The quickest way to zoom out depends on your device and what you're looking at

On most computers, you can zoom out by holding Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and pressing the minus key (−) one or more times. Each press zooms out a step. You can also hold Ctrl or Command and scroll your mouse wheel backward, or use the trackpad pinch gesture on a Mac (two fingers moving apart). In web browsers, this same method works in the address bar, on web pages, and in most text editors.

If you want to zoom back to normal size, press Ctrl+0 (Windows) or Command+0 (Mac). This resets the zoom to 100 percent. If you've zoomed out too far, you can zoom back in using Ctrl or Command plus the plus key (+).

Key Takeaways

  • Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and press the minus key to zoom out one step at a time.
  • You can also hold Ctrl or Command and scroll your mouse wheel backward to zoom out continuously.
  • On Mac trackpads, pinch two fingers apart while holding them on the screen to zoom out.
  • Press Ctrl+0 or Command+0 to reset your zoom back to 100 percent normal size.
  • Zoom settings usually stay the same for each website or program until you change them again.

Zooming out in web browsers

When you zoom out in a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, the entire page shrinks — text, images, buttons, and all. This is useful when a page feels cramped or when you want to see more content at once without scrolling as much.

The browser remembers your zoom level for each website. If you zoom out on a news site to 80 percent, that site will stay at 80 percent the next time you visit it. Other websites keep their own separate zoom levels. If you want to reset one site back to normal, just press Ctrl+0 or Command+0 while on that page.

Some people zoom out to read more comfortably or to fit more information on screen at once. Others do it by accident when they bump the keyboard. If you notice text suddenly looks smaller, check your zoom level in the browser menu — most browsers show the current zoom percentage in the top right corner of the address bar area.

Zooming out on Windows using the Settings menu

If you want to zoom out of your entire screen (not just one program), you can change your display scale in Windows Settings. This affects everything — your desktop, all your programs, and all your windows.

Open Settings by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings," then select it. Go to System in the left menu, then click Display. Under "Scale and layout," you'll see a dropdown that says something like "100% (Recommended)." Click it and choose a smaller percentage like 90 percent or 80 percent. Your entire screen will shrink, and all text and icons will become smaller.

Be aware that some older programs may not display correctly at smaller scales — text might look blurry or buttons might overlap. If that happens, you can change the scale back to 100 percent, or you can right-click that program's shortcut and choose Properties, then Compatibility, and turn on "Disable fullscreen optimizations" to sometimes fix the problem.

Zooming out on Mac using System Settings

On a Mac, you can zoom out your entire screen by going to System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs), then clicking Displays. At the bottom of the window, you'll see a Resolution section with options like "Scaled."

Click Scaled and choose an option that says something like "More Space" or a lower resolution number. This makes everything on your screen smaller so you can fit more on it at once. Your Mac will ask you to confirm the change — click Confirm to keep it.

If the text becomes too small to read comfortably, you can also turn on Zoom in System Settings under Accessibility. This lets you zoom in on any part of your screen temporarily by holding a modifier key and scrolling, without changing your overall display settings.

Using zoom in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace

In Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, you can zoom out using the same Ctrl+minus or Command+minus method. You can also look for a zoom slider or percentage button, usually in the bottom right corner of the window or in the toolbar.

In Microsoft Office, click the zoom percentage (like "100%") to open a zoom dialog where you can type in an exact percentage or choose preset options. In Google Workspace, look for a zoom dropdown menu in the toolbar. Both let you zoom out to see more of your document or spreadsheet at once, which is helpful when you're working on a large project and want to see the whole layout.

Fixing zoom that won't change

If you press Ctrl+minus or Command+minus and nothing happens, the program you're using might not support zoom, or you might be holding the wrong keys. Double-check that you're holding Ctrl (not Alt or Shift) on Windows, or Command on Mac.

If you're in a web browser and zoom still won't work, try refreshing the page by pressing Ctrl+R or Command+R, then try zooming again. If a website has locked its zoom (some do for design reasons), you may not be able to zoom that particular page, though this is rare.

On Windows, if your entire screen won't zoom out using Settings, restart your computer and try again. Sometimes display settings need a restart to take effect. If you've changed your display scale and everything looks blurry, go back to Settings and try a different percentage — some scales work better than others depending on your monitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between zooming in a browser and zooming the whole screen?

Zooming in a browser (Ctrl+minus) only affects that one program and the websites you visit. Zooming your whole screen (through Settings) affects everything — your desktop, all programs, and all windows. Browser zoom is temporary and resets per website; screen zoom is permanent until you change it back.

Why does my zoom reset when I close the browser?

It shouldn't. Most browsers remember your zoom level for each website. If your zoom keeps resetting, check your browser settings to make sure it's not set to clear zoom history on exit. You can usually find this in Settings under Privacy or History.

Can I zoom out on my keyboard without using the minus key?

Yes. In most browsers and programs, you can hold Ctrl or Command and scroll your mouse wheel backward. On a Mac trackpad, pinch two fingers apart. Some programs also have zoom controls in their menus or toolbars that you can click instead.

Is zooming out bad for my eyes?

Zooming out makes text smaller, which can strain your eyes if the text becomes too small to read comfortably. If you zoom out, make sure you can still read everything clearly. If you find yourself squinting, zoom back in or increase your screen brightness instead.

Will zooming out make my computer slower?

No. Zooming is just a display change — it doesn't affect how fast your computer runs or how much memory it uses. You can zoom in and out as much as you want without any performance impact.