The new ChromeOS GIF recorder is simple and awesome

You’d be forgiven for not tracking all the new features that rolled out in the latest ChromeOS 125 update. While it was really exciting to get an absolute flood of new stuff in this latest update for our beloved Chromebooks, some of the smaller, less headline-grabbing features could have easily been forgotten in the flurry.

And the new GIF recorder is absolutely one of those features that is quiet, small, but also incredibly handy as well. Nestled down in the already-amazing Screen Capture feature that has become one of my favorite fleshed-out ChromeOS features over the years, this new GIF recorder fits right in, is simple to find and use, and will come in quite useful for a lot of you once you remember it is there.

How to record anything on screen as a GIF

To start, simply call up the Screen Capture tool. Many Chromebooks have a dedicated key for this in the top row, but if you don’t, a simple CTRL+SHIFT+Overview Key will bring up the tool. Even easier, you can click into your quick settings in the bottom right corner (click the clock) and select the Screen Capture tool from there.

Once you have the tool open, you’ll need to click on the video option and also the partial screen selector (the GIF recorder won’t work full-screen). Once you have that selected and a portion of the screen highlighted for recording, you’ll see a drop-down next to the Record video button that will allow you to change it to a GIF recording.

Once you select that option and click on the button, the countdown will start down from 3 and you’ll then be recording an animated GIF of whatever is on the screen. Remember, GIFs can get huge, so select a small area and record only what you need to get the point across or else your file will balloon to a pretty large size quite quickly.

It’s a super-handy tool to have, especially for messaging. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve wanted a particular GIF and just couldn’t find what I needed. Now, as long as I can find the clip I’m thinking of somewhere on the web, record it with this handy new tool, and have it where I need it, I can drop GIFs into chats or social posts with ease. And I think many of you will find it equally helpful as well.