The built-in Windows Magnifier is one of the first Windows accessibility features for low vision I remember using to make information on the home computer and in the school computer lab easier to see. While I don’t always have Magnifier turned on, I often open it multiple times a day with a keyboard shortcut or from my toolbar to access visual content in large print, especially when things like display scaling would otherwise cut off the text or make it hard to read. Here is an overview of features available in the built-in Windows Magnifier program for users with low vision, and examples of how I personally use Magnifier in digital workflows with low vision.
How to open Windows Magnifier
There are several options for opening Magnifier, all of which will lead to the same program and default settings. Magnifier will open with the most recently configured settings, so users don’t have to set up Magnifier each time they use it on the same computer
- Using a keyboard shortcut- press the Windows logo key and the plus key at the same time to open Magnifier, and the Windows logo key and the escape key to close Magnifier
- Type Magnifier into the search bar of the Start menu
- Open Magnifier in Windows Ease of Access folder
- Pin Magnifier to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen or add shortcut to desktop
- Create a custom keyboard shortcut to open Magnifier (see post on keyboard shortcuts)
For users that want to open Magnifier automatically, the following can be configured in Settings:
- Start Magnifier after sign-in will automatically open Magnifier when a user logs into their account. The sign-in page is not magnified.
- Enable “Start Magnifier before sign-in” to display Magnifier for all users on a specific computer at sign-in. If a user doesn’t have Magnifier configured on their account, Magnifier will close after they sign in to the computer
Related links
- How To Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts in Windows
- How To Customize Icons For Windows
- Helpful Ways To Bookmark Websites For Low Vision Users
- Low Vision Accessibility Settings For Windows 10
Choose a Magnifier view and zoom level
Windows Magnifier offers three different types of views for screen magnification: Docked, Full Screen, and Lens. Users can change which view they want to use by selecting the “Views” button or by using keyboard shortcuts. To compare magnification options, use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + M to cycle through different views to figure out which one will work best for a specific task. I share more about each view in separate sections of the post.
Windows Magnifier zoom levels
Magnifier supports up to 1600% magnification. To adjust the level of magnification power:
- Select the Zoom in and Zoom out buttons on the Magnifier ribbon to increase or decrease the level of magnification
- Open Magnifier settings and select Change Zoom Level to adjust magnification
- Use the keyboard shortcut Windows logo key and the + or – keys to zoom in and out
- Hold down Ctrl + Alt and use the scroll wheel on the mouse to adjust zoom levels
By default, Magnifier is set to increase at 100% zoom increments, but this can be changed in Magnifier settings (gear icon or keyboard shortcut) and selecting Change Zoom increments to customize the level of magnification. This will increase the zoom increments with the zoom in/out options by the following values
- 5%
- 10%
- 25%
- 50%
- 100% (default)
- 150%
- 200%
- 400%
Related links
Using Docked View with Windows Magnifier
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + D
In docked view, the zoomed image is shown in a fixed area on the screen. By default, the docked lens is placed at the top of the screen but can be adjusted by dragging the magnified window to another part of the screen. The window can be resized by clicking on the edges of the window and dragging inwards or outwards. Keyboard shortcuts are not available for adjusting docked view.
The docked lens will follow the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, text insertion point, and narrator cursor unless otherwise modified in settings. So if I am typing, Magnifier will detect where my cursor is and magnify the text I am writing. This can be customized by opening Magnifier settings (Windows logo key + Ctrl + M).
How I use Docked view with low vision
I personally use Docked view for tasks where I am expected to read from a prompt and write answers simultaneously, such as discussion board prompts for online classes or writing code, since I find it easier to view individual lines of text with this view. I don’t use it very often for content that includes pictures or multi-column layouts, as I prefer to use a long/horizontal lens for reading with the bifocal in my glasses.
Related links
- Low Vision Assistive Technology For Discussion Board Posts
- How I Use Repl.it IDE With Low Vision
- A to Z of Assistive Technology for Reading Digital Text
Using Full Screen View with Windows Magnifier
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + F, also can use Ctrl + Alt + spacebar for a temporary screen magnification
In full screen, all of the contents on screen are magnified to the percentage set by the user. Just like in docked view, Magnifier will follow the mouse cursor, keyboard focus, text insertion point, and narrator cursor unless otherwise modified in settings so that users can focus on a particular area of the screen.
How I use full screen view with low vision
Full screen view is generally considered the most effective way to use screen magnification with low vision, but I often get motion sickness or vertigo after using it for more than a few minutes- I prefer to use the temporary full screen keyboard shortcut as a result. That said, full screen view is helpful for viewing images, exploring features of an unfamiliar program or app, and enlarging specific areas of a screen or document. I just have to make sure I take regular vision breaks!
