How to use Accessibility's zoom feature on Mac

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How to use Accessibility's zoom feature on Mac
How to use Accessibility's zoom feature on Mac (Image credit: iMore)
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You can zoom in on apps using the trackpad on your Mac laptop or gestures on the Magic Mouse, but with the Zoom accessibility feature, you can zoom in on the whole screen. You can do it with keyboard shortcuts or by using your mouse's scroll function along with modifier keys. Here's how to use zoom on Mac and macOS Monterey.

How to enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Zoom in the menu on the left.
  2. Choose the checkbox next to Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom to enable the feature. The shortcuts are:
    • Toggle zoom: Command-Option-8
    • Zoom in: Command-Option-=
    • Zoom out: Command-Option- -

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, click Zoom on the menu on the left, then click the checkbox next to Use keyboard shortcuts to Zoom. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click the checkbox next to Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom.
  2. Click one of these options from the drop-down:
    • Control
    • Option
    • Command

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, click the checkbox next to Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom, then choose one of the options from the drop-down. (Image credit: iMore)

How to change the style of zoom

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Zoom in the menu on the left.
  2. Select one of the options from the Zoom style dropdown:
    • Full screen
    • Split-screen
    • Picture-in-picture

To change the style of zoom, click Zoom on the left. Select one of the options from the Xoom style dropdown. (Image credit: iMore)

How to manage Zoom appearance

In macOS Monterey, the zoom appearance settings apply to all three zoom settings: Fullscreen, split-screen, and picture-in-picture, with one small exception.

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Zoom in the menu on the left.
  2. Select Advanced…
  3. Choose a movement option under When zoomed in, the screen image moves:
    • Continuously with pointer
    • Only when the pointer reaches an edge
    • So the pointer is at or near the center of the screen

To manage the Zoom appearance, click Zoom at the left, then select Advanced. Click a movement option under When zoomed in, the screen images moves. (Image credit: iMore)

How to customize zoom controls

Just as with appearance, the settings for zoom controls apply to all zoom styles in macOS Monterey.

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Zoom in the menu on the left.
  2. Select Advanced…
  3. Choose the Controls tab.

To customize zoom controls, click Zoom in the menu. Choose Advanced, then the Controls tab. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click the checkboxes to enable the following options:
    • Holding Control-Option/Alt to temporarily toggle zoom
    • Holding Control-Command to temporarily detach the zoom view from the pointer.
    • Pressing Option/Alt-Command-F to toggle between full screen and picture-in-picture zoom
    • Using keyboard shortcuts to adjust the zoom window
    • Using a trackpad gesture to zoom
  2. Select and drag the sliders next to Maximum Zoom and Minimum Zoom to set each. You can start at 0 and magnify as much as 40x. If you hit the hotkeys to zoom in, you'll immediately zoom in to the Maximum Zoom you've set.
  3. Click OK when you're finished.

To customize zoom controls, click the checkboxes to enable options. Select and drag sliders at the bottom. (Image credit: iMore)

How to enable and manage Hover Text

Hover Text is a feature the lets you enlarge in a small pop-up window when you hover over text while holding down the Command key with this option enabled. It's another great how-to-use zoom on Mac feature.

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Choose Zoom in the menu on the left.
  2. Select the checkbox next to Enable Hover Text.
  3. Click Options...
  4. Click an option from the drop-down or enter a custom text size.

To enable and manage Hover Text, click Zoom on the menu on the left. Click the checkbox next to Enable Hover Text. Click Options ..., choose an option under the text size box. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Choose a font option from the drop-down menu. You can use any of your installed fonts for this.
  2. Click on of these text entry location options:
    • None
    • Near current line
    • Top left
    • Top right
    • Bottom left
    • Bottom right
    • Custom
  3. Select on one of these activation modifier options to select the key that activates Hover Text:
    • Control
    • Option
    • Command

To enable and manage Hover Text, choose a font, click on text entry location options. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Colors...
  2. Choose the drop-downs to choose the colors for the following:
    • Text
    • Insertion-point
    • Background
    • Border
    • Element-highlight

To enable and manage Hover Text, click colors, then make your choices with the drop-downs. (Image credit: iMore)

How to manage speech options for zoom

In macOS, the speech options for Zoom are in the speech menu.

  1. Open System Preferences from your Dock or Applications folder.
  2. Click Accessibility.

To enable shortcuts for Accessibility zoom, open System Preferences from the Dock, then click Accessibility. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Spoken Content in the menu on the left.
  2. Click the checkbox next to Speak items under pointer to turn that feature on.

To manage speech options for zoom, click Spoken Content on the menu, then click the checkbox next to Speak items under pointer. (Image credit: iMore)
  1. Click Only when zoomed in the drop-down.
  2. Drag the slider left or right to shorten or lengthen the delay between hovering the pointer over a word and when that word should be spoken.

To manage speech options for zoom, click Only when zoom in the drop-down, then drag the slider as needed. (Image credit: iMore)

Get Zooming

As you can see, Zoom is a powerful feature you can use on Mac. Use it to make better use of your workflow. If you're looking for a new MacBook, we have some recommendations.

Updated March 2022: Updated for macOS Monterey.

Bryan M Wolfe
Bryan M Wolfe
Staff Writer

Bryan M. Wolfe has written about technology for over a decade on various websites, including TechRadar, AppAdvice, and many more. Before this, he worked in the technology field across different industries, including healthcare and education. He’s currently iMore’s lead on all things Mac and macOS, although he also loves covering iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Bryan enjoys watching his favorite sports teams, traveling, and driving around his teenage daughter to her latest stage show, audition, or school event in his spare time. He also keeps busy walking his black and white cocker spaniel, Izzy, and trying new coffees and liquid grapes.