While browsing you may face a situation where the displayed text is too large or an image that requires a broader view on Microsoft Windows. For instance, a suitable zoom is required to easily navigate but if you’re zoomed in, it could be harder for you to navigate and the same is true when zoomed out. Now the question is how to zoom out or zoom in on Windows.

This guide will demonstrate the methods that include the keyboard shortcuts, mouse buttons, touch screen, and the magnifier to zoom out on Windows.

How to Zoom Out or Zoom In on Windows

To zoom out/in on Windows, you can use the following methods:

  • Keyboard Shortcuts.
  • Mouse & Keyboard Buttons.
  • Touch Screen.
  • Magnifier.

The above methods are illustrated as follows.

Method 1: Zoom Out or Zoom In on Windows Using the Keyboard Shortcuts

The following can be referred to as the universal shortcuts to zoom out on Windows. 

Keyboard Shortcut Effect
Ctrl – Zooms out on most applications, including web browsers, Office, and others.
Ctrl 0Resets the browser to the default zoom.

Note: To zoom in on Windows, press the “Ctrl + or “Ctrl =” keys.

Method 2: Zoom Out or Zoom In on Windows Using the Mouse and Keyboard Buttons

If you want to zoom out on Windows using the mouse and keyboard, press & hold the Control button on the keyboard and roll the mouse’s button in a downward direction.

To zoom in on Windows, press & hold the Control button and roll the mouse’s scroll button upwards until the desired zoom is achieved.

Method 3: Zoom Out or Zoom In on Windows Using the Touch Screen

If your system supports the touch screen, you can zoom out on Windows using your fingers. To do that, place two wide-apart fingers on the touch screen and slowly bring them together with the screen pressed until you get the desired zoom.

You can zoom in on Windows if you spread two of your fingers while pressing the touch screen.

Method 4: Zoom Out or Zoom In on Windows Using the Magnifier

The Magnifier is added to Windows for ease of access as it lets the users zoom in or zoom out efficiently. To open the Magnifier, press the Windows Logo Key & the + key or use the Start Menu. After opening the Magnifier, press the Windows Logo Key & + to zoom in and the Windows Logo Key & to zoom out.

That’s all for zooming out and zooming in on Windows.

Final Words

To zoom out in Windows, press & hold the Ctrl & + keys, use the Ctrl + Mouse scroll (downwards), or press the Windows Logo Key & keys after opening the Magnifier. Additionally, you can use two fingers if your system supports the touch screen.

To zoom in on Windows, press & hold the Ctrl & keys, Ctrl + Mouse scroll upwards, or use the Magnifier tool. To zoom in on the touch-supported devices, press the touch screen with two of your fingers and bring them together. This guide has discussed all the methods to Zoom Out and Zoom in on Windows.