Magnifying, zooming, scaling and increasing the size of your screen

These tools allow you to adjust the scale of element on your screen to suit your needs

Introduction

Accessibility tools such as magnification, text scaling, and larger screens are designed to make digital content easier to see, read, and interact with.

These tools are especially helpful for people with visual impairments, migraines, dyslexia, or fatigue. Many others can benefit too, including those working on high-resolution screens or in roles that involve long hours of reading and editing.

People often find text scaling particularly useful – It can improve readability without distorting layout or icons, making it a practical solution for everyday use.

Built-in magnification tools in Windows

Guide to magnification and zooming

How to make elements on your screen bigger or smaller to suit your needs

Guide to text scaling

How to scale just the text, or everything on your screen in Windows

What is magnification and zooming?

Accessibility tools such as magnification, text scaling, and screen readers are designed to make digital content easier to see, read, and interact with. These tools are especially helpful for staff with visual impairments, migraines, dyslexia, or fatigue – but many others benefit too, including those working on high-resolution screens or in roles that involve long hours of reading and editing.

People using Surface devices often find text scaling particularly useful. This can improve readability without distorting the layout or icons, making it a practical solution for everyday use.

How to magnify or zoom

Magnification tools allow you to zoom in on parts of the screen for better visibility.

Using Magnifier
  • Press Windows key + Plus (+) to activate
  • Press Windows key + Plus (+) or Minus (-) to zoom in or out
  • Press Windows key + Esc to close
Modes available
  • Full screen: Enlarges everything
  • Lens: A magnifying glass follows your cursor
  • Docked: A zoomed-in strip appears at the top of the screen
Zooming in and out on a browser
  • Press Ctrl + Plus (+) or Ctrl + Minus (-) to zoom in or out
  • Hold Ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel for finer control

About text scaling

Some people find scaling just the text on their screen, as opposed to scaling everything, particularly useful. It can improve readability without distorting layouts or icons, making it a practical solution for everyday use.

How to scale text in Windows

Increase Text Size Only

If you want to make text larger without changing the size of your apps or images, use the text size slider.

  • To open Accessibility settings press the Windows Key + U
  • Select Text size, drag the slider to your preferred size, and click Apply.
Scale Apps and Everything Else

If you want to enlarge everything on your screen (including apps and images), use the display scale.

  • To open Settings: Press the Windows Key + I
  • Navigate to System then Display
  • Under Scale and layout, select the Scale drop-down menu and choose your preferred percentage
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