Every keyboard command for Windows 11 Magnifier, grouped by task. Keep this page open beside you while you learn the shortcuts.
Note
New to Magnifier? Start with the Complete guide to Magnifier. Want to make the rest of Windows easier to see? See Set up your device for screen comfort.
Reading these tables: "+" means press the keys together. Windows
key is the key with the Windows symbol. The reading commands use a modifier key that is Ctrl+Alt by default.
Turn Magnifier on and off
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Turn Magnifier on |
Windows
key+Plus sign (+) |
| Turn Magnifier off (if any screens are locked, the first press releases the locks) |
Windows
key+Esc |
Zoom
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Zoom in |
Windows
key+Plus sign (+) |
| Zoom out |
Windows
key+Minus sign (−) |
| Zoom in or out with the mouse |
Ctrl+Alt+mouse scroll wheel |
| Toggle between your set magnification and 1× (normal) |
Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (−) |
Switch views
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Full screen view |
Ctrl+Alt+F |
| Lens view |
Ctrl+Alt+L |
| Docked view |
Ctrl+Alt+D |
| Cycle through the views |
Ctrl+Alt+M |
Move around the screen
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Pan up, down, left, or right |
Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys |
| Temporarily see the entire desktop (full screen view) |
Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar (hold) |
Work with multiple monitors
With Zoom each display independently on (the default), the zoom shortcuts above change only the screen your pointer is on, and you can use viewport locking. With it off (span mode), one zoom level spans all your displays and viewport locking isn't available.
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Lock or unlock the view on the screen your pointer is on (viewport locking) |
Ctrl+Windows
key+K |
| Alternate lock shortcut (choose it under Lock view shortcut in Magnifier settings) |
Ctrl+Alt+P |
| Release all locked screens (press again with no locks to turn Magnifier off) |
Windows
key+Esc |
Colors
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Invert colors (and switch back) |
Ctrl+Alt+I |
Read text aloud
The reading modifier key is Ctrl+Alt by default. You can change it with the Reading shortcut setting in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier.
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Start, pause, or resume reading |
Modifier key+Enter |
| Start reading from a specific spot |
Modifier key+left‑click the text |
| Read the previous sentence |
Modifier key+H |
| Read the next sentence |
Modifier key+K |
| Stop reading |
Press any key |
Open Magnifier settings
| To do this |
Press this key |
| Open Magnifier settings (works well with Narrator) |
Windows
key+Ctrl+M |
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Accessibility shortcuts can help you use your PC with a keyboard or assistive device.
The following is a list of keyboard shortcuts for assistive technologies in Windows 10, including Magnifier, high contrast, and others.
General keyboard shortcuts
| Press this key |
To do this |
Windows
key+Plus sign (+) |
Turn Magnifier on |
Windows
key+Esc |
Turn Magnifier off |
Windows
key+Plus sign (+) or Minus sign (-) |
When Magnifier is on, zoom in or out |
| Ctrl+Alt+mouse scroll wheel |
Zoom in and out using the mouse scroll wheel |
Windows
key+Ctrl+M |
Open Magnifier settings |
| Ctrl+Alt+arrow keys |
Pan in the direction of the arrow keys |
| Ctrl+Alt+I |
Invert colors |
| Ctrl+Alt+F |
Switch to full screen view |
| Ctrl+Alt+L |
Switch to lens view |
| Ctrl+Alt+D |
Switch to docked view |
| Ctrl+Alt+M |
Cycle through views |
| Ctrl+Alt+R |
Resize the lens with the mouse |
| Shift+Alt+arrow keys |
Resize the lens with the keyboard |
| Ctrl+Alt+Spacebar |
Quickly see the entire desktop when using full screen view |
| Ctrl+Alt+Minus sign (-) |
Toggle between the set magnification level and 1x magnification |
Reading commands
| Press this key |
To do this |
Windows
key+Plus sign (+) |
Turn Magnifier on |
| Start, pause, and resume reading |
Modifier key+Enter |
| Stop reading |
Any key |
| Read from mouse pointer |
Modifier key+Left Mouse click |
| Read previous sentence |
Modifier key+H |
| Read next sentence |
Modifier key+K |
For more info about Magnifier reading, see How to use Magnifier reading
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