Zooming out on a picture can be an incredibly useful tool for an almost limitless number of reasons. You can zoom out pictures on just about any electronic device (especially ‘smart’ devices) and can zoom out from just about any picture displayed there.
Instead of going into intricate detail about every single method available, we’ll instead instruct you on how to perform a ‘zoom out’ on a picture using the basic methods for smartphones/tablets, laptops/desktops, and browsers.
To learn how to zoom out a picture, follow our tutorials below. For all other information, see our FAQ section at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to zoom out a picture (touchscreen)
- On your touchscreen device (be it laptop, smartbook, phone or tablet), locate the image you wish to zoom out (this may be in your ‘Gallery’ app, for example, or ‘Pictures’ folder).
- Once you’ve opened up the image, place two fingers on the screen as far apart as you can.
- Next, slowly slide (or pinch) those fingers together, and you should see the picture zoom out.
- If the picture is already at default zoom, once you let your fingers go it may snap back to default, as it does not have the requisite pixels for viewing at a zoomed out perspective.
- If the picture is currently zoomed in, then using this method should zoom it back out toward default. Once you remove your fingers from the screen, the picture should stay at the level to which you’ve zoomed it out.
- You can apply this technique to almost anything on a touchscreen, image or not, including those images viewed in apps like Instagram and Facebook, or those in your Gallery/Photos app.
How to zoom out a picture (keyboard shortcuts)
- On your laptop, desktop, or smartbook, use your mouse or trackpad to locate the image you wish to zoom out from. This image may be online, or in your Pictures/Photos folder in your File Browser.
- Once you’ve double-left-clicked to open up the image, or located the image which is currently zoomed in, it’s time to use the keyboard shortcut to zoom out.
- On Macs, this shortcut should be CMD and (-) MINUS
- On Windows or other computers, this shortcut should be CTRL and (-) MINUS
- On Macs, this shortcut should be CMD and (-) MINUS
Note: This method will likely zoom out from everything displayed on screen, but is handy for zooming out from images concurrently.
How to zoom out a picture (slider)
If using a photo viewing app, editor app, or even a browser, sometimes the handiest way to get really precise with your zooming out from a picture is with an in-built slider tool.
- Open the image you wish to zoom out from in the app you’d prefer to use (or in your preferred browser).
- Once the image is open, look for a slider tool, often located in the bottom-right of the screen.
- To zoom out a picture with the slider, left-click or tap-and-hold it, and drag it to the left to zoom out. Leave the slider at whichever position you like to achieve your optimal zoomed-out level
- Note: to locate the zoom slider within a browser, you may first have to left-click/tap the menu icon (either a hamburger menu, or three vertical dots). Then, find the ‘Zoom’ option and slider and slide as instructed above. Alternatively, this zoom option may not be a slider, but may instead have two buttons: a (+) PLUS and a (-) MINUS. Click the (-) MINUS button to zoom out.
- Note: to locate the zoom slider within a browser, you may first have to left-click/tap the menu icon (either a hamburger menu, or three vertical dots). Then, find the ‘Zoom’ option and slider and slide as instructed above. Alternatively, this zoom option may not be a slider, but may instead have two buttons: a (+) PLUS and a (-) MINUS. Click the (-) MINUS button to zoom out.
And there you have it! Three easy, applicable zoom methods for you to zoom out almost any picture, on almost any device. If you have any other questions or would like any more information, please check out the FAQ section below.
FAQs
What pictures can you zoom out from?
Our tutorial today is, by our own admission, a broad one. ‘How to zoom out a picture’ could apply in countless scenarios, and presumably one of these has brought you here. Essentially, you can ‘zoom out’ from any picture which is being viewed on an electronic device. Whether that’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
You can zoom out from pictures viewed online, pictures stored in your phone or PC’s gallery, pictures you’ve created in an app, or pictures viewed in any number of popular social media apps, including Instagram and Facebook.
Why should I zoom out from pictures?
Zooming into or, in this case, out from pictures is an essential part of viewing images in today’s digital age. Whether it helps you to edit them, or just enhances your viewing experience, zooming out from a picture can completely change your perspective of the image, for better or worse.
It may be that you’ve come here because you have accidentally zoomed in on a picture, and are looking to find out how to zoom back out. Perhaps the image you’ve received is a close crop, and you’d like to see it from a perspective further back. Whatever your reasoning, zooming out a picture can be super helpful, which is why we’re here to show you how to do it.
Where can I use the zoom out feature on pictures?
There are lots of different programs in which to view pictures and images, and lots of different ways to affect the zoom level. It would be impossible to list them all, so instead, we’ll give you a rough overview.
If you’re viewing a picture on your desktop, laptop, mobile, or tablet (or even on your television), then there is presumably going to be the option to zoom out from the picture. If the device you’re viewing the image on is a touchscreen, then the touch and pinch method are likely preferable. If on your desktop, then using keyboard shortcuts or browser zoom sliders is most likely the optimal way to zoom out from a picture. And, if you’re on your television, then you could use the control to affect a zoom change in the TV’s settings.
How do I zoom in on a picture, or reset the zoom level to default?
If you’ve mastered the art of zooming out a picture, then you may be wondering how to zoom in a picture, as well. Of course, it’s equally likely that you’re wondering how to simply reset the zoom level so that you can return to viewing the image as default.
To zoom back in, simply follow our tutorial above (whichever one it is which corresponds to the device you’re using), but instead of using the slider/keyboard shortcut/touchscreen to zoom out, do it in reverse. With sliders, this tends to mean moving the slider to the right instead of the left. With keyboard shortcuts, this would likely mean you press CTRL/CMD and (+) PLUS instead of CTRL/CMD and (-) MINU. With a touchscreen, touch your two fingers on the screen together, and expand them, rather than bringing them together.
If, on the other hand, you want to reset the zoom level to default, you should use the following: On keyboards, use CTRL/CMD and (0) ZERO. On a touchscreen, use a combination of the zooming in and out function until the image snaps to default, or double-tap the screen once or twice until the image appears as normal. And on a slider, simply slide it back to center.
