macOS · Accessibility
Magnify Your Screen For Easier Viewing
Zoom is macOS's built-in screen magnifier, letting you enlarge everything on the display using keyboard shortcuts, trackpad gestures, or the mouse scroll wheel, without needing a separate magnifying app. It works independently of display resolution settings.
How to open Zoom
- Open System Settings → Accessibility → Zoom.
- Turn on 'Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom' or 'Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom'.
- Choose Full Screen or Picture-in-Picture zoom style.
- Adjust zoom follow behavior and maximum zoom level to your preference.
What you should know
- Zoom in and out using customizable keyboard shortcuts or trackpad/mouse gestures.
- Choose between Full Screen zoom or a resizable Picture-in-Picture magnified window.
- Adjust maximum zoom level and how smoothly the view tracks your cursor.
- Enable 'Hover Text' to magnify just the area under your cursor in large text.
Why it matters
Zoom gives people with low vision a way to comfortably read small text and interface details without needing external magnification hardware or software. It's also handy temporarily for presentations, demos, or checking fine visual detail in an image.
Best practices
- Use Picture-in-Picture mode if you want magnification without losing full-screen context of the rest of the display.
- Pair Zoom with larger system text sizes for a more consistently readable interface.
- Set a comfortable maximum zoom level so scrolling doesn't overshoot into unreadable extremes.
Common problems and fixes
- Zoom doesn't respond to the scroll gesture.
- Confirm 'Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom' is turned on in Accessibility → Zoom, and check which modifier key (like Control) is required.
- The zoomed view feels jumpy or hard to control.
- Lower the maximum zoom level or change the zoom style between Full Screen and Picture-in-Picture to find a smoother experience.
Tips and tricks
- Use Command-Option-8 to toggle Zoom on or off, and Command-Option-'=' or '-' to zoom in and out once enabled.
Frequently asked questions
Does Zoom change my screen resolution?
No, it magnifies the existing display content without altering the actual resolution, so image and text quality stay sharp.
Can I use Zoom and VoiceOver at the same time?
Yes, both accessibility features can run simultaneously, though VoiceOver users often rely less on visual magnification.
Related settings
- Accessibility SettingsAccessibility settings on Mac include VoiceOver screen reading, Zoom for magnification, Voice Control, and many vision, hearing, and mobility features to make macOS easier to use.
- VoiceOverVoiceOver is macOS's built-in screen reader, describing aloud what's on screen — windows, buttons, text, and images — so you can use the entire Mac without seeing the display. It works through keyboard commands and gestures rather than a mouse.
- Displays SettingsDisplays settings let you change resolution, brightness, arrangement of multiple monitors, and features like Night Shift and True Tone for more comfortable viewing.
More Accessibility guides for macOS
- Language & RegionLanguage & Region settings control which language macOS and your apps display in, plus regional formatting for dates, times, numbers, currency, and the calendar system used system-wide. You can also set different preferred languages per individual app.
- Voice ControlVoice Control lets you operate your entire Mac — clicking, typing, opening apps, and navigating menus — using only spoken commands, with all speech processing done on-device for privacy. It's built for people who can't use a traditional mouse and keyboard, but works for anyone who wants hands-free control.
- Switch ControlSwitch Control lets you operate your entire Mac using one or more adaptive switches, a game controller, or the keyboard instead of a mouse and trackpad, by scanning through onscreen items and selecting with a button press.
- CaptionsCaptions settings control how closed captions and subtitles appear across macOS, including text style, background, and size, and let you require captions whenever available in supported media.
- Sound RecognitionSound Recognition uses on-device listening to detect sounds such as a doorbell, smoke alarm, or crying baby, and shows a notification on screen so people who are deaf or hard of hearing do not miss them.
- Display AccommodationsDisplay Accommodations groups visual comfort settings such as Reduce Motion, Increase Contrast, Differentiate Without Color, and color filters, letting you tune how the interface renders for visual comfort or color vision differences.