To see items on your Chromebook screen better, you can change your screen resolution, zoom in, or magnify your screen. Make a page bigger or smaller You can make the page you're looking at bigger. This tutorial will show you guys how to effectively zoom in or zoom out in Google Chrome to make your screen appear larger or smaller, depending on your pref.
Is your Chromebook zoomed in a lot more than usual? Can’t get it to zoom out?
Is the font size bigger? Are picture or videos cut off from the edges of the screen? Do you have to scroll like crazy just to read a paragraph?
Or is your entire desktop zoomed in? Your background picture, your menus, and even your folders.
This means your entire Chromebook has been zoomed in.
But…
Don’t worry. I’ve got a solution to your problem.
It’s because you zoomed your Chromebook’s zoom percentage in. Apps that are downloaded can also do the same, so it might not have been with your approval. You could’ve also accidentally done it by pressing a combination of keys or by pressing some buttons in the Chrome Browser.
It also applies to Chrome OS. You could’ve been messing around in the options or you could’ve pressed a keyboard shortcut that zoomed in your entire desktop.
Anyway, it doesn’t really matter. Let’s just get your zoom aspect back to normal, shall we?
So, pick your solution below. This guide is split into two parts. I have methods to fix both scenarios:
- If your Chrome Web Browser is zoomed in
- If your entire Chromebook desktop is zoomed in
Ready? Let’s go…
How to zoom out of the Chrome Web Browser
Okay, so if your Chromebook’s desktop is normal, but your browser is zoomed in, here’s how to zoom out.
There are actually two methods, so you can do either one. If you’re not technically-inclined, I suggest the first method. It’s also faster.
Method 1: Zoom in and out with a keyboard shortcut
Step 1: Open up Chrome Browser.
Step 2: Press “CTRL” and hold it.
Step 3: Press “+” to zoom in, or press “-” to zoom out.
Method 2: Control zoom percentage by the options submenu
Step 1: Open up Chrome Browser.
Step 2: Click the menu button (the three dots at the top-right).
Step 3: Look for the zoom options.
Step 4: Adjust it to your liking.
How to zoom out of Chrome OS
Okay, so if you’re zoomed into your Chromebook’s desktop, it’s a little more difficult to fix. It’s usually due to an extension you’ve installed, account preferences, or settings.
Adjust zoom level by the settings menu
First, go to your Chromebook’s settings by opening the Chrome Browser and typing the following in the address bar:
“chrome://settings” (without the quotations)
Scroll down to “Appearance” and look for the following fields:
- Font size. You’ll want to change this if the text on your screen is too big. The default is “large.”
- Page zoom. This is the default zoom level for all your web pages. If it’s too zoomed in, you can adjust this percentage. The default is “100%.”
After you’ve changed those settings, check out your desktop and other menus. Is it back to normal? If so, congrats.
If not, move onto the next step.
Check for apps or extensions that are attached to the browser
Next, we’ll check if it’s due to an extension attached to your Google Account.
Step 1: Log out of your Chromebook.
Step 2: At the login screen, choose to use it as a Guest (look at the bottom of the login screen).
Step 3: Log in as a Guest.
Step 4: Inspect the desktop, menus, etc.
Is it fixed? If so, your permanently zoomed desktop is due to a browser extension. Disable them all and turn them on one-by-one until you find the one that breaks your laptop.
Zoom Out Chromebook
If your Chromebook’s zoom level is still stuck, proceed to the next method and give it a go.
Reset Google Profile Settings
This involves resetting your profile settings back to default. It’s very easy to do and won’t delete any of your personal data. However, like the name says, it’ll reset your preferences of your Google Account back to default, so you’ll have to redo them.
Step 1: Launch the Chrome Browser and type the following in the URL bar (again, without the quotes):
“chrome://settings/ResetProfileSettings” (you don’t have to use caps, I just did that so it’s easier for you to read.)
Step 2: A popup modal will appear. Click on the reset button. Your Google profile will be restored back to default settings and all your browser apps and extensions will be disabled.
Step 3: Restart your Chromebook.
Step 4: Log in to your Google Account.
Step 5: Check if everything’s back to normal. If it is, congrats.
Step 6: Set your profile settings back to your preferences.
If you’re still having problems, try the next technique.
Create a new Google Account
This method has been reported to work by some users, and it’s easy to try so why not?
Step 1: Go to Google.com.
Step 2: Create an account using the links at the top-right of the screen.
Step 3: Log out of your Chromebook using your main account (if applicable).
Step 4: Log into your Chromebook using your new account.
Step 5: Check out the zoom level. Is it fixed?
If you’ve restored the zoom back to normal, congrats. If not, go to the next step.
Powerwash your Chromebook
This will delete everything on your laptop and restore it back to factory conditions. You’ll have to backup all your personal data if you want to save it. But don’t worry. It’s not as scary as it sounds.
If you have an external hard drive, you can back up your stuff to it. All you need to do is save your local data. This is stuff like images, videos, music, files, and other media you have saved on your hard drive. It’s basically everything in your Downloads folder and any other custom folders you’ve created.
If you don’t have an external drive, SD card, or a USB drive, don’t worry. You can use a cloud service like Google Drive (which is free and has a special offer for new Chromebook owners). You can backup all your stuff to it, restore your laptop, and download it back into it.
Your apps, Google Account data, and everything else will remain untouched. That data is saved on Google’s servers, so you don’t have to worry about it.
My Setting Zoom In Chrome
Powerwashing is easy. I wrote a complete guide about the Powerwashing processes here. So check it out if you still can’t unzoom your Chromebook.
Is it fixed yet?
You should have a perfectly-zoomed Chromebook by now. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll see if I can help you out.
How To Zoom Out Chrome Screen
If this guide has helped you, consider telling a friend about it.
Thanks for reading.
Zoom Out Chrome Shortcut
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