Free screen magnification for Windows

Accessibility should be fast. And free.

Scroll from the lake to the smallest detail.

QuickZoom is a free, open-source Windows screen magnifier, built by a developer with low vision. Enlarge text, find your pointer and inspect small details with a key and a scroll.

Download for Windows

Windows 10/11 · 64-bit (x64) only

View on GitHub

Works on: Windows 10/11 · 64-bit
Use your: Keyboard or mouse
Yours to use: Free forever · Open source

Why I built QuickZoom

I needed it myself.

Free to use. Forever.

Open source under the GPL-3.0 licence.

I'm visually impaired, and I wanted a better everyday alternative to Windows Magnifier. So I designed and built QuickZoom.

I wanted everyday screen magnification that was free and extremely lightweight. QuickZoom is my alternative to paid tools such as ZoomText and Dolphin SuperNova, focused on the features I use every day.

See the code on GitHub

Lightweight by design.

QuickZoom is a lightweight, portable screen magnifier built on Windows’ native magnification engine. It runs directly from a local folder on your PC, without installation. For everyday magnification, it is a free alternative to paid tools such as ZoomText and Dolphin SuperNova.

Typical use on a modern PC, as observed by the developer. Actual usage varies with settings and workload.

Typical CPU use: <1% CPU
Typical RAM use: ~50MB RAM

This capture: 0.1% CPU and 44.8 MB RAM.

Test PC: AMD Ryzen 9700X, 64 GB DDR5 RAM and a 2 TB NVMe SSD.

What you can do

Screen magnification that fits your day.

Hover to zoom into a screenshot. Select it for a larger view.

QuickZoom Zoom settings with Fullscreen, Lens, and Docked modes, plus controls for zoom step, maximum zoom, and refresh rate.

Enlarge as much as you need

Fill the screen, use a moving lens, or keep magnified content in a strip along the edge. The rest of your desktop stays visible in Lens and Docked modes.

QuickZoom General settings with Smooth Zoom, Disable Magnifier at 100%, and Center Cursor controls.

Zoom at your pace

Choose a smooth transition or an instant change in size. In Fullscreen, keep the point you're following closer to the centre.

QuickZoom Display settings for choosing which monitors to magnify.

Keep a second screen for reference

In Fullscreen, enlarge one monitor, several or all of them. You can also let the enlarged view move between screens as you work.

QuickZoom Mouse settings showing large lime-green pointer, text and hand cursor previews at 350%, with the 48-colour fill palette visible.

Find your pointer again

Wiggle the mouse to highlight it. For a pointer that's always easier to see, increase its size and choose a contrasting colour and outline.

QuickZoom Shortcuts settings with input modes, the activation key, colour inversion, and pause/resume following.

Use keys that suit you

Start with Alt, or choose another activation key. You can also change the keys for colour inversion and pausing the view.

QuickZoom Appearance settings with theme, language, and interface font-size options.

Make the controls easier to read

Choose light or dark controls, or follow Windows. Enlarge the menu text and use the app in English, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian or Finnish.

Keep what you're doing in view

Follow the mouse, typing or keyboard navigation. Pause the view when you want to read without movement. Typing and keyboard following depend on the app you're using.

Your settings stay on your PC

No account needed. QuickZoom saves your preferences locally, so they're ready next time you open it.

Everyday shortcuts

Hold Alt. Zoom in.

Hold Alt and scroll, or press +/−. Release Alt when the size feels right; the view stays enlarged.

Default shortcuts. Hover over ALT or a mouse illustration for help. You can also focus them with Tab or tap them.

Zoom with the mouse: By default, hold Alt and scroll the mouse wheel up or down.
Zoom with the keyboard: By default, hold Alt and press plus to zoom in, or minus to zoom out.
Invert colours with the mouse: By default, hold Alt and click the middle mouse button.
Invert colours with the keyboard: By default, press Alt and I to invert colours.
Switch zoom mode: By default, press Alt and Z to cycle through Fullscreen, Docked and Lens.
Pause or resume following: By default, press Alt and F to pause or resume following.