On a separate note, full screen magnification is often the default setting for using magnification with standardized tests/exams, and some proctors will not let students use other magnification views.
Related links
- Activity Ideas For Vision Breaks
- How I Document Accessibility Preferences With Low Vision
- Remote Testing Accommodations For Low Vision
Using Lens View with Windows Magnifier
Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Alt + L
With the Lens view, a magnification window follows the mouse pointer around the screen, like a magnifying glass. Users can change the Lens size by selecting the settings button in Magnifier and scrolling to the bottom to resize their lens, or by using one of two keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl + Alt + R for adjusting the lens with the mouse
- Shift + Alt + Arrow keys for using the arrow keys to adjust the size
How I use lens view with low vision
Lens view reminds me of a portable magnifying glass, and I like that I can easily move it around the screen with my cursor. I use the lens view to enlarge smaller areas of an image, read dialog boxes or multi-column layouts, identify features/icons on a display ribbon or call-out menu, or locate items in the Start menu.
Related links
Reading with Magnifier
To assist with reading text, Magnifier offers built-in text-to-speech support, which will read text content or image alt text out loud when activated with a modifier key while simultaneously providing screen magnification. Magnifier does not read out buttons or other navigation tools or recognize text from an image that does not have alt text.
Enable Reading with Magnifier
Users can enable Reading with Magnifier by selecting the Play/Pause or Read From Here buttons on the Magnifier ribbon to read text located within view of Magnifier or under the cursor out loud. This can also be activated with keyboard shortcuts Ctrl + Alt + Enter (play/pause) or Ctrl + Alt + Left Mouse Click (Read from here/cursor position). To stop reading, press any key on the keyboard.
Another option is to set a custom modifier key to activate keyboard shortcuts for Reading. The modifier key can be Ctrl + Alt, Caps Lock, Insert, or activated by either Caps Lock or Insert (both options will work). With a modifier key set, the keyboard shortcuts for Reading with Magnifier will be:
- Start/Play/Pause/Resume Reading: Modifier key + Enter
- Stop Reading: Any key
- Read previous sentence: Modifier key + H
- Read next sentence: Modifier key + K
Configure Reading voice settings
By default, the Reading voice is set as Microsoft David at 100% speed. Users can customize the voice and voice speed within Magnifier by selecting the Settings icon (gear icon) and adjusting the voice speed with the slider or choosing a new voice from the drop-down menu. The drop-down menu offers options for Microsoft David, Microsoft Mark, and Microsoft Zira in English.
The maximum voice speed for Reading is 200% and can be adjusted in increments of 20% using the slider.
Related links
Configuring additional Magnifier settings
The following settings can be configured in Magnifier settings (Windows logo key + Ctrl + M):
Invert colors
Invert colors (also known as inverted display or invert) is a color mode/color filter that changes a light-colored display with dark text to a dark-colored display with light text. This can be helpful for users with low vision that are sensitive to bright lights or want to improve the contrast of a display without removing any background graphics.
To Invert colors with Windows Magnifier, either select Invert Colors in Magnifier Settings (under Zoom level), or use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + I
Smooth edges of images and text
When using screen magnification software such as Magnifier, the edges of images and text can appear blurry or jagged by default, especially at high levels of magnification. To minimize this, open Magnifier settings and select the checkbox to smooth edges of images and text.
Have Magnifier Follow
By default, Magnifier follows the mouse pointer and Narrator cursor (for screen reader users) to determine what content the user would like to have enlarged. Two additional options include having Magnifier follow the text cursor and keyboard focus.
With the text cursor, Magnifier will follow the text cursor as the user types, shifting the focus across a line of text as the user continues typing or automatically moving to the beginning of the next line.
With keyboard focus, the focus of Magnifier will change if the user activates specific keyboard shortcuts. For example, if I used a keyboard shortcut to open the File menu in a program, Magnifier would shift its focus to the File menu after I performed the keyboard shortcut.
Related links
- How To Use Invert Colors With Low Vision
- Choosing Between Light Mode and Dark Mode For Low Vision
- Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Keyboards
- Computer Mice and Mouse Alternatives For Low Vision
Other Windows accessibility settings for low vision
- Another Windows accessibility feature I find helpful for low vision is high contrast mode- learn more in How To Use High Contrast in Windows 10 and Windows 11
- Interested in making the mouse pointer or text cursor easier to see? Read Mouse Pointers and Low Vision and How To Make Text Cursors Easier To See In Windows
- Buying a new computer? Read Mainstream Technology and Low Vision: Computers and Questions To Ask When Choosing A Laptop For College
- Want more resources on Microsoft accessibility and low vision? Browse Microsoft Archives | Veronica With Four Eyes (veroniiiica.com)
Published November 12, 2019. Updated September 2024