How to use the magnifier in Windows 11 to zoom in on content
Hi welcome to my series on how to start loving Windows 11 now that it's time for Windows 10 to say bye 👋🏻. It was a long time ago since my last post but that does not end the features and today it is all about the magnifier🔍.
In my 12th blog post in my Windows 11 series I wanted to share how to use the magnifier in Windows 11 to zoom in on content! The magnifier is a little bit like a light ZoomIt making it possible to zoom in during presentations and demos, but also a helpful tool for accessibility needs. Let's dive into what you can do and how to use it.
What is it?
Let's start with why you should use it? The main purpose of the magnifier is to make Windows more accessible by making it easier to see on your screen. The purpose can both be for your own sake but also helpful during demos and presentations to make sure people are seeing the tiny button on which you are clicking on. Besides zooming in there is also a reading feature which reads the text on your screen.
How to use the magnifier in Windows 11 to zoom in on content and other available features
You reach the magnifier by pressing Windows button AND +. You can also reach it by searching for magnifier. When you use this short command you will be able to zoom on your screen, you zoom in by WIN AND + and zoom out by WIN AND -. When moving around your mouse the zoom will follow making it easy to use. When you are using the magnifier the pop up window will stay there, if you want to use the magnifier for presentations you can minimize the window but still use the features.
The other part of the magnifier is the reading functionality. By clicking the play button a voice will start reading what is showing on the screen. I find the easiest way to use in apps where you actually can click in a sentence (Loop, Word, a website with text e.g.), you click in the beginning of a sentence and then clicking the play button. You can paus and play, and also skip chapter. In the settings you will decide what voice you want it to use.
By clicking the cogwheel you will navigate to a set of settings:
Making sure the magnifier is turned on
Zoom level and zoom increment which decides how much to zoom, the default is 100% as start and increment
There are three views, full screen, docked and lens. Full screen zooms your full screen, lens creates a little square that only zooms and docks will give a docked window zooming in keeping the rest as is. The modes depends on what you want to achieve, for demos I would go with full screen or lens, for a more consistent use I would pick docked.
For reading settings you can decide on your reading short cut while the magnifier is open, choose a voice and the speed of the voice.
You might notice that the magnifier settings is under the accessibility settings and that is correct, the magnifier is just one of the accessibility features available in Windows 11. These features are helpful for people with low vision, I do have glasses and maybe features these will be a must for me in the future.
My thoughts
I've said for 5+ years now that this is the year I'm starting to zoom during my demos, and now I finally feel yes lets do it. I love built in things 🤓🤓. I also love tech being accessible by all.
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Others posts in my Windows 11 series:
디지털 콘텐츠와 온라인 서비스를 자주 이용한다면 결제 편의성이 중요합니다. 휴대전화를 활용한 간편한 처리 방식이라는 장점이 소액결제 있으며, 무리한 사용을 피하고 정해진 한도 내에서 이용하는 것이 효과적입니다.
I appreciate that you highlighted the three view modes, since choosing between full screen, docked, and lens really changes the experience. For someone using the magnifier all day rather than just during demos, docked seems far less disorienting because the rest of the screen stays put. Do you find the reading feature works reliably in apps where text isn't easily selectable, or is clicking into a sentence basically required for it to track along properly?
Further reading: https://slayer2.org/
Framing a magnifier walkthrough as the twelfth entry in a series about learning to love Windows 11, now that Windows 10 is being retired, gives the guide a clear context. Focusing on zooming for accessibility and presentations keeps the feature practical rather than exhaustive. Step by step guides and screen imagery of this sort are the kind of material Image 2.5 Sunburst covers.
여러 번 문의해도 항상 같은 답변을 주는 점이 신뢰를 높여 주었습니다. 진행 중 부분이 중간에 분명히 안내되어 헷갈림 상품권매입 없이 이용할 수 있었습니다. 깔끔한 서비스가 인상적입니다.
This guide makes Windows 11’s Magnifier feel much more approachable, especially with the keyboard shortcuts, viewing modes, and reading features explained clearly. I also liked the accessibility focus and practical examples for presentations. I recently came across a similar discussion on a review blog, https://www.alamodtf.com/ and it offered an interesting perspective on making technology easier for more people to use.