How-to guide
How to Zoom In and Out in Chrome (And Make It Stick Per Site)
How-to
How to Zoom In and Out in Chrome (And Make It Stick Per Site)
On this page
- The short answer
- How do you zoom in and out in Chrome?
- How do you reset Chrome zoom back to 100%?
- Does Chrome remember zoom level per website?
- How do you change Chrome's default zoom level for every site?
- How do you zoom on a Chromebook, Android phone, or iPhone?
- Can you zoom with your mouse wheel or trackpad?
- Looking for the Zoom video-calling extension instead of browser zoom?
- How do you compare pages at different zoom levels side by side?
- What else helps low-vision users besides zooming?
- Frequently asked
The short answer
Press Ctrl and + to zoom in or Ctrl and - to zoom out (Cmd on Mac), and Ctrl+0 to reset to 100%. Chrome remembers a separate zoom level for every site automatically, and you can set a different default for new sites under Settings > Appearance > Page zoom.
How do you zoom in and out in Chrome?
Press Ctrl and + to zoom in, Ctrl and - to zoom out, or Ctrl+0 to reset to 100% on Windows and ChromeOS. Swap Ctrl for Cmd on a Mac. You can also use the toolbar menu or your mouse wheel instead of the keyboard.
Ctrl++(Cmd++on Mac)- Zoom in one step
Ctrl+-(Cmd+-on Mac)- Zoom out one step
Ctrl+0(Cmd+0on Mac)- Reset the current site to 100% zoom
Ctrl+ scroll wheel (or trackpad pinch)- Zoom in or out continuously instead of in fixed steps
The menu path works the same way: click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner and look for the row with a percentage and +/- buttons near the top, above History and Downloads.
How do you reset Chrome zoom back to 100%?
The fastest reset is Ctrl+0 (Cmd+0 on Mac), which snaps the current tab straight back to 100% no matter how far you zoomed in or out first.
- Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
- Find the row showing a percentage next to the
+/-zoom buttons. - Click the percentage number itself, or press
Ctrl+0/Cmd+0, to jump straight back to 100%.
Resetting only affects this visit
If you've set a custom zoom for that specific site before, Chrome reapplies its saved level again the next time you visit, even after you reset it once. Clear the saved level itself if you want the reset to stick — see the next section.
Does Chrome remember zoom level per website?
Yes — Chrome saves a separate zoom level for every site you adjust, so a news site can stay at 125% while your email stays at 100%, without you touching a setting each time you switch tabs.
- Open the site whose saved zoom you want to check or clear.
- Click the tune or lock icon at the left of the address bar.
- Choose Site settings.
- Scroll to Zoom level and set it back to Default, or adjust it there directly.
Clearing site data clears zoom too
Chrome stores per-site zoom as a site setting, so clearing cookies and site data for a domain also wipes its remembered zoom level. Don't be surprised if a site's zoom resets after a cache clear.
How do you change Chrome's default zoom level for every site?
Chrome applies one baseline zoom to any new site you haven't adjusted yet, and you can raise or lower that baseline in Settings without touching sites that already have their own saved level.
- Open
chrome://settings/appearance, or Settings > Appearance from the menu. - Scroll down to Page zoom.
- Choose a new percentage from the dropdown.
- Any site you haven't zoomed manually starts at that new percentage; sites with their own saved zoom level keep using that instead.
How do you zoom on a Chromebook, Android phone, or iPhone?
The keyboard shortcuts carry over to ChromeOS, but touch devices swap them for on-screen buttons since there's no Ctrl key to hold.
| Platform | Zoom in / out | Reset to 100% |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Ctrl + + / Ctrl + -, or Ctrl + mouse wheel | Ctrl + 0 |
| Mac | Cmd + + / Cmd + -, or Cmd + scroll | Cmd + 0 |
| ChromeOS | Ctrl + + / Ctrl + - on the top keyboard row | Ctrl + 0 |
| Android | Three-dot menu, then the + / - buttons near the top | Tap the percentage shown between the buttons |
| iPhone / iPad | Three-dot (or aA) menu, then the + / - buttons | Tap the percentage between the buttons |
Can you zoom with your mouse wheel or trackpad?
Yes — hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) and scroll your mouse wheel, or use a two-finger pinch on a trackpad, to zoom smoothly instead of stepping through fixed percentages with the keyboard.
Pinch-to-zoom on a Mac trackpad usually works without holding any modifier key at all. On Windows, it depends on your precision trackpad's drivers.
ChromeOS trackpads can be inconsistent
Some Chromebook models reserve the two-finger gesture for scrolling only and don't respond to pinch-to-zoom in the browser. If pinching does nothing, fall back to Ctrl + + / - on the keyboard.
Looking for the Zoom video-calling extension instead of browser zoom?
If you searched for 'zoom' hoping for the video meeting app rather than Chrome's magnification feature, none of the shortcuts above will help — you want an extension built around Zoom meetings instead.
