--- title: Use Magnifier to make things on the screen easier to see – Microsoft Support description: "[Windows 11](javascript:) ### Using Magnifier on Windows 11 Magnifier makes part or all of your screen bigger so you can see words and images better.  Expand any or all of the following sections to learn more about Magnifier.  Turn on Magnifier…" url: "https://cleversupport.ca/docs/windows-11/use-magnifier-to-make-things-on-the-screen-easier-to-see-microsoft-support/" updated: "2024-06-17" category: Windows / Windows 11 --- # Use Magnifier to make things on the screen easier to see – Microsoft Support [Windows 11](javascript:) ### Using Magnifier on Windows 11 Magnifier makes part or all of your screen bigger so you can see words and images better.  Expand any or all of the following sections to learn more about Magnifier.  Turn on Magnifier To quickly turn on Magnifier, press the **Windows logo key + Plus sign (+) **. To turn off Magnifier, press the **Windows logo key + Esc**. If you prefer using a mouse, select  **Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility **> **Magnifier, **and then turn on the **Magnifier** switch. Customize Magnifier zoom level   If you are using a mouse, select  ** Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility  **> **Magnifier** and open the **Zoom increments **drop-down menu, and select how much the screen enlargement level changes when you zoom in and out with Magnifier.   If you are using Narrator and a keyboard:   1. Press the **Windows logo key**  + **Ctrl **+ **M  **to open the Magnifier settings view. 2. Press the **Tab key **until you hear “Zoom increments,” followed by the current value. 3. Press  **Alt **+ **Down arrow key** to open the menu, use the **Up and Down arrow keys** to find the zoom increment value you want to use, and press **Enter **to select it and close the menu. Start Magnifier before or after Windows sign-in   If you know a computer will often be used by people with low vision, it may be helpful to have Magnifier turn on automatically.   If you are using a mouse, select  ** Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility **> **Magnifier**. Select **Magnifier**, and then select or unselect the  **Start Magnifier after sign-in** and **Start Magnifier before sign-in** checkboxes according to your preferences.  If you are using Narrator and a keyboard:   1. Press the **Windows logo key**  + **Ctrl **+ **M  **to open the Magnifier settings view. 2. Press the **Tab key** until you hear: "Magnifier, toggle switch." Press the **Tab key** once. You hear: "Show all settings." Press **Enter**, and then press the **Tab key **until you hear “Start Magnifier after sign-in” or “Start Magnifier before sign in,” followed by “unchecked” or “checked.” 3. Press ** Spacebar **to turn the selected option on or off. Smooth edges of images and text   Edge smoothing is something you should experiment with to see if smoothing works better for you than no smoothing.   If you are using a mouse, select **Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility **> **Magnifier** and turn the **Smooth edges of images and text** switch on or off according to your preferences.   If you are using Narrator and a keyboard:   1. Press the **Windows logo key**  + **Ctrl **+ **M  **to open the Magnifier settings view. 2. Press the **Tab key** until you hear “Smooth edges of images and text,” followed by “Toggle switch, on” or “Toggle switch, off.” 3. Press **Spacebar **to turn the option on or off. Invert colors   Inverted colors may reduce eye strain or make text more readable for some people.     To invert screen colors while Magnifier is turned on, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **I**.Black color becomes white and vice versa, and other colors change to suit that.   To return the colors to normal, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **I** again.   Change Magnifier view    Use the following shortcuts to change between Magnifier views:   - To use the full screen view, press  **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **F**. - To use the docked view, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **D**. - To use the lens view, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **L**. To cycle between the views, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **M**. You can use this to quickly compare the views and see which one works best for you in each situation.   To temporarily show the entire screen when you are zoomed in using the full screen view, press **Ctrl **+ **Alt **+ **Spacebar**.   Change what Magnifier view follows   Depending on how you navigate Windows, you may want to change the default Magnifier behavior so that it only follows the Narrator cursor, for example. These settings are something you should experiment with to see what works best for you.   If you are using a mouse, select  ** Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility **> **Magnifier**. Select **View**, and then under **Have my Magnifier follow**, select or unselect the **Mouse pointer**, **Keyboard focus**, **Text cursor**, and **Narrator cursor** checkboxes according to your preferences. These settings can be selected in any combination you like.   If you are using Narrator and a keyboard:   1. Press the **Windows logo key**  + **Ctrl **+ **M  **to open the Magnifier settings view. 2. Press the **Tab key** until you hear "View," followed by the current view setting. Press the **Tab key** once. You hear: "More." Press **Enter**, and then press the **Tab key** until you hear “Mouse pointer,” “Keyboard focus,” “Text cursor,” or “Narrator cursor,” followed by “unchecked” or “checked.” 3. Press **Spacebar **to turn the selected option on or off. Change how mouse pointer and text cursor work with Magnifier   If you are using a mouse, select ** Start ** >** Settings** > ** Accessibility **> **Magnifier**. Select **View**, and then open the **Keep the mouse pointer** or **Keep the text cursor **drop-down menu, and select how Magnifier behaves when the mouse pointer or text cursor move around the screen. This is something you should experiment with to see which combination works best for you.   If you are using Narrator and a keyboard:   1. Press the **Windows logo key**  + **Ctrl **+ **M  **to open the Magnifier settings view. 2. Press the **Tab key** until you hear "View," followed by the current view setting. Press the **Tab key** once. You hear: "More." Press **Enter**, and then press the **Tab key** until you hear “Keep the mouse pointer” or “Keep the text cursor,” followed by the current value. 3. Press **Alt **+ **Down arrow key **to open the menu, use the **Up and Down arrow keys** to find the pointer or cursor option you want to use, and press **Enter **to select it and close the menu. Magnifier reading https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/videoplayer-nocookie/embed/RE4EIY8?pid=ocpVideo1&jsapi=true&maskLevel=20&market=en-us **Note: **The instructions apply in Windows 11 too, even though the video only shows Windows 10. Use Magnifier with a touchscreen Here are some tips on how to use Magnifier with a touchscreen: - To zoom in and out, tap on the **plus (+)** and **minus (-)** symbols on the corners of the screen. - To move around the screen, drag along the borders of the screen in full screen view. - To instantly zoom out and see where you are on the screen, tap with one finger on opposite borders of the screen simultaneously. - To close Magnifier, tap the **minus (-)** symbol to zoom out, then tap the **Close**  button. [Open Magnifier settings](easeofaccess-magnifier?activationSource=SMC-Article-11542)