Quick Answer
Press Ctrl + Shift + = to zoom in and Ctrl + – to zoom out on the current page. Press Ctrl + 0 to reset to 100%. For the whole screen instead of just a page, use the built-in ChromeOS magnifier in Accessibility settings.
Zooming Methods
Method 1: Keyboard shortcuts for page zoom
With any Chrome tab active, press Ctrl and + to zoom in or Ctrl and – to zoom out in steps. This changes only the current page’s zoom level, not the whole system.
Method 2: Trackpad pinch-to-zoom
On a touchscreen or supported trackpad, pinch two fingers together to zoom out or spread them apart to zoom in, the same gesture used on phones and tablets.
Method 3: Change the default zoom for all pages
Go to Settings > Appearance > Page zoom to set a default zoom percentage that applies to every new tab, useful if text is consistently too small across sites.
Method 4: Magnify the entire screen
For system-wide magnification that includes menus and the taskbar, not just web pages, go to Settings > Accessibility > Text-to-Speech, display, keyboard > Magnification and turn on full-screen or docked magnifier.
Method 5: Increase display resolution scaling
In Settings > Device > Displays, drag the size slider to make everything on screen larger without changing the actual screen resolution.
Still Not Working?
If pinch-to-zoom doesn’t respond, check whether your touchscreen is working at all first. If keyboard zoom shortcuts do nothing, try the Settings menu options instead — a remapped or malfunctioning key can block the shortcut without affecting the underlying feature.
FAQ
Why does zoom reset when I open a new tab?
Page zoom set with keyboard shortcuts is remembered per site by default. Use the Settings > Appearance > Page zoom option instead for a zoom level that applies everywhere.
What’s the difference between page zoom and display scaling?
Page zoom only affects web page content in Chrome. Display scaling in Settings > Device > Displays resizes everything, including the taskbar, app icons, and system menus.
Can I zoom in on just one part of the screen temporarily?
Yes, the Accessibility magnifier includes an option to zoom a portion of the screen that follows your cursor, without affecting the rest of the display.
