Use Magnifier to see items on the screen Applies to Windows 10
Magnifier is a tool that enlarges part—or all—of your screen so
you can see words and images better. It comes with a few different settings, so
use it the way that suits you best.
Open Magnifier
To open Magnifier on a keyboard, press the Windows logo key 
and
+ (plus sign). To open it by touch or mouse, go to Start ,
then Settings > Ease of Access > Magnifier,
and then move the slider under Magnifier to turn it on.
and
+ (plus sign). To open it by touch or mouse, go to Start ,
then Settings > Ease of Access > Magnifier,
and then move the slider under Magnifier to turn it on.
Magnifier opens in full-screen view unless you change the
settings.
Close Magnifier
To exit Magnifier, press the Windows logo key +
Esc or select the magnifying glass icon 
,
and then select the Close button on the Magnifier toolbar.
+
Esc or select the magnifying glass icon ,
and then select the Close button on the Magnifier toolbar.
Change Magnifier views
With a mouse, you can use Magnifier in three different view:
full-screen, lens, or docked. Try them all to find out which one you prefer.
In full-screen view, your entire screen is
magnified. You probably won’t be able to see the whole screen at the same time
when it’s magnified, but as you move your mouse around the screen, you can see
everything. If you have a touchscreen, Magnifier will display white borders
around the edge of your screen. Drag your finger or mouse along the borders to
move around the screen.
In lens view, when you move around the screen,
it’s like moving a magnifying glass around.
Docked view works on the desktop. In this view, a magnifier is
docked to a portion of your screen. As you move around the screen, parts of the
screen appear magnified in the docking area, even though the main part of the
screen is unchanged.
Customize Magnifier
Change the way Magnifier works by using the zoom buttons (
and 
)
to enlarge or reduce your screen. Or press the Windows logo key and
+ (plus sign) or the Windows logo key and
- (minus sign) to zoom in and out.
and )
to enlarge or reduce your screen. Or press the Windows logo key and
+ (plus sign) or the Windows logo key and
- (minus sign) to zoom in and out.
Open the Magnifier options button 
to
make changes to the level of zoom, color, or focus.
to
make changes to the level of zoom, color, or focus.
1.
Press the Windows logo
key and
+ (plus sign) to open Magnifier.
and
+ (plus sign) to open Magnifier.
2.
On the desktop, select
the Magnifying glass icon ,
and then select the Options button .
,
and then select the Options button .
3. Do one or more of the following:
·
Use the slider to
choose a zoom increment. The percentage you choose here will be the increment
by which Magnifier enlarges the screen when you press the Zoom in button .
.
·
Select Turn on
color inversion to reverse colors on the screen. Sometimes reversing
colors can make text easier to read.
·
Select a check box to
choose how Magnifier focuses. Magnifier can follow your mouse, the insertion
point, or the keyboard.
Note
·
When you open Magnifier,
the Magnifier toolbar appears briefly. It quickly gets out of your way, but you
can display it again by clicking the magnifying glass icon on
your screen or the Magnifier icon on the taskbar.
on
your screen or the Magnifier icon on the taskbar.
Use Magnifier with a touchscreen
Perform a variety of tasks on a touchscreen with Magnifier:
·
Zoom in and out by
tapping on the corners.
·
Move around the screen
by dragging along the borders.
·
See where you are on
the screen by tapping with two fingers on opposite borders.
·
Exit Magnifier by
tapping the Close button.
Use text or visual alternative to sounds Applies to Windows 10
You can use visual cues rather than sounds in many apps by
changing your settings. Here's how:
1.
Go to Start ,
enter the phrase Replace sounds with visual cues, and then
select Replace sounds with visual cues.
2. Select the options that you want to use:
·
Turn
on visual notifications for sounds. This option replaces system sounds with visual cues, such
as a flash on the screen, so you can see notifications even when they're not
heard. You can also choose how you want sound notifications to warn you.
·
Turn
on text captions for spoken dialog. With this option, Windows will display text captions in
place of sounds to indicate that activity is happening on your PC (for example,
when a document starts or finishes printing).
Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type Applies to Windows 10
There are several different kinds of keyboards for PCs. The most
common type is a physical, external keyboard that you plug into your PC. But,
Windows has a built-in Ease of Access tool called the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK)
that can be used instead of a physical keyboard to move around a PC's screen or
enter text. You don’t need a touchscreen to use the OSK. It displays a visual
keyboard with all the standard keys, so you can use your mouse or another
pointing device to select keys, or use a physical single key or group of keys
to cycle through the keys on the screen.
Note
·
A PC with a
touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. When you’re using a PC with a touchscreen,
tap in a text field or other area where you can type and the touch keyboard
appears.
To open the On-Screen Keyboard
·
Go to Start ,
then select Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard,
and then move the slider under On-Screen Keyboard. A keyboard appears
on the screen that can be used to move around the screen and enter text. The
keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.
,
then select Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard,
and then move the slider under On-Screen Keyboard. A keyboard appears
on the screen that can be used to move around the screen and enter text. The
keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.
Note
·
To open the OSK from
the sign-in screen, select the Ease of Access button in the
lower-right corner of the sign-in screen, and then select On-Screen
Keyboard.
To change how info is entered into the
On-Screen Keyboard
·
With the OSK open,
select the Options key, and then choose the options you want:
·
Use
click sound. Use this option
if you want to hear a sound when you press a key.
·
Show
keys to make it easier to move around the screen. Use this option if you want the keys to
light up as you type.
·
Turn
on numeric keypad. Use this option
to expand the OSK to show a numeric keypad.
·
Click
on keys. Use this mode if
you prefer to click or tap the on-screen keys to enter text.
·
Hover
over keys. Use this mode if
you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key. The characters you point to are
entered automatically when you point to them for a specified time.
·
Scan
through keys. Use this mode if
you want the OSK to continually scan the keyboard. Scan mode highlights areas
where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut, using a
switch input device, or using a device that simulates a mouse click.
·
Use
Text Prediction. Use this option
if you want the OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don't need to
type each complete word.
Notes·
Text Prediction is
available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you want to use
one of these languages and it isn't installed, install the language files for
that language.