A closer look at one thing
Magnify one corner of a phone screen for a moment, without changing anything about the rest.
Making everything permanently bigger is one job. Getting a close look at one thing for four seconds is another, and it has its own tool.
Every phone and computer carries a magnifying glass in software. On a phone it is called Zoom; on Windows it is called Magnifier; on a Mac it lives under Zoom as well. Turn it on once, and from then on it is a gesture or a key away.
It floats over whatever is already on the screen. Nothing underneath changes, nothing is saved, and letting go puts everything back.
Key points
- Switch on a magnifying glass that hovers over part of a phone screen
- Choose between a floating pane and enlarging the whole display
- Tell the two different jobs apart before reaching for a tool
What to remember
- Zoom is switched on in Settings once. After that it is a gesture, not a menu.
- Zoom is a lens, not an edit. It changes what reaches your eye and nothing else.
Try this
On any photograph on your phone, put two fingers together on the glass and slide them apart. That is the third tool, it needs no settings at all, and most people never try it on anything but a map.
Practice: A closer look at one thing. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.