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

On Windows, hold Ctrl and scroll your mouse wheel backward, or hold Ctrl and press the minus key (−). On Mac, hold Command and scroll backward, or hold Command and press the minus key. Most web browsers, document editors, and image programs respond to these shortcuts. If you're zooming out on your desktop itself — making icons and text smaller across your whole screen — the process is different and lives in your system settings, not in a single keystroke.

The zoom level you set in one program usually doesn't carry over to another. Your browser zoom stays in your browser. Your document zoom stays in that document. If you want to change how large everything appears on your desktop, you're adjusting your display scaling, which is a separate setting.

Key Takeaways

  • Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll backward with your mouse wheel to zoom out in most programs.
  • Hold Ctrl or Command and press the minus key as an alternative if your mouse wheel doesn't work or you prefer the keyboard.
  • Zoom settings in web browsers, documents, and images are program-specific and don't affect your desktop or other applications.
  • To make text and icons smaller across your entire desktop, you need to change display scaling in your system settings, not zoom within a program.
  • Pressing Ctrl+0 (or Command+0 on Mac) resets zoom back to 100 percent in most browsers and document programs.

Zooming out in your web browser

Every major browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge — uses the same shortcuts. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll your mouse wheel backward. Each scroll step reduces the zoom by about 10 percent. You can also hold Ctrl or Command and press the minus key repeatedly until the page reaches the size you want.

The zoom level sticks to that website. If you zoom out on one news site to 80 percent, that site will stay at 80 percent the next time you visit it. Other websites open at 100 percent by default. To reset any page back to 100 percent, hold Ctrl or Command and press 0 (zero).

If your trackpad or mouse doesn't have a scroll wheel, most browsers also let you click the menu button (three horizontal lines in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge; three horizontal lines in Safari) and look for a zoom option, though the keyboard shortcut is faster.

Zooming out in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and other documents

Document programs use the same keyboard shortcuts as browsers. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll backward, or hold Ctrl/Command and press the minus key. In Microsoft Word, you can also click the zoom slider at the bottom right of the window and drag it left to zoom out.

Google Docs works the same way with keyboard shortcuts. The zoom level you set in one document doesn't carry to another — each document remembers its own zoom setting. If you close a document at 80 percent zoom and open it again later, it will open at 80 percent.

To return to 100 percent in any document program, hold Ctrl or Command and press 0.

Zooming out in image editors and photo programs

Photoshop, GIMP, Paint, and most image editors respond to Ctrl+scroll (Windows) or Command+scroll (Mac). Some also let you use the minus key the same way. If keyboard shortcuts don't work, look for a zoom tool in the left toolbar — it usually looks like a magnifying glass — and click it to select zoom mode, then click on the image to zoom in or out.

Many image programs also show a zoom percentage in the bottom left or top of the window. You can click that number directly and type a new percentage, or use the dropdown menu next to it to pick a preset zoom level like "Fit to Window" or "100 percent."

Changing the zoom on your entire desktop and system text

If you want icons, text, and windows to appear smaller across your whole desktop — not just in one program — you're changing your display scaling, not zoom. This is a system-wide setting that affects everything you see.

On Windows: Right-click on your desktop and select "Display settings." Scroll down to "Scale and layout" and look for the "Scale" dropdown. It usually defaults to 100 percent. Click it and choose a smaller percentage like 90 or 80 percent. Click "explore" and Windows will ask you to sign out and back in for the change to take full effect. Some programs may look blurry at non-standard scaling levels.

On Mac: Click the Apple menu, then "System Settings" (or "System Preferences" on older versions). Click "Displays." At the bottom, you'll see resolution options. Click "Scaled" and choose a lower resolution — lower resolution makes everything appear larger on screen, so you want to move in the opposite direction from Windows. The default is usually "Optimized." Choosing a lower resolution (like the second or third option) makes text and icons smaller.

What to do if zoom shortcuts aren't working

If Ctrl+scroll or Ctrl+minus doesn't zoom, the program may not support it, or your keyboard may have a different layout. Try these steps: First, make sure the program window is active — click inside it once. Then try the shortcut again. If it still doesn't work, check the program's menu for a View or Zoom option and look for zoom controls there.

Some keyboards, especially on laptops, require you to hold Fn (Function) along with Ctrl to use the minus key. Try Ctrl+Fn+minus. If you're using a Mac and the shortcut doesn't work, make sure you're holding Command, not Ctrl — they're different keys.

If the program has no zoom feature at all, you may need to change your display scaling instead, which affects the entire screen. This is most common in older or specialized software.

Zoom resets when you close the program

Most browsers and document programs remember your zoom level between sessions. If you zoom a webpage to 80 percent and close your browser, that page will still be at 80 percent the next time you visit. However, some programs reset zoom to 100 percent every time you open them. If this happens, check the program's preferences or settings — there may be an option to remember your zoom level.

Display scaling (the system-wide setting) stays in place until you change it again, even after you restart your computer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I zoom out on my entire screen at once?

Not with a single shortcut that affects everything. Zoom shortcuts only work within individual programs. To make everything on your desktop smaller — text, icons, windows — you need to change display scaling in your system settings. On Windows, this is under Display Settings > Scale and Layout. On Mac, it's under System Settings > Displays.

Why does my zoom reset every time I close the program?

Some programs don't save zoom settings by default. Check the program's preferences or settings menu for an option like "Remember zoom level" or "Save view settings." If the option doesn't exist, the program may not support persistent zoom. You'll need to set it again each time you open the program.

Does zooming out make my computer run slower?

No. Zoom is just a display setting — it changes how large things appear on your screen, not how much work your computer is doing. Zooming out doesn't affect performance, battery life, or speed.

What's the difference between zoom and display scaling?

Zoom is a setting within a single program and affects only what you see in that program. Display scaling is a system-wide setting that makes everything on your desktop smaller or larger. Zoom is temporary and program-specific. Display scaling is permanent until you change it.

Can I set different zoom levels for different monitors?

Zoom within programs is independent of your monitor — it's tied to the program, not the display. Display scaling, however, is set per monitor on Windows. If you have two monitors with different resolutions, you can set different scaling levels for each one in Display Settings.