Save Time in Microsoft Excel using Shortcuts to Zoom In or Out
by Avantix Learning Team | Updated September 14, 2023
Applies to: Microsoft® Excel® 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 365 (Windows)
There are several mouse and keyboard shortcuts you can use to zoom in and out in Excel worksheets. Some of these shortcuts are built-in and others can be created by customizing Excel Options.
Recommended article: 10 Excel Data Entry Tricks and Shortcuts Every User Should Know
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Check out the following 4 shortcuts for zooming in and out using the mouse or the keyboard in Excel.
1. Zoom in and out using a mouse
If you have a mouse wheel in the middle of your mouse, press Ctrl while rolling the mouse wheel forward or backward to zoom in and out.
2. Zoom in and out using a keyboard shortcut (2016 and later versions)
If you have Excel 2016 or a later version, you can now zoom in and out by pressing Ctrl + Alt + plus sign (+) or Ctrl + Alt + minus sign (-). Use the plus and minus at the top of the keyboard.
3. Access the Zoom dialog using a keyboard
You can zoom in and out by accessing the Zoom dialog in the Ribbon using a keyboard:
- Press Alt. Key tip labels or badges appear on the Ribbon.
- Press w to activate the View tab.
- Press q to display the Zoom dialog box.
- Use the up and down arrow keys to select a zoom level. If you select Custom, enter a zoom percentage.
- Press Enter.
4. Add Zoom commands to the Quick Access Toolbar
You can also add zoom commands to the Quick Access Toolbar and then use keyboard shortcuts to access them:
- Click the File tab in the Ribbon and then click Options. A dialog box appears.
- Click Quick Access Toolbar in the categories on the left.
- From the drop-down menu under Choose commands from, select All Commands.
- Click the button(s) you want to add. In this case, click Zoom (with the magnifying glass).
- Click Add for each button. You may also want to add Zoom In and Zoom Out.
- If you want to re-order the buttons, click the button under Customize Quick Access Toolbar on the right and then click the Move Up or Move Down arrows.
- You may need to check or select the option to Show the Quick Access Toolbar or Show Below the Ribbon (it is slightly different to show or hide the Quick Access Toolbar in Excel 365).
- Click Close.
Below are Excel Options:
Once you have added the buttons to the Quick Access Toolbar, Excel assigns keyboard shortcuts automatically based on the order in the Quick Access toolbar. For example, the first button can be accessed by pressing Alt and then 1, the second button by pressing Alt and then 2 and so on.
You can zoom in and out quickly and easily using these simple shortcuts in Excel.
This article was first published on December 8, 2015 and has been updated for clarity and content.
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More resources
How to Lock Cells in Excel (3 Ways)
How to Remove Duplicates in Excel (3 Easy Ways)
3 Excel Strikethrough Shortcuts to Cross Out Text or Values in Cells
How to Replace Blank Cells in Excel with a Value from the Cell Above
10 Excel Flash Fill Examples (Extract, Combine, Clean and Format Data with Flash Fill)
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