The ultimate Google Chrome Zoom guide

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 10, 2018
Updated • Apr 11, 2018
Google Chrome
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Google Chrome supports native zoom functionality that users of the browser may utilize to change the size of text and media elements such as images on webpages.

Chrome's zoom capabilities can be divided into two core features: changing the size of text and media content on a single webpage or on all webpages.

Zooming can be very useful. Visually impaired users may use zoom functionality to increase the text size on all webpages and it may also be used to increase or decrease the size of individual elements that are either too small or too large.

Note that Chrome's zoom functionality is independent of the resolution, DPI setting, or font settings of the underlying operating system.

Zoom in or out of the active page

chrome zoom controls

Chrome supports several zoom options. You may control the zoom level of the current web page in the following way:

  1. Click on the Chrome menu (the three dots).
  2. The menu displays zoom controls.
    1. to make everything larger: click on the plus icon.
    2. to make everything smaller: click on the minus icon.
    3. full-screen mode: click on the full screen icon.

The changes take effect immediately so that you see right away if the zoom level needs further adjustment.

Google Chrome supports keyboard shortcuts that you may activate to make text and media larger or smaller as well:

  • Ctrl+ to make everything larger (Mac OS X: Command+)
  • Ctrl- to make everything smaller (Mac OS X: Command-)
  • F11 to open full screen mode (Mac OS X Command+Ctrl+f)

You may also use the keyboard and mouse to zoom in or out of a web page:

  • Ctrl and Mousewheel Up to increase the size of content on the webpage.
  • Ctrl and Mousewheel Down to decrease the size of content on the webpage.

Tip: Chrome indicates a custom zoom level in the browser's address bar. The browser displays a magnifying glass icon in the address bar on page's with custom zoom levels (custom meaning a different zoom level than the default).

chrome zoom level address bar

A click on the icon displays the actual level, e.g. 110% as seen on the screenshot above. You may change it with clicks on the plus or minus icons, or click on reset to reset the zoom level to the default value.

Google Chrome remembers custom zoom levels across sessions and applies it to the entire site. If you change the zoom on Ghacks to 110%, all pages on ghacks.net are displayed using that zoom level. You need to reset the zoom level for individual domains if you don't require zoom anymore.

Changing zoom globally in Chrome

chrome global zoom level

While you can change the zoom level of individual webpages, you can also change the zoom level globally in Chrome.

  1. Load chrome://settings/ in the Chrome address bar.
  2. Scroll down on the page until you find to the Page zoom setting under Appearance.
  3. Switch zoom from the default value of 100% to another value.

The change is applied to any webpage you open in Chrome except for webpages with custom zoom levels that you applied using the methods described above.

Tip: you may change font sizes in the Chrome settings as well but these are only valid if a site does not make use of fixed font sizes.

chrome change font size

  1. Load chrome://settings/fonts in the web browser's address bar.
    1. Change font size to modify the size of text on webpages.
    2. Change minimum font size to increase the smallest size of text you are comfortable with.
    3. Change fonts to another font type.

Google Chrome Zoom extensions

Extensions may extend the zoom functionality of the Google Chrome web browser further. Below is a selection of extensions that do that:

  • Photo Zoom for Facebook to zoom photos on Facebook without leaving the page.
  • W Zoom adds support for changing the size of content on the current tab / per origin / per path only.
  • Zoom for Google Chrome does only one thing: it adds zoom controls to the Chrome toolbar and it introduces more granular zoom levels (e.g. 97%).
  • Zoom Page WE adds features such as text-only-zoom, automatic fit to width and more to the zoom experience.
Summary
The ultimate Google Chrome Zoom guide
Article Name
The ultimate Google Chrome Zoom guide
Description
Google Chrome supports native zoom functionality that users of the browser may utilize to change the size of text and media elements such as images on webpages.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Kyle L Kanter said on May 18, 2019 at 5:37 pm
    Reply

    To be more explicit: I cannot view my Logo in ClickFunnels. It’s an editable funnel on the Home and all the pages. So I use Incognito tab in Chrome browser and my Logo shows on the tab itself, not in the window on the Home page. I need a Zoom in or Magnifier to view the Text on the Logo. How can I do that? I’m on a MacBook Pro.

