How to zoom in on the screen on a Mac, and get out when it is stuck
Zoom magnifies part of the Mac screen with a key, a scroll or a tap. How to turn it on, which keys zoom in and out, and how to escape a screen stuck zoomed in.
How do I get out of a zoomed in screen?
- Press
⌥⌘8to turn Zoom off. - Or hold
⌃and scroll down with two fingers, if scroll to zoom is on. - Or double tap with three fingers on the trackpad, if that gesture is on.
How do I turn on Zoom?
Open System Settings, Accessibility, Zoom. Turn on one or more ways to zoom:
| Setting | How you zoom |
|---|---|
| Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom | ⌥ ⌘ 8 on and off, ⌥ ⌘ = in, ⌥ ⌘ - out |
| Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom | Hold ⌃ and scroll |
| Use trackpad gesture to zoom | Double tap with three fingers |
Zoom style chooses full screen, split screen, or a lens that follows the pointer.
Why does my screen zoom when I scroll?
Scroll to zoom is on and its modifier key is being held, often ⌃. Turn the scroll gesture off in Accessibility, Zoom, or pick a different modifier there.
How is this different from zooming a web page?
⌘ + and ⌘ - zoom the content of one app, such as a web page, and the layout reflows. Accessibility Zoom magnifies the whole screen picture. For reading small text, see text size and Hover Text, which shows enlarged text under the pointer while you hold ⌘.
A bigger pointer instead of a bigger screen: find your cursor. Trackpad gestures in general: trackpad gestures for windows.
Checked on 22 October 2026 on a MacBook Air (M1) running macOS 27.0.1: the three zoom methods, Zoom style, Hover Text and the hold ⌃⌥ temporary toggle were read from System Settings, Accessibility.
Questions
How do I unzoom my Mac screen?
Press Option Command 8, or hold Control and scroll down.
What is the zoom shortcut on Mac?
With keyboard zoom on, Option Command equals zooms in and Option Command minus zooms out.
Why does my Mac zoom when I scroll?
Scroll to zoom is on in Accessibility, Zoom, and its modifier key is held.
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