Changing how your screen looks
Here is some practical help with adjusting the settings to make your screen easier to read. The suggestions to improve how you can view web pages on nidirect.gov.uk should also work for other websites that you visit.
Making text bigger on a PC or laptop
Windows
- press Ctrl and + to make text bigger
- press Ctrl and - to make text smaller
- press Ctrl and 0 (zero) to return text to normal size
Apple Mac
On Apple computers, use the Cmd (or Apple) key instead of the Ctrl key:
- press Cmd and + to make text bigger
- press Cmd and - to make text smaller
- press Cmd and 0 (zero) to return text to normal size
Making text bigger on phones and tablets
Many touch screen based devices allow you to pinch and zoom web pages by touching the screen with two fingers and pinching them closed to zoom out or spreading them apart to zoom in.
However, this method may not work for all web pages. Alternatively, you can enable 'magnification gestures' on Android based devices or 'zoom gestures' on Apple iPhones or iPads.
More advanced changes
As well as making text larger, web browsers may offer additional ways to change fonts, text colour and background colours to make reading on a screen easier.
Further information on accessibility features for popular web browsers are listed below.
Which browser are you using?
- Google Chrome — see Accessibility in Chrome
- Safari — see Accessibility Support for Apple devices
- Internet Explorer — see Internet Explorer Ease of Access options
- Microsoft Edge — see Ease of Access in Microsoft Edge
- Firefox — see Accessibility features in Firefox