  2. Kyle L Kanter said on May 18, 2019 at 5:28 pm
    Reply

    I have a unique situation: My website is built and hosted on ClickFunnels. The ONLY way to see my Logo is to open a tab in Chrome browser. Problem is that the Logo sits ON the TAB ITSELF, not in the window. I am trademarking my Logo and need a zoom in to view the Text. I see no way to do this for a tab. Can anyone suggest a workaround? I’m up-to-date with OS, top of the line 15″ MBP.

  3. Psst Doff said on March 2, 2019 at 4:14 pm
    Reply

    The size increment options do not match what is available by default. When using Docs on a 11.6 diag. screen Chromebook the needed zoom level for a true scale view is 140% What is available is 125% and 50%

  4. Jonas said on May 18, 2018 at 5:11 am
    Reply

    On my Mac, I can’t use Control-Mousewheel to zoom Chrome, because that’s how you zoom the entire screen (i.e. at the system level) regardless of which program you’re in. The effect is very different from zooming within just the browser window.

    I’d like to use the same zoom combination as in Mac Firefox: Command-Mousewheel — but in Chrome it just scrolls as though I weren’t holding down Command at all. Anybody know how to make Command-Mouswheel zoom in Mac Chrome?

  5. Ross Goodman said on April 12, 2018 at 9:19 am
    Reply

    In addition to Ctrl+ and Ctrl- you for got to mention Ctrl0 to set 100%

  6. JC said on April 12, 2018 at 2:12 am
    Reply

    I miss global zoom on Firefox like Chrome, with permissions and such.

    Zoom Page WE for Firefox works, but I rather not use any extension for such a simple thing.

  7. ULBoom said on April 10, 2018 at 10:13 pm
    Reply

    EZ Zoom works OK, similar to the built in FF zoom and you don’t have dig down to make it work, although you do have to click the icon to reveal the zoom control. It’s simple and doesn’t nag. In the chrome store.

    Strange that all browsers don’t have the same simple features most everyone would want.

  8. Gavin B said on April 10, 2018 at 8:36 pm
    Reply

    Slightly OT but related.
    As a desktop Firefox user of google maps
    I find scrolling the page zooms the map.
    My touch pad has that behavior disabled but google
    manages to ignore that fact for me.
    Is there any way to switch off zoom on scroll?

  9. Han said on April 10, 2018 at 4:30 pm
    Reply

    I miss the “Fit to width” feature from Opera 12 (Presto). Zoom Page We seems to allow only the text to scale.

  10. Bobby Phoenix said on April 10, 2018 at 2:30 pm
    Reply

    I have to use an extension because browsers seem to refuses to include a very common zoom of 115. Zoom Page WE works perfect in both Chrome and Firefox.

    https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/zoom-page-we/

    1. JC said on April 13, 2018 at 5:30 am
      Reply

      You can set any zoom you like in Chrome without extensions, just by using dev tools on chrome://settings. See here: https://superuser.com/questions/463185/how-do-i-set-a-custom-zoom-in-chrome.

    2. ULBoom said on April 10, 2018 at 10:18 pm
      Reply

      You can change zoom increments in about:config

      toolkit.zoomManager.zoomValues

      here are mine, to make it easy for you, they go from 30% to 300%

      .3,.4,.5,.6,.7,.8,.9,1,1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4.1.5,1.75,2,2.5,3

      Not sure if you can input any arbitrary value but those work.

    3. Paul(us) said on April 10, 2018 at 6:44 pm
      Reply

      Bobby Phoenix,
      Indeed a really great web extension that Zoom Page WE 10.2 from https://www.gnu.org/licenses/.
      Do not when you want to work it on individual tabs to change in about: options the setting:
      browser.zoom.siteSpecific to false

  11. Kubrick said on April 10, 2018 at 12:07 pm
    Reply

    I find the chrome zoom controls rather cumbersome.I much prefer firefox/palemoon as the controls can be placed on the UI of the browser and is much easier.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on April 10, 2018 at 12:28 pm
      Reply

      I agree, the option to display controls in the main UI are missing. You need to install extensions to add that functionality.

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