Last updated: January 8, 2024
Things to Consider
There are quite a few things to consider when looking at screen magnifiers; the following is to help you make an informed decision. Alongside a list of things to consider, we’ve collected some of the most widely used screen magnifiers to help take some of the research stress off your shoulders. Each magnifier listed below is accompanied by a link to the developers, website, or support page, and each of the magnifiers listed under the assistive technology section has free trial periods. Feel free to experiment and find the magnifier that best suits you.
- First, you must ensure that your desired screen magnification software is compatible with your platform of choice. There are various screen magnification software choices at your disposal, including built-in options for the various operating systems and free and licensed software you can purchase. Don’t feel pressured into paying for screen magnification software immediately, as many of these paid licenses have trial periods.
- Think about what kind of experience you’d like to have as you venture into the realm of paid licenses for screen magnification software, features, and customized experiences open up.
- When choosing your screen magnification software, it’s important to keep your budget in mind. While free magnification software is available, don’t forget to consider the additional features often provided in the commercial versions.
- As technology evolves, it’s important to ensure the developers continue to update and support their software.
- More popular and widely used screen magnification software will have a supportive community behind it and ample tutorials, tips, and tricks for a quick study.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment with screen readers; nothing is worse than straining your eyes after reading a lengthy article or report. Built-in options like Narrator on Windows or Voice Over on iOS are great tools to give your eyes a rest but still maintain productivity during your day.
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Built-in Screen Magnifiers
With the current push for accessibility, screen magnifiers often come prepackaged with your laptop or desktop computer. This is a great way to get your feet wet and learn what you like and dislike. Built-in screen magnifiers come with a basic set of features, various levels of zoom and a few other options for zoom displays. The nice thing about the built-in option is that the screen magnifier can easily be paired with the built-in screen reader to help relieve eyestrain. The table below explores the built-in zoom magnifiers for Linux, Mac, iOS and Windows.
| Product | Developer | Supported Platforms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacOS Zoom | Apple | MacOS | A great option for Mac users, easy to use with ample developer and community support. Apple has a variety of accessibility options that allow the user to customize to their preferred display. |
| Vinux Distribution | Vinux | Contains the following desktop environments: Unity, Gnome, and Mate | Developed for the visually impaired community by the visually impaired community, this distribution comes with two screen readers and two pre-built-in magnifiers. It works with USB braille displays and has a good tutorial and an active community to help new users. |
| Windows Magnifier | Microsoft | Windows | A good option for a basic screen magnifier, good developer and community support. Like Apple, Windows has multiple accessibility options - a good place to start, but it lacks the customization and features provided by specialized assistive technologies. |
Commercial Screen Magnifiers and Enhancement Software
Developed by companies specializing in accessible software, these options are loaded with features but come with a price tag. Each option has a trial period, and you can explore the various features packaged within the software. These magnifiers come with more than just the capability to cleanly zoom in and out but allow for varying degrees of customization to help reduce eyestrain and make computer use as comfortable as possible. Please note that the prices listed on the developer websites are in US dollars.
| Product | Developer | Supported Platforms | License and Pricing Options | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZoomText | Freedom Scientific | Windows 10, Windows 11 | Purchase of license subscription; 40-minute free trial(trial resets after restarting computer) | ZoomText has an easy-to-use interface and includes multiple features, including up to 32 times zoom and customizable display options; change cursor size and color; change various on-screen colours to help reduce eyestrain; allows for custom zoom settings on different applications; built-in text-to-speech allows the user to have elements of the screen read to them; asy to consume tutorials; and great customer and technical support with multiple contact options, including phone numbers. |
| Fusion | Freedom Scientific | Windows 10, Windows 11 | Purchase of license subscription; 40-minute free trial(trial resets after restarting computer) | Contains all the features of ZoomText with the added benefit of having a built-in screen reader. A great option for those who suffer from continued deterioration of sight or chronic eyestrain. With strong customer support, the subscription model makes it an easier consideration when factoring budgetary constraints. |
| Supernova Magnifier | Dolphin | Windows 10, Windows 11 | Purchasable license; subscription; 30-day trial | Ample features allow for a great experience, including multiple levels of zoom and screen filters. Easy to use interface with multiple tutorial options and a true touchscreen interface. Not overly taxing on the operating system and great customer and technical support. |
| Supernova Magnifier plus Speech | Dolphin | Windows 10, Windows 11 | Purchasable license; subscription; 30-day trial | This has all the features of Supernova with the benefit of having elements of the screen read aloud. Since Dolphin only uses one interface, users can easily add the speech or screen reader add-ons. Keeps things simple so users will not have the added stress of learning a brand-new system. |
Open-Source Screen Magnifiers and Enhancement Software
Created for Linux by a small team of developers, these magnifiers are often fairly basic but have the potential to become much more. The developers open the source code to the public so that others in the programming community or skilled users can tweak the code, adding personal features to the magnifier. The table below explores other Linux-based screen magnification options if you are not already using the Vinux distribution.
| Product | Developer | Supported Distribution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gnome Magnifier | Gnome | Fedora, OpenSUSE, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Debian, Vanilla OS | The Gnome magnifier has two different zoom capabilities. The first Is a full-screen zoom to the cursor. The second designates a portion of your screen to be the zoomed-in area. This magnifier is included in the Vinux distribution and the Orca Screenwriter. Contains grayscale, inverted and black and black-and-white screen filters. Developers update Gnome every six months. |
| KMag | KDE | Arch Linux, CentOS, Debian, elementary OS, Fedora, KDE Neon, Kubuntu, Manjaro, pop!_OS, OpenSUSE, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, raspberry pi | A good basic magnifier that allows for multiple levels of zoom and the ability to take snapshots of the desired area. It is actively updated but it does not allow for colour inversion or colour layout options. |
Mobile Magnification and Enhancement Software
We’ve looked at various tools to help enlarge and sharpen the digital landscape, but what about the physical one? We don’t walk around with magnifying glasses in our pockets to help read medication, labels, and menus, or do we? Many magnification applications are available through the digital storefront or directly into your phone’s system.
| Product | Developer | Supported Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Magnifier | Apple | IOS | The built-in magnifier on iOS handheld devices. It is packed with features compared to third-party applications, including adjustable brightness and contrast, colour filters, the ability to take snapshots and basic AI descriptions. Compared to the third-party options available to iPhone users, the built-in magnifier surpasses them in every way. |
| Google Identifier | Google, LLC | Pixel 5 or later | This application features auto focus, auto brightness and contrast and colour filters. The magnifier can be easily accessed by simply tapping twice on the back of the phone. |
| Samsung Magnifier | Samsung Corporation | Android 11 or later | A basic magnifier with a simple and easy to use interface that lets the user take a picture, auto focus, and turn on the flash to aid in magnification. |
| Magnifying Glass Plus Flashlight | RV, AppStudios | IOS, Android | Great features for a free application, including up to 10x zoom, auto focus, high contrast and picture taking. Simple and easy- to-use interface. |
| Magnifying Glass++ | Tue Nguyen Minh | IOS | A user-friendly free application with adjustable zoom and light. Contains in-app purchases. |