Extensions for Zoom (the meeting app), not browser zoom
-
Communication
The official Zoom extension for scheduling and starting meetings directly from Chrome. Main catch: it manages meetings, it doesn't adjust page magnification.
-
LaxisFree
Productivity
AI note-taker that transcribes and summarizes Zoom meetings as they happen. Main catch: it needs meeting audio access, so review the permission before joining a sensitive call.
-
ScribblFreemium
Productivity
Records Zoom calls and generates AI notes automatically afterward. Main catch: recording consent rules vary by location, so check before you record anyone.
-
MeetQuickFree
Productivity
Finds open times and schedules Zoom meetings straight from your calendar. Main catch: it needs calendar access to suggest times, which is worth reviewing before granting it.
For a broader roundup of tools that connect to Zoom meetings specifically, see the extensions that work with Zoom.
How do you compare pages at different zoom levels side by side?
Because Chrome saves zoom per site, two tabs can end up at completely different sizes, which gets confusing fast when you're actually trying to compare them next to each other.
Keep tabs organized while you adjust each one's zoom
-
Tile Tabs WEFree
Productivity
Pulls tabs out of a window and arranges them into a grid of tiled panes, so you can set each pane's zoom independently and still see them together. Main catch: it manages window layout, not zoom itself — you still set each tab's zoom separately.
This matters most when you're proofreading a design at 150% next to reference material at 100%, since Chrome won't automatically match the two for you.
What else helps low-vision users besides zooming?
Zoom is only one piece of making Chrome easier to read. Font size, contrast, and cursor visibility settings work alongside it rather than replacing it.
- Increase Font size separately from page zoom under Settings > Appearance, if you want bigger text without scaling images and layout too.
- Check the browser's built-in accessibility settings for high-contrast and cursor options before adding another extension on top.
- Browse more accessibility-focused extensions if built-in settings don't go far enough for how you read.
A bigger cursor pairs well with a higher zoom level
-
Best CursorsFree
Customization
Replaces the default pointer with larger, more visible custom cursors, which helps you keep track of your position on a heavily zoomed-in page. Main catch: it changes cursor appearance only — it doesn't zoom or resize text on its own.
For general accessibility settings, Google Accessibility documents the platform-wide options that sit outside Chrome's own menus.
Extensions mentioned in this guide
- Zoom Chrome ExtensionOfficial Zoom extension for scheduling and starting meetings from Chrome
- LaxisAI note taker that transcribes and summarizes your Zoom meetings live
- ScribblRecords Zoom calls and generates AI notes and summaries automatically
- MeetQuickFinds times and schedules Zoom meetings directly from your calendar
- Tile Tabs WEPull tabs out of a window and arrange them into a grid of tiled panes.
- Best CursorsReplace the default pointer with fun, cute, and themed custom cursor packs
Frequently asked
Why does a website look zoomed in every time you visit it?
Chrome saved a custom zoom level for that specific site the last time you adjusted it. Reset it to Default under the site's Site settings (click the icon left of the address bar) to stop it recurring.
What is the keyboard shortcut to zoom out in Chrome?
Press Ctrl and - on Windows and ChromeOS, or Cmd and - on Mac. Repeat the shortcut to zoom out further in steps.
How do you zoom out on a Chromebook without a numpad?
Use Ctrl + - from the top keyboard row, or open the three-dot menu and click the - button next to the zoom percentage if the shortcut doesn't respond on your keyboard layout.
Does changing Chrome's zoom affect printing?
No — page zoom is a display setting only. Printing uses its own scale option inside the print preview dialog, separate from your browsing zoom level.
Can you set a different default zoom for a specific monitor?
No — Chrome's default zoom setting applies per profile, not per monitor or display, so it stays the same however many screens you use.
How do you zoom in on just an image, not the whole page?
Chrome doesn't offer image-only zoom. Page zoom enlarges everything on the page together, including images, text, and layout.
Why doesn't Ctrl and plus zoom in on some sites?
The site may already be at Chrome's maximum zoom, or another extension intercepting keyboard shortcuts could be catching the keys first. Try the menu's + button as a workaround.
How do you find the Zoom video meeting extension if you don't want browser zoom?
Search the Chrome Web Store for 'Zoom' directly, or start from the official extension linked on Zoom's own site, since it's a separate product from Chrome's built-in zoom feature.
Is there a way to zoom out further than the minimum percentage?
No — Chrome's page zoom has a fixed minimum and maximum range. Once you hit the smallest percentage, the - shortcut stops shrinking the page any further.
How do you reset zoom on every site at once?
Open chrome://settings/content/all, find sites with a saved zoom level in their details, and reset each one individually. Chrome doesn't offer a single reset-all-zoom button.
Does Chrome sync zoom settings across devices?
Per-site zoom levels are stored locally per profile and generally don't sync between devices the way bookmarks or passwords do, so you may need to set it again on a new computer.
How do you make text bigger without zooming the whole layout?
Open Settings > Appearance and increase the Font size setting instead of page zoom. This enlarges text while keeping images and layout closer to their original size.