How to Zoom Out on a Mac

Daily web browsing means that you occasionally come across text or images that are too large or too small to display properly. If a web page looks too big, it makes sense to want to zoom out to get a better view. But how do you do it on a Mac?

This article will try to explain that. We'll provide handy tips so you can zoom out on any content on your Mac using a keyboard, mouse, trackpad, or browser. Without further ado, let's dive into it.

How to Zoom Out on the Mac Keyboard

If you want to zoom in on a specific window or web page on your Mac, you can use keyboard shortcuts. The easiest way to do this is to use the "Option", "Command" and plus or minus keys. Here's how.

First, if you want to zoom out to the whole screen, not a single window, enable the "Accessibility Zoom" feature. Here's how.

1. Go to the "Apple" menu at the top left and navigate to "System Preferences".
   
2. Select “Accessibility”.
   
3. In the "Zoom" sidebar, check the "Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom" box.
   

If the box is already checked, it means the feature is already enabled.

Then use the keyboard shortcuts:

1. Press "Command" plus "Option" plus "–" (minus sign) to zoom out.
   
2. Hold down the "Command" key or keep pressing the minus sign until you zoom out the content to the size you want.
   

How to Zoom Out on a Mac with the Mouse

If you use a mouse with your Mac, you can simply zoom out by enabling the screen zoom feature.

1. Go to "System Preferences" and switch to "Accessibility".
   
2. Open the "Zoom" section in the sidebar.
   
3. Make sure “Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom” is checked.
   
4. Select the desired modifier key from the drop-down menu (“Control”, “Command” or “Option”)
   

You can also use the scroll gesture on your trackpad to zoom out on your Mac.

How to Zoom Out on a Mac with the Trackpad

Zooming in and out on a trackpad is one of the easiest ways to adapt on-screen content to suit your needs. To use zoom options with your trackpad, you must first enable gesture support in "Settings". Here's how.

1. Go to "System Preferences", then "Trackpad".
   
2. Open the “Scroll and zoom” tab.
   
3. Check the “Smart Zoom” box.
   

After enabling this feature, you can zoom in on images by placing two fingers on your trackpad and pushing them together. Zoom out by spreading your fingers apart.

How to Zoom Out on Mac in Chrome

Are you using Chrome on your Mac device and wondering how to zoom out on a specific website? Simply follow the instructions that correspond to the action you want to perform below.

Zoom out on current page

Follow these steps if you want to zoom out on your current webpage in Chrome.

1. Open the Chrome app on your Mac.
   
2. Click on the three vertical dots at the top right of the Chrome window.
   
3. Look for the "Zoom" option and select the desired command. You can minimize everything on the screen by clicking "Zoom out" or the "-" sign.
   

You can also use keyboard shortcuts to zoom out Chrome content on Mac. Simply press the "Command" key and the "-" sign. Keep pressing the minus sign until you reach the view you want.

Magnify specific zoom levels of a website

You can change zoom levels for a specific website in Chrome. Here's how.

1. Launch the Chrome app.
   
2. Select "More" in the top right and go to "Settings".
   
3. Go to "Privacy and Security", then "Site Settings", then "Zoom Levels".
   
4. Click "X" to remove resizing from specific websites.
   

Set font or page size for all web pages

If you want to change the size of everything on the web pages you visit, including images, fonts, and videos, follow the steps below.

1. Open Chrome and go to the "More" menu.
   
2. Go to "Settings", then "Appearance".
   
3. To change everything, click the down arrow next to "Page Zoom" and choose the option you like.
   
4. To change the font size, click the down arrow next to "Font Size" and select the desired font size.
   

How to Zoom Out on Mac in Safari

Safari OS lets you zoom your page with a few simple tricks.

Using the keyboard

The easiest way to zoom out in Safari is to use keyboard shortcuts. To zoom out, simply hold down the "Command" key and the "-" (minus) sign. Tap the minus sign as many times as needed.

You can also add the zoom buttons to your Safari toolbar. Here's how:

1. Right-click on the empty space in your Safari toolbar.
   
2. Select "Customize Toolbar".
   
3. Click on the "Zoom" buttons and drag them on the surface of the toolbar.
   
4. Press "Done" to finish.
   

You can also zoom out on a page leaving the images the same size. To do this, press "Option" + "Command" + "-" to zoom out.

Full screen zoom

Follow the steps below to zoom out the entire screen on Safari.

1. Open Safari and navigate to "Safari" at the top left of the screen.
   
2. Go to “Preferences”, then “Websites”, then “Page Zoom”.
   
3. Mark all websites as "Configured Websites" and select "Remove".
   
4. Go to the “When visiting other websites” menu and select the desired percentage.
   

Enlarge content for specific websites

1. Open Safari on your Mac.
   
2. Go to "Safari" in the top left and go to "Settings for this website".
   
3. Go to “View”, then “Zoom”. The app will remember your zoom level the next time you revisit that website.
   

Enlarge text for specific websites

1. Launch a webpage on your Mac.
2. Click on “View” at the top left of the screen and press the “Option” key on your keyboard.
3. Select the "Larger text" option from the drop-down menu. Safari will remember your preferred text size for this website the next time you return.

A viewing surface according to you

Macs are known to be highly adaptable devices. With various built-in shortcuts and tools, you can easily zoom out virtually any piece of content on your screen. Whether it's a single web page or the entire screen, you can manage zoom settings as you wish.

Hope this article has helped you do just that. You learned how to zoom out on Mac using a mouse, trackpad, keyboard, or your favorite browser.

Which method worked best for you? Share your opinion in the comments below.