME Screenshot: the older standalone app, which still offers a delay timer. From a terminal, gnome-screenshot -d 5 waits five seconds before capturing.
• Spectacle: the KDE screenshot tool, installed by default on Kubuntu.

Wayland, Xorg and screenshot apps

Recent Ubuntu releases use Wayland by default. It limits what apps can capture from the screen, for good security reasons, so some older third-party screenshot tools fail or ask for permission each time. The built-in tool is not affected. If a third-party tool misbehaves, check for a newer version first. Choosing Ubuntu on Xorg from the login screen is also an option where your release still offers it.

Capture a whole web page on Linux

Screen capture tools stop at the edge of the window. To save a long web page in one image, use NeoReader Full Page Screenshot in Chrome or Firefox on Ubuntu. It is free, stitches the entire scrolling page, and lets you crop, annotate and blur private details before saving PNG, JPG or PDF. Our free web tools also work on Linux in the browser: Screenshot to PDF to merge images into one document, and Screenshot to Text to copy words out of an image. Your images stay on your device.