Ultimate 2024 Guide: How to Zoom Out on Mac for Better Productivity

Sometimes, you might need to zoom in on your Mac to see something more clearly or fit more content on the screen for a broader view. Knowing how to zoom in and out on a Mac is essential. Many of us stick to the same method we learned initially, but there are actually several ways to zoom in and out that might be more efficient. This article explores these methods, which can be useful whether you want to zoom in on a particular window or the entire screen.

Zoom Out a Single Window on Mac

1) Keyboard Shortcuts:

If you have multiple windows open and need to zoom out on a specific app window on a Mac, using keyboard shortcuts is the quickest method. This approach is particularly useful for zooming in and out on a specific window, app, or webpage.

1. To zoom out on a Mac, use the keyboard shortcut Command + “-”.

2. To zoom in on a Mac, use the keyboard shortcut Command + “+”.

Simply hold down the Command key and press the “-” key repeatedly until you have zoomed out the content to your desired level.

2) Utilizing TrackPad:

Another way to zoom out on a Mac is by using the trackpad, which doesn’t require any additional commands and is always at your fingertips. This method is ideal for users who dislike or have difficulty memorizing keyboard shortcuts.

To zoom out on a Mac using your trackpad, place two fingers on the trackpad and pinch them together. This action quickly zooms out the content. To zoom in, simply move your fingers apart.

It’s important to note that this method only works in some apps like Photos and Preview. In apps that don’t support this feature, you can double-tap with two fingers to zoom in and then double-tap again to zoom out using your trackpad.

Zoom Out the Entire Screen on a Mac

There are times when you may need to zoom in or out on your entire Mac screen. To do this, you’ll need to take a different approach. The options for zooming the entire screen on a Mac are located within the Zoom section in the Accessibility preferences of System Preferences. Instead of zooming in or out on an image in an app window or text on a page, Accessibility Zoom enlarges everything on the screen by default, including icons and the menu bar.

Here’s how to access these settings:

1. Open System Preferences on your Mac and select Accessibility.

2. In the Vision section, click on Zoom.

3. Here, you’ll find various options for zooming on your Mac.

4. You can customize the settings and gestures to suit your preferences.

1) Utilizing Keyboard Shortcuts:

You can activate the “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom” option to easily toggle zoom, zoom in, and zoom out on your Mac using keyboard shortcuts. This method is efficient and particularly useful for users who rely on Mac keyboard shortcuts to perform tasks.

1. Toggle Zoom on Mac: Option + Command + 8

2. Zoom in on the entire screen on Mac: Option + Command + =

3. Zoom out on the entire screen on Mac: Option + Command + –

If images appear unclear after zooming in, you can use the Option + Command + \ keyboard shortcut to adjust the image’s smoothness.

2) Using either Trackpad or Mouse:

To zoom out the entire screen on a Mac, you can use the scroll gesture with a trackpad or mouse. First, you’ll need to enable the “Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom” option. Once enabled, you can zoom in and out on your Mac by pressing a key on your keyboard and then scrolling down on your trackpad or mouse. Here’s how to do it:

1. Go to System Preferences -> Accessibility -> Zoom and check the box for “Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom“.

2. Next, click on the “Modifier key for scroll gesture” dropdown menu and select a modifier key (Control, Option, or Command) that you want to use.

3. To zoom on your Mac, press and hold the selected modifier key and scroll using your trackpad or mouse.

If you’re using a Magic Mouse with your Mac, you can also use this method to zoom out on your Mac using the mouse.

3) Tap to Zoom:

You can also zoom in and out on the entire Mac screen using the trackpad. Simply tap on the trackpad to activate this feature. It’s important to note that this method applies to everything displayed on the screen.

Here’s how to enable and use this feature:

1. Open System Preferences -> Accessibility -> Zoom and enable the “Use trackpad gesture to zoom” option.

2. To zoom in and out gradually, double-tap the trackpad with three fingers and drag. To reverse this action, double-tap again.

Zoom out on Mac using TouchBar

If your Mac has a physical Touch Bar, you can use it to zoom in and out on the screen. If your Mac doesn’t have a Touch Bar, you can enable a virtual version at the bottom of your screen for the same functionality. Here’s how to zoom in and out on Macs with a Touch Bar:

1. Navigate to System Preferences on your Mac..

2. Select Zoom from the Accessibility section.

3. Check the box next to “Enable Touch Bar zoom”.