Google Chrome is one of the most used browsers, and one of the easiest to navigate and customize. For many people working on a computer for eight or more hours a day is the norm. Preventing eye strain is an important consideration to protect against issues such as headaches and to keep our productivity levels high.
One of the important ways of preventing eye strain is ensuring that we are comfortable reading our screens from an ergonomic distance.
Read our guide to using zoom options to optimize Google Chrome to help protect your eyes and back no matter what device you are using.
Table of Contents
On a Computer
Chrome automatically sets the magnification level of a page to 100%. This may however not be suitable as you may be using a larger screen and can therefore accommodate a higher magnification for all pages.
Chrome gives options for changing the size of all elements on all pages, or only the font size for all pages, and additional options to change magnification on a case by case basis.
You find the More menu in the top right-hand corner, demarcated by three vertical dots
To change everything, on the top right in chrome click the options menu (appears as a set of three vertical dots). Then select settings, scroll down to Appearance. Under the appearance menu, you have two options
- Page Zoom changes the size of all elements on a page, including font, pictures, and headings. Click the down arrow to select the magnification option that suits you best
- Font Size: this changes the font size only, for all pages, on the down arrow you can select the most suitable font size for you.
You can customize your browser further by clicking and making options under Customize Fonts.
Options once you have navigated to the appearance section of the settings
If you are only wanting to customize the page you are on currently, then you can still use the “More” menu, although this may not be the most convenient alternative.
- Select More
- Select Zoom
- Choose + for increasing magnification, – for zooming out
We recommend using hotkeys or a mouse wheel for customizing a single page, as this is faster and more convenient for most people.
Using Hot Keys
Hot Keys are a combination of keys on your keyboard that produces an action such as Zooming in and out. Once you are on the page you want to customize in Google Chrome use the following keyboard shortcuts
Windows & Linux & Chrome OS
Zoom in: Ctrl and +
Zoom Out: Ctrl and –
Mac
Zoom in: Command and +
Zoom Out: Command and –
Using a mouse wheel
Some computer mice are equipped with a wheel to ease scrolling, but the wheel can also have other functions. This is not enabled in all operating systems and computers, however, if you have a mouse with a wheel, it might be a convenient shortcut. To zoom in and out press control and toggle the wheel backward and forwards to change the page magnification. You may be able to customize what your mouse wheel does in your computer settings.
On an Android Device
The process is simpler on an Android device:
- Select the More
menu - Select settings
- Select accessibility
- There is an option called Scaling, which has a slider that adjusts the magnification
- Toggle the slider until the example text is comfortable to read
Chrome offers an option to Force enable zoom as some pages may prevent this. Check this option for optimal magnification on all pages.
On an iPhone or iPad
The process is equally simple on an IOS device. Note that the More menu is denoted by three horizontal dots in IOS and located on the bottom right of the screen rather than the top right as on most other devices. Follow these simple steps to optimize your magnification:
Select the More 
menu
- Select Zoom Text
- Tap Zoom in + or Zoom out – depending on what you need.
