How to use Magnifier to zoom in on Windows 11

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

Magnifier enlarges the whole screen, or a part of it, in any program. It is made for people with low vision, and it is just as useful for small print in a PDF or details in a picture. It is also the answer when a screen is suddenly zoomed in and will not go back: Magnifier was started by accident.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

1. Turn Magnifier on

   Press Windows key + Plus (+). The screen zooms in and a small Magnifier toolbar appears. Or open Start, Settings, Accessibility, Magnifier and switch it on.

   Done

2. Zoom in and out

   Windows key + Plus zooms in further, Windows key + Minus zooms out. Move the pointer to the edge of the screen to move the enlarged view.

   Done

3. Turn Magnifier off

   Press Windows key + Esc. This is the shortcut to remember if the screen is stuck zoomed in.

   Done

4. Choose a view

   Ctrl + Alt + F is full screen, where everything is enlarged. Ctrl + Alt + L is the lens, a magnifying glass that follows the pointer. Ctrl + Alt + D is docked, a strip at the top that shows the area around the pointer enlarged. Ctrl + Alt + M cycles through the three.

   Done

5. See where you are

   When zoomed in on the full screen view, press Ctrl + Alt + Spacebar to see the whole screen for a moment, with the enlarged area marked.

   Done

6. Invert the colours

   Ctrl + Alt + I swaps light and dark, which many people find easier to read. Press it again to switch back.

   Done

7. Adjust the settings

   Under Settings, Accessibility, Magnifier you can choose the zoom increment, that is how much each key press enlarges, and switch on Smooth edges of images and text.

   Done

8. Start it automatically

   In the same settings, switch on Start Magnifier after sign-in, and before sign-in if you need it to type your password.

   Done

Good to know

If everything is simply too small all the time, a larger scale or text size is more comfortable than Magnifier: how to change the screen resolution and text size on Windows 11.

In a browser and most programs, Ctrl + Plus and Ctrl + Minus enlarge only that window's content, and Ctrl + 0 resets it.

A bigger pointer helps too: how to make the mouse pointer bigger on Windows 11.

Other accessibility features that start by accident: Narrator and Sticky Keys.

In short: Windows key + Plus turns Magnifier on and zooms in, Windows key + Minus zooms out, Windows key + Esc turns it off. Ctrl + Alt + F, L or D for full screen, lens or docked.