For colour inversion, first turn on Invert colours in the menu beside the clock.

For power users

Fine-tune your Windows magnifier.

Fine-tune zoom, movement and refresh rate. Open a topic for the specifics.

Built on Windows magnification

QuickZoom uses Windows’ native magnification technology with its own zoom, tracking and update logic. Smooth transitions, fast activation and fewer unnecessary updates are designed to keep magnification steady and responsive.

Magnify streaming video, too

Using Windows’ native technology often makes it possible to magnify DRM-protected video from streaming services. Support varies with the service, browser, graphics driver, hardware acceleration and zoom mode.

Zoom range and refresh rate

Set each zoom step to 1–200 percentage points and the maximum zoom to 150–750%. The defaults are 30 points and 400%. Refresh targets are 60, 90, 120, 180 or 240 Hz. Unlimited uses the highest connected display rate, with a minimum target of 60 Hz. Higher targets can use more resources; try 60 Hz and turn Smooth Zoom off if movement feels uneven.

Following and multiple monitors

Automatic following hands control back to the pointer when you deliberately use the mouse. Keyboard and typing mode ignores mouse movement. Keyboard following needs usable caret or focus positions from the other app. Monitor selection applies only to Fullscreen; Lens and Docked use the screen containing the followed point. Keep Auto-switch monitor on to let a single fullscreen view move between monitors.

Automatic startup and local data

Optional autostart creates a scheduled task and needs administrator approval. It helps shortcuts work in many administrator apps, but cannot magnify secure sign-in or UAC screens. Preferences stay in %LOCALAPPDATA%\QuickZoom. Troubleshooting logs are off by default and, when enabled, last only for that session. They stay local, contain no typed keys or screen content, and use at most two 1 MB files. Strict Data mode blocks diagnostic and crash logging.

Get started

From download to your first zoom.

Download and save
Download the latest QuickZoom.exe and save it in a folder on your PC. No installer or unpacking is needed.
Try your first zoom
Open QuickZoom.exe. The setup guide helps you choose your settings and practise zooming before you begin.
Find QuickZoom beside the clock
After setup, QuickZoom stays in the Windows notification area. Look under the hidden-icons arrow if you don't see it.

QuickZoom tray menu with Fullscreen, Lens and Docked modes, magnification and colour-inversion switches, a Follow menu, and settings links. — **Your controls, beside the clock.**
Click the QuickZoom icon to switch zoom mode, control following or open Settings. Changes save automatically.

You'll need: Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit (x64), a keyboard and a folder on the PC's local drive. No separate .NET installation is needed with the ready-to-run release.

Before you start

Who is QuickZoom for?

QuickZoom is designed for people with low vision and anyone who wants to see small text, controls or details more clearly. Choose your magnification, cursor size and colours to suit the way you use your PC.

Is QuickZoom an alternative to Windows Magnifier?

Yes. QuickZoom is a separate, free app built on Windows’ magnification technology, with its own zoom and tracking logic. It focuses on hold-and-scroll shortcuts, configurable activation keys and cursor enhancements. Windows Magnifier is already included with Windows.

Is QuickZoom a free alternative to ZoomText or Dolphin SuperNova?

If you mainly need screen magnification, QuickZoom is a free option to try. It includes Fullscreen, Lens and Docked views, cursor enhancements and configurable shortcuts. ZoomText and Dolphin SuperNova offer different editions with additional features, including speech. QuickZoom does not read text aloud or provide OCR.

How do I zoom back out?

Hold Alt and scroll down, or press Alt + −, until you reach 100%. Use your chosen key if you've changed Alt. You can also turn Magnification off in the tray menu. Turn Invert colours off separately if needed; Escape does not reset zoom.

Will QuickZoom read text aloud?

No. QuickZoom enlarges what's on screen; it doesn't read aloud or recognise text in images. Your documents keep their original text size and layout.

Can I choose when QuickZoom runs?

Yes. Skip automatic startup during setup and open QuickZoom when you need it. Run it from a folder on your PC, rather than a USB or network drive.

Accessibility should be fast. And free.

I needed it myself.

Lightweight by design.