I found a hidden Android tool that solves all my tiny text troubles

ZDNET’s cardinal takeaways

• Android has a built-in magnifier to assistance you spot the surface better.
• This diagnostic has been astir since Android 15.
• You entree the diagnostic via a fastener you adhd to the display.

How galore times person you been connected your phone, wanted to work thing (a portion of news, a website, etc.), lone to find the substance is excessively tiny and each effort to zoom successful doesn’t work?

Also: 7 Android accessibility features that tin marque your beingness easier

This happens rather often erstwhile I’m viewing contented successful the Google News app — particularly successful the morning, erstwhile my eyes are inactive successful “wake up” mode. It tin beryllium frustrating. And it’s not lone text. Sometimes there’s an representation I request to enlarge, but for immoderate reason, pinch-to-zoom isn’t moving connected that peculiar screen.

Fortunately, there’s an enactment you tin alteration to guarantee you tin ever zoom successful connected your Android device, nary substance what’s connected the screen. The enactment is recovered successful Accessibility and is aptly called Magnification. With this diagnostic enabled, you tin rapidly zoom successful connected the surface to enlarge immoderate displayed content. It doesn’t substance what’s connected the surface oregon what app is showing the image, page, oregon substance — Magnification volition magnify it.

How Magnification works

The Magnification diagnostic is rather simple: erstwhile enabled, a magnifier shortcut appears connected the screen. Tap that button, and immoderate is connected your surface volition summation successful size. It’s truly that easy. One caveat: As agelong arsenic the Magnification shortcut is enabled, the fastener remains connected your screen. You tin determination the fastener up and down oregon to the near oregon close broadside of the display, but if you privation the diagnostic enabled, the fastener indispensable remain. 

Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET

The bully news, however, is that the fastener does slice a bit, truthful it’s not glaring and successful your face. You tin inactive spot it, but it gets conscionable capable transparency that it doesn’t basal retired each that much.

Also: Android is getting my favourite iOS tracking feature

OK, let’s alteration Magnification.

Enabling the feature

Open Settings by dragging the Notification Shade down twice, past tapping the cogwheel icon (or tapping Settings successful the App Drawer). Where this is located depends connected the Android mentation you’re utilizing and your device. For example, connected my Pixel 9 Pro, it’s successful Settings > Accessibility > Magnification. On a RedMagic 12 Pro, it’s successful Settings > Features > Accessibility. If you don’t find it close away, unfastened Settings and hunt for Magnification.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Once you’ve recovered the Magnification option, pat the On/Off slider until it’s successful the On position, and the Magnifier fastener volition look connected your screen. Tap the button, and immoderate is connected the show volition enlarge capable that you shouldn’t person immoderate occupation speechmaking it.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Here’s a small tip: After tapping the Magnification button, whatever’s been enlarged tin beryllium scrolled vertically, but not horizontally. Fortunately, there’s a mode to guarantee that you tin work everything connected the page.

Also: I usage Google Magnifier to work tiny people without my glasses

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

Tap the cogwheel icon astatine the bottommost close of the show to unfastened the options pop-up. On this page, pat the “Magnifier size” icon that’s 2nd from the right. This enables a movable magnifier you tin spot wherever you request it (kind of similar a accepted magnifying glass). You tin besides alteration the size of the movable magnifier (by tapping 1 of the different “Magnifier size” buttons) arsenic good arsenic the size of the substance erstwhile magnified (by dragging the bottommost slider).

Also: RedMagic 12 Pro is the fastest Android telephone I’ve ever seen

This diagnostic has alleviated the early-morning vexation of having to squint (even with my glasses on) to work definite quality sites. Give it a effort and spot if it doesn’t marque your Android beingness a spot clearer.

Jack Wallen

Contributing Writer

Jack Wallen is what happens erstwhile a Gen Xer mind-melds with present-day snark. Jack is simply a seeker of information and a writer of words with a quantum mechanical pencil and a disjointed bushed of dependable and soul. An award-winning writer and novelist, Jack has been covering Linux, open-source, and different topics since the precocious 1990s for galore publications specified arsenic ZDNET, CNET, TechRepublic, Linux.com, The New Stack, Linode, TechTarget, and Linux New Media. Jack's besides written implicit 50 novels of fiction, astatine slightest 1 of which focuses connected the Linux operating system. For much quality astir Jack Wallen, sojourn his website jackwallen.com. See afloat bio