This article shows you how to use zoom on Mac. Read on to find out how.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Using the Trackpad
Step 1. Open a program or application that supports zoom capabilities
Some examples include web pages, images and documents.
Step 2. Place two fingers on the Mac trackpad
Step 3. Now move your fingers away from each other
This will activate the "Zoom in" function of the program which will magnify the elements displayed on the screen.
- Repeat the previous step to increase the zoom level.
- To use the "Zoom in" function you can also tap the trackpad twice consecutively always using two fingers.
Method 2 of 3: Using the Keyboard
Step 1. Open a program or application that supports zoom capabilities
Some examples include web pages, images and documents.
Step 2. Hold down the ⌘ Command key, then press the key +.
This way the contents on the Mac screen will be enlarged automatically.
- To increase the zoom level, press the + key again without releasing the ⌘ Command key.
- Alternatively, access the menu View at the top of the screen and choose the option Zoom in.
Step 3. Press and hold the ⌘ Command key while pressing the button -.
This will use the "Zoom Out" function which reduces the size of the items displayed on the Mac screen.
Method 3 of 3: Activate the Zoom Function
Step 1. Enter the "Apple" menu
It is located in the upper left corner of the screen.
Step 2. Choose the System Preferences… item
It is one of the options present in the drop-down menu that appeared.
Step 3. Click the Accessibility icon
It is displayed in the upper left part of the "System Preferences" window (depending on the version of the operating system it may be located in the lower right part).
Step 4. Go to the Zoom tab
It is one of the options listed in the left pane of the "Accessibility" window.
Step 5. Select the "Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom" checkbox
It is located at the top of the main window pane. This way you can use the following key combinations to use Mac zoom:
- ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + 8 - enable or disable the Mac zoom;
- ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command - allows you to zoom in when the zoom is active;
- ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + - - allows you to zoom out when the zoom is active;
- ⌥ Option + ⌘ Command + / - enables or disables the "Smooth Images" feature which allows you to reduce the visibility of pixels when you zoom in on images.
Step 6. Press the More Options button
… It is located in the lower right part of the "Accessibility" window.
You can change the zoom style from "Full Screen" (which evenly magnifies everything on the screen) to "PIP", or "Picture-In-Picture" (which magnifies the window next to the mouse pointer), using the "Magnification Style" drop-down menu, visible at the bottom of the screen
Step 7. Set the "Maximum Zoom" and "Minimum Zoom" values
Drag the slider to the right to increase the maximum or minimum zoom limit, or to the left to decrease it.
Step 8. Configure the movements of the contents on the screen when using the zoom
You have three options to choose from to tell the Mac how to handle the movements of the image displayed when you use the zoom:
- Continuously with the pointer - the screen will follow the movements of the mouse pointer;
- Only when the pointer reaches an edge - the screen will scroll only when the mouse pointer reaches one of the edges;
- Keeping the pointer in the center of the screen or nearby - the image displayed on the screen will move to ensure that the mouse pointer always remains centered on the screen.
Step 9. Choose the option you want
This way when the zoom is active the images on the Mac screen will be enlarged according to the preference indicated.
Step 10. Press the OK button
You are now able to use the Mac zoom directly from the keyboard via the appropriate abbreviations. You will be able to maximize both the desktop and the other windows on the system that do not normally support this feature.
