Zoom in on your Mac screen with the keyboard

Why it happens

Zoom is a built-in feature that magnifies the screen around your pointer, which helps with small text or fine detail. It's off until you turn it on, so the shortcuts do nothing on a new Mac. Once it's on, it works in every app.

How to fix it

1. Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, then click Accessibility and Zoom.

2. Turn on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom.

   Accessibility›Zoom›Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom

3. Press Option-Command-equals (=) to zoom in a step at a time, and Option-Command-minus (-) to zoom out.

4. Move the pointer to look around. The zoomed view follows it to the edges of the screen.

5. Press Option-Command-8 to switch zoom off and on again quickly. It remembers how far you were zoomed in.

Still not fixed?

1. Prefer the trackpad or mouse? Turn on Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom, then hold Control and scroll up to zoom in. You can pick a different key in the same place.

   Accessibility›Zoom›Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom

2. If you only want text a bit bigger everywhere, Text size in Accessibility > Display may be all you need.

   Accessibility›Display›Text size

3. If the shortcuts still do nothing, check the switch is really on, then quit any app that might use the same keys and try again. A restart clears most stuck shortcuts.

4. If zoom won't turn on or gets stuck zoomed in after a restart and a macOS update, contact Apple Support. Apple has accessibility specialists who can help.