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 (away from you), or hold Ctrl and press the minus key (−) repeatedly. On Mac, hold Command and scroll backward, or hold Command and press the minus key. Both methods shrink everything on your screen so you can see more at once. The zoom resets when you close the program, so you won't permanently change your display.

If you don't have a mouse wheel, you can use your trackpad instead. On Windows, place two fingers on the trackpad and scroll downward. On Mac, place two fingers on the trackpad and scroll downward as well. The keyboard shortcut works on both devices regardless of whether you have a trackpad or mouse.

Key Takeaways

  • Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll your mouse wheel backward, or press the minus key multiple times to zoom out in most programs.
  • Zooming out in a web browser, document, or image viewer only affects that one program and resets when you close it.
  • If you want to zoom out on your entire desktop and all programs at once, you need to change your display settings rather than use the zoom shortcut.
  • Touchpad zooming works the same way as mouse wheel zooming on both Windows and Mac computers.

Zooming out in web browsers

Most web browsers use the same zoom shortcut: hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll backward, or press the minus key. Each press makes the page smaller. You can also click the menu button (three horizontal lines in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge) and look for a zoom slider or zoom percentage display near the top right of the menu.

Your browser remembers the zoom level for each website you visit, so if you zoom out on a news site, it will stay zoomed out the next time you visit that site. To reset a page to normal size, hold Ctrl (or Command on Mac) and press 0 (zero).

Zooming out in documents and spreadsheets

Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Excel, and Google Sheets all respond to the same zoom shortcuts: hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll backward, or press the minus key. You can also look for a zoom slider at the bottom right of the window in most of these programs. The zoom level is saved with the document, so if you zoom out and save, the document will open at that zoom level next time.

In Microsoft Office programs, you can also right-click the zoom percentage at the bottom right and select a preset zoom level like 75% or 50%. Google Docs and Sheets have a zoom menu in the top menu bar under "View."

Zooming out on your entire desktop and all programs

If you want everything on your screen to be smaller—not just one program—you need to change your display settings, not use the zoom shortcut. On Windows, right-click on an empty area of your desktop and select "Display settings." Scroll down to "Scale and layout" and change the percentage from 100% to 125%, 150%, or higher. This makes all text, icons, and windows larger across your entire computer.

On Mac, click the Apple menu, select "System Settings," then click "Displays." Under "Resolution," select "Scaled" and choose a lower resolution option. Lower resolutions make everything smaller and fit more on your screen. Both methods require you to log out and back in, or restart your computer, to take full effect.

Zooming out in image viewers and PDF readers

Image viewers and PDF readers use the same zoom shortcuts as browsers and documents: hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and scroll backward, or press the minus key. Many PDF readers like Adobe Acrobat also have a zoom dropdown menu in the toolbar where you can select a specific percentage or choose "Fit to page" to see the entire page at once.

Some image viewers have a "Zoom to fit" button that automatically shrinks the image to fit your window. This is useful when you open a very large image and want to see the whole thing without scrolling.

What to do if zoom shortcuts aren't working

If holding Ctrl and scrolling doesn't work, check whether you have Num Lock turned on (on keyboards with a number pad). Some programs interpret the minus key differently depending on Num Lock status. Try pressing the minus key on the number pad versus the minus key above the letters.

If the keyboard shortcut still doesn't work, the program may not support zoom, or you may be in a mode that disables it. Try using the menu bar instead: look for "View" or "Tools" and search for a "Zoom" option. If nothing works, the program may require you to resize the window itself rather than zoom the content inside it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will zooming out change the actual size of files or documents?

No. Zooming only changes how large things appear on your screen. The file itself stays the same size. When you close the program or refresh the page, the zoom resets to default unless you saved the document at that zoom level.

Can I zoom out on my phone or tablet the same way?

On phones and tablets, pinch the screen with two fingers and move them apart to zoom in, or pinch and move them together to zoom out. Most apps and web browsers support this gesture. The keyboard shortcuts for computers do not work on mobile devices.

Why does my screen look blurry after I zoom out?

If you changed your display settings (not just zoomed in one program), Windows or Mac may be scaling text and images, which can make them look slightly fuzzy. This is normal. If it bothers you, try a different resolution or scale percentage in your display settings.

How do I zoom out on a video or streaming service?

Most video players do not support zoom. If the video player window is too large, you can make the browser window smaller by dragging its edges, or you can zoom out the entire web page using Ctrl+scroll (Windows) or Command+scroll (Mac). This shrinks the video player along with everything else on the page.