Screen zoom on a Mac is switched on in Accessibility. Go to Apple menu, System Settings, Accessibility, then Zoom, and turn on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom. After that, Option-Command-Plus zooms in and Option-Command-Minus zooms out, while Option-Command-8 flips between zoomed in and out in one press.
Turning on Zoom and using the keyboard shortcuts
- Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
- Click Accessibility in the sidebar.
- Click Zoom. You may need to scroll down to see it.
- Turn on 'Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom'.
- Press Option-Command-Plus Sign (+) to zoom in.
- Press Option-Command-Minus Sign (-) to zoom out.
- Press Option-Command-8 to switch quickly between zoomed in and zoomed out.
Option-Command-8 is the one to learn if you dip in and out: a press magnifies, the next puts everything back where it was.
Apple's guide to zooming in on your Mac screen covers the same settings if you'd like to check a label.
A built-in magnifier, not the meetings app
Zoom here is a built-in Accessibility feature that magnifies what's on your screen. It isn't the Zoom video meeting app, and nothing here touches that. You can drive it from the keyboard, the trackpad, or a scroll with a modifier key held down, and you can choose how the magnified view appears.
Zooming with the trackpad or a scroll gesture
Prefer your fingers to the keyboard? In the same Zoom settings, turn on 'Use trackpad gesture to zoom'. Double-tap the trackpad with three fingers and drag to zoom gradually, or simply double-tap with three fingers to jump between zoomed in and out.
Mouse users have a route too. Turn on 'Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom' and pick a modifier key: Control, Option or Command. Hold that key and scroll with your trackpad or mouse.
Working with a mouse alone? The three-finger tap can't help there, so rely on the modifier-key scroll or the Option-Command shortcuts.
Choosing a zoom style that fits the task
The Zoom style pop-up menu decides how the magnified view appears:
- Full Screen uses the entire screen.
- Split Screen shows the zoomed view along one edge.
- Picture-in-Picture shows zoom in a box around the pointer.
Which to pick comes down to how much of the display you'd like left at normal size. Full Screen enlarges everything, while the other two keep most of what you see untouched and magnify only a strip along one edge or a box around the pointer.
With Split Screen or Picture-in-Picture, you can change the size and location of the zoom window through Size and Location. Advanced holds more options again.
Running more than one display? Full Screen zoom lets you zoom each display independently, so one screen can stay at normal size while you magnify the other.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Each zoom gesture needs its own switch
The keyboard shortcut, the trackpad gesture and the scroll gesture are separate settings. Turning on one does nothing for the others. If Option-Command-Plus works but a three-finger double-tap doesn't, check that 'Use trackpad gesture to zoom' is turned on.
For the quickest on and off without visiting System Settings each time, use Accessibility Shortcuts to toggle Zoom.
Zoom enlarges what's on screen; it doesn't keep a copy. To save what you're looking at, here's how to take a screenshot on your Mac. Related: clearing space on your Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Can I magnify just one of my two displays?
Yes. With the Full Screen style you can zoom each display independently.
Which keys work with the scroll gesture?
You choose Control, Option or Command as the modifier key, then hold it while you scroll.
How do I make the zoom window smaller?
Pick Split Screen or Picture-in-Picture, then adjust it under Size and Location.
Is there a faster way to switch Zoom on and off?
Yes. Accessibility Shortcuts let you turn Zoom on or off quickly.
I can't see Zoom under Accessibility, where is it?
Scroll down in the Accessibility settings, as Zoom may sit below the first screen of options.
