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Grey captions and tiny tables
Timetables, table cells, recipe amounts and labels in 9-pixel type. Point at them and read.
Free extension for Chrome
A screen magnifier that follows your cursor
Hold a key and a round magnifying glass appears under the mouse. Small text, numbers and labels get up to 5× bigger, and the page itself stays as it is. Let go and the lens is gone.
437 users on the Chrome Web Store
Also works in Edge, Brave, Opera and other Chromium browsers.
At a glance
- What it does
- Shows a round lens under your cursor while you hold a key, and makes the part of the page beneath it 1.5× to 5× bigger.
- Who it is for
- People with low vision, older readers and anyone who squints at small text on web pages and wants help without heavy software.
- Price
- Free. No account, no paid version.
- Data
- Your key, mode, zoom and size are saved in Chrome sync. The picture of the page for the lens is made on your computer and never sent anywhere.
- Works in
- Chrome and other Chromium browsers that install from the Chrome Web Store, on regular web pages. Not Firefox, Safari or phones.
- Limits
- The lens shows a still picture of the screen, so video looks frozen inside it. It can't open on Chrome's own pages or the Chrome Web Store. A reading aid, not a medical device.
- Version
- 2.7.0, updated October 23, 2026
Hold Alt. Read the small print.
- 1
Add it to Chrome
One click on the Chrome Web Store. It works at once, even in tabs that are already open.
- 2
Hold Alt
On any page, hold Alt (Option on a Mac). A round lens appears right under the cursor.
- 3
Read, then let go
Move the mouse to read. Release the key and the lens is gone. Change the key, zoom and size in the popup.
When the text is too small
5×
Fine print
Bank statements, receipts, terms and order forms, without leaning towards the screen.
4K
Sharp or small screens
Text that looks tiny on a high-resolution monitor or a small laptop is one key away from comfortable.
What it does
Your key
Alt (Option on a Mac), Shift or Ctrl. It is ignored while you type in a text box, so capital letters never open the lens by accident.
Hold, or press once
Keep the key down while you read, or switch to toggle mode: press once to show the lens, again or Esc to hide it.
Zoom
From 1.5× to 5×, in half steps. The popup preview shows the size of the letters as you change it.
px lens
From a 100 px loupe for one word to a 400 px circle for whole lines.
Refreshes as you scroll
Scroll the page or resize the window and the lens shows what is on the screen now.
Settings sync
Key, mode, zoom and size follow you to other computers where you use the same Chrome profile.
How to zoom in on part of a page, not the whole page
Chrome's zoom makes everything bigger at once. The layout shifts, tables and menus move, and long lines can run off the edge, so you scroll sideways. You fix one word and lose your place on the page.
Low Vision Magnifier makes only the spot under your cursor bigger. Hold the key, read the word, number or label inside the lens, let go, and the page is exactly as you left it.
Private by design
No account
Nothing to sign up for, nothing to log in to, no ads.
Nothing leaves your computer
The lens uses a picture of the visible tab taken on your computer. It is never uploaded or stored, and nothing tracks what you read.
Why it needs access to pages
So the lens can open on any site you read. Storage keeps your settings; the active tab gives the picture inside the lens.
Chrome zoom vs Low Vision Magnifier
| Chrome zoom vs Low Vision Magnifier | Chrome zoom (Ctrl and +) | Low Vision Magnifier |
|---|---|---|
| What gets bigger | The whole page, and its layout changes | Only the spot under the cursor; the page stays as it is |
| Turn it on and off | Ctrl and + to zoom, Ctrl and 0 to go back | Hold a key, let go |
| Long lines | Can run off the screen, so you scroll sideways | Stay where they are; you move the lens |
| How much bigger | Up to 500% of the page | 1.5× to 5× inside the lens |
| Price | Built in | Free |
Questions
How do I magnify the text under my mouse in Chrome?
Add Low Vision Magnifier to Chrome, then hold Alt (Option on a Mac) over the text. A round lens follows the cursor and shows the text bigger. Release the key to hide it.
Can I use it without holding a key down?
Yes. In the popup, choose the mode that turns it on with one press. Press the key once to show the lens, and again or Esc to hide it.
How much can it zoom?
From 1.5× to 5×, in half steps. The lens itself can be from 100 to 400 pixels wide.
Can I use a different key?
Yes: Alt, Shift or Ctrl, chosen in the popup. The key is ignored while you type in a text box, so it won't open the lens by accident.
Why does a video look frozen in the lens?
The lens shows a picture of the screen taken when you open it and refreshed after you scroll or resize the window. Moving things like video stay still inside it.
Does it work on every page?
It works on regular web pages. Chrome doesn't let extensions run on its own pages or on the Chrome Web Store, so the lens can't open there.
Is it free? Does it send my screen anywhere?
It's free, with no account and no tracking. The picture inside the lens is made and used on your computer, never uploaded or saved.
Is it a screen reader or a medical device?
No. It is a simple reading aid for web pages. It doesn't read text aloud and doesn't zoom the whole page.
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