A screen magnifier is a piece of software that increases the size of content on a computer screen or mobile device so you can see it more easily. It increases the size of everything on the screen, including the operating system.
Who uses screen magnifiers?
People with partial sight, including those with cataracts, glaucoma or sight loss due to ageing, will use screen magnifiers to enlarge digital content so they can see it and read it more easily. Some people may use a screen magnifier with screen reader capabilities to view content more comfortably on screen and use the screen reader to read out the content itself.
How does a screen magnifier work?
A screen magnifier works by zooming in or magnifying the whole screen or a smaller portion of a screen as if you were looking through a magnifying glass. Screen magnifiers have different magnification levels, with some able to increase magnification by up to 64 times. Most screen magnifiers have additional options to make content easier to see, including:
- Inverting colours to make the text clearer
- Following mouse movement to retain focus
- Changing mouse pointers and text cursors to make them easier to see
- Screen reading capabilities to read out the content
How do people use a screen magnifier?
Most people use a mouse or pointer device with a screen magnifier by moving the pointer around the magnified area of the screen. It’s possible to use screen magnifiers with a keyboard, as they will follow the focus indicator similarly to following the mouse cursor.
People can use screen magnifiers on desktop computers and mobile devices. There are built-in screen magnifiers available for Windows (Magnifier) and macOS (Zoom) computers, as well as screen magnification options in both iOS (Zoom) and Android (Magnification) devices. People with moderate to severe visual impairments may choose to use paid-for screen magnification software such as ZoomText or SuperNova, as it has additional features not available in the built-in magnifiers.
Try out a screen magnifier
The built-in screen magnifiers for Windows (Magnifier) and macOS (Zoom) are available for testing. Paid-for screen magnification software is not currently available for Nationwide colleagues to use for testing.