The fastest way to zoom out depends on your operating system and what you're looking at

On Windows, hold Ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel backward, or press Ctrl and the minus key (−) together. On Mac, hold Command and scroll backward, or press Command and minus. These shortcuts work in most programs — web browsers, document editors, spreadsheets, and image viewers. If you're zoomed in on your entire desktop rather than a single window, the method changes slightly depending on whether you're using Windows 10, Windows 11, or macOS.

The zoom level you set stays in place until you change it again. If you zoom in on a website and close the browser, that site will open at the same zoom level next time. Resetting to 100 percent (normal size) uses the same shortcuts: Ctrl and 0 (zero) on Windows, or Command and 0 on Mac.

Key Takeaways

  • Hold Ctrl and scroll backward with your mouse wheel, or press Ctrl and the minus key, to zoom out in most Windows programs.
  • On Mac, use Command instead of Ctrl with the same scroll or keyboard shortcuts.
  • Zoom settings stay in place for each program and website until you change them again.
  • Press Ctrl+0 (Windows) or Command+0 (Mac) to return to 100 percent zoom.
  • If keyboard shortcuts do not work, check the View menu in your program for a Zoom option.

Zooming out in web browsers

Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari — responds to Ctrl and the minus key (or Command and minus on Mac). You can also use Ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel backward. Each click or scroll step reduces the zoom by 10 percent, so you may need to press the shortcut several times to reach the level you want.

The zoom level is stored per website, not globally. If you zoom out on one news site to 80 percent, that site will open at 80 percent next time you visit it. Other websites will still open at 100 percent unless you have zoomed them separately. This is useful if you have a website with small text that you always want to see larger or smaller.

To reset any website to normal size, press Ctrl+0 or Command+0. This clears the zoom setting for that site only.

Zooming out in Windows 10 and Windows 11

If you want to zoom out on your entire desktop — making all text, icons, and windows smaller — the method differs from zooming within a single program. On Windows 10, right-click an empty area of your desktop, select Display settings, scroll down to Scale and layout, and change the percentage under Scale. Windows offers 100 percent, 125 percent, 150 percent, and sometimes 175 percent. Choosing a lower percentage makes everything smaller.

On Windows 11, the process is the same: right-click the desktop, choose Display settings, find Scale under Scale and layout, and select a lower percentage. After you change it, Windows may ask you to sign out and back in for the change to take full effect, though most programs update when ready.

This desktop-wide zoom is separate from zooming within individual programs. You can have your desktop at 100 percent and still zoom out to 75 percent in your web browser, for example.

Zooming out on macOS

To zoom out on your entire Mac desktop, go to System Preferences (or System Settings on newer versions), click Displays, and look for Resolution. Select Scaled and choose a lower resolution — lower resolution numbers make everything on your screen appear larger, while higher numbers make everything smaller. This is the opposite of the Windows percentage system, so it can feel backwards at first.

Within individual programs, use Command and the minus key, or Command and scroll backward. This works the same way as on Windows and applies only to that program.

Using the View menu when shortcuts do not work

Some older programs or specialized software do not respond to the standard keyboard shortcuts. If Ctrl and minus does not work, check the View menu at the top of the program window. Most programs list a Zoom option there, with choices like Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Reset Zoom. Click Zoom Out as many times as you need.

A few programs use different shortcuts. Microsoft Office, for example, has a zoom slider in the bottom right corner of the window — you can click the minus button or drag the slider to the left to zoom out. Image editing software like Photoshop or GIMP often has zoom controls in the toolbar on the left side of the screen.

Fixing zoom that is stuck or not working

If your screen is zoomed in and you cannot zoom out, first try pressing Ctrl+0 or Command+0 to reset to 100 percent. If that does not work, close the program completely and reopen it — zoom settings sometimes get stuck if a program crashes or closes unexpectedly.

If zooming still does not respond, check whether your keyboard is working by typing in a text editor. If the keyboard works but zoom shortcuts do not, try using the View menu instead. On Windows, you can also restart your computer, which clears temporary settings that might be blocking the shortcut.

If you have zoomed your entire desktop and cannot see the settings to undo it, try pressing Windows key + I to open Settings directly, then navigate to System and Display to adjust the scale back down.

Zoom levels and text readability

Zooming out makes text and images smaller, which is useful when you want to see more of a page or document at once. However, if you zoom out too far, text becomes hard to read. Most people find 80 to 90 percent zoom comfortable for reading, while 70 percent or lower is usually only practical for viewing large spreadsheets or maps where you need to see the whole picture.

If you find yourself zooming out frequently because text is too small, consider adjusting your display settings instead. On Windows, increasing the scale percentage in Display settings makes all text larger system-wide without requiring you to zoom in every program. On Mac, choosing a lower resolution in Display settings has the same effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my zoom level reset when I close the program?

Some programs do not save zoom settings between sessions. If this happens, check the program's preferences or settings menu for a zoom option you can set as default. Most modern browsers and office software do save zoom per website or document, so this is less common than it used to be.

Can I zoom out on just one monitor if I have two?

No. Desktop-wide zoom settings explore to all monitors connected to your computer. However, you can zoom within individual programs on each monitor separately — for example, zoom out in your browser on one monitor while keeping your spreadsheet at 100 percent on the other.

What is the difference between zooming and changing screen resolution?

Zooming changes how large the content appears without changing how many pixels your screen displays. Changing resolution changes the number of pixels, which affects everything on your screen at once. Zooming is usually better for temporary adjustments, while resolution changes are better if you want a permanent system-wide adjustment.

Does zooming out make my computer slower?

No. Zoom is purely a display setting and does not affect your computer's performance or how much memory programs use.