Mac

How to zoom in on the screen on a Mac

Photo of Abu Bakar Saadat

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Updated 9 October 2026 · Checked October 2026

Device: MacBook Pro · Software: macOS Tahoe 26

Publisher: Saadat Rafiq

2 min read6 steps

Screenshot from the guide: How to zoom in on the screen on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-zoom-in-on-the-screen-on-a-mac/ · Checked October 2026 · MacBook Pro · macOS Tahoe 26

In this guide
  1. Open System Settings
  2. Click Accessibility, then Zoom
  3. Switch on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom
  4. Or zoom with the trackpad
  5. Or zoom by scrolling
  6. Choose the zoom style
  7. Good to know
  8. Sources
Quick answer

Open System Settings, click Accessibility, then Zoom, and switch on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom. Then press Option, Command and 8 to switch zoom on or off, Option, Command and = to zoom in, and Option, Command and - to zoom out.

6 of 6 steps with real screenshots · 1 official source below

Device
Mac
Shown on
macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)
App
System Settings
Path
System Settings › Accessibility › Zoom
Real screenshots
6 of 6 steps
Checked
October 2026
Sources
1 official, linked below

Step by step

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Steps
Also include
  1. Mac screenshot: Open System Settings
    Tap the picture to see it full size

    Open System Settings

    Click the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and choose System Settings.

  2. Mac screenshot: Click Accessibility, then Zoom
    Tap the picture to see it full size

    Click Accessibility, then Zoom

    Accessibility is in the sidebar on the left. Zoom is in the Vision group on the right. You may need to scroll down in the sidebar.

  3. Mac screenshot: Switch on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom
    Tap the picture to see it full size

    Switch on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom

    The shortcuts are listed under the switch: toggle zoom with Option, Command, 8. Zoom in with Option, Command and the equals key. Zoom out with Option, Command and the minus key.

  4. Mac screenshot: Or zoom with the trackpad
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    Or zoom with the trackpad

    Use trackpad gesture to zoom: double-tap with three fingers to switch zoom on or off, and double-tap with three fingers and drag to change the zoom.

  5. Mac screenshot: Or zoom by scrolling
    Tap the picture to see it full size

    Or zoom by scrolling

    Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom: hold the chosen key and scroll with the trackpad or mouse. The key is Control at first. You can change it to Option or Command in the row below.

  6. Mac screenshot: Choose the zoom style
    Tap the picture to see it full size

    Choose the zoom style

    Full Screen enlarges the whole screen. According to Apple, Split Screen enlarges a custom area of the screen, and Picture-in-Picture only the area where the pointer is.

About this guide

Zoom enlarges everything on the screen, or only the area around the pointer, without changing the resolution. All three ways of zooming are off at first: by keyboard, by trackpad gesture, and by scrolling while you hold a key.

The screenshots show System Settings on macOS Tahoe 26.

Good to know

The Advanced button has more options for the selected zoom style.

If only the mouse pointer is hard to see: how to make the mouse pointer bigger on a Mac.

In short: System Settings, Accessibility, Zoom, keyboard shortcuts on, then Option, Command, 8.

Sources

Links checked in October 2026. Menus and features can change after software updates. These steps match the version named at the top.

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