Chrome pages can look too small or too large on a computer, especially when the browser does not keep the size you want across websites.
Choose a default page zoom in Chrome, then test it on a site with no saved zoom. If one website stays at a different size, reset that site's zoom separately.
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See the Page Zoom Setting in Action
Prefer to see the setting before you change it? This short video shows where Chrome keeps its page zoom control on a computer. The written steps below take you straight to the same screen.
Set a Default Page Zoom in Chrome on Your Computer
If every site opens at a size that feels wrong, set the default once and stop adjusting page by page. Open Chrome’s settings and choose the percentage you want. Chrome normally starts at 100%, but a smaller value fits more content on the screen and a larger value makes text and controls easier to read.
- Open Google Chrome on your computer.
- Click the
menu in the top-right corner. - Select Settings.
- Select Appearance in the left sidebar.
- Scroll to the Page zoom section.
- Open the Page zoom drop-down and select your preferred percentage.
You’ll know it worked when a site without a saved zoom opens at the size you picked.
What Chrome’s Default Page Zoom Changes
Raising the percentage makes text easier to read, but it does not resize everything on your screen. The setting scales web content inside Chrome. It does not change your monitor resolution, the operating system’s display scaling, or the size of Chrome’s own toolbar and menus.
A website adjusted separately through Chrome’s Zoom controls may keep its own percentage. That site-specific value can override your new default until it is removed.
Change the Zoom for Only One Website
One site reads too small but the rest look fine? Adjust that page instead of changing the default for every website. Chrome keeps a manually chosen site zoom separately from the Page zoom setting in Appearance.
- Open the website that needs a different zoom level.
- Click the menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Zoom.
- Choose the preferred percentage from the zoom controls.
Chrome normally remembers the site-specific level for later visits. That level takes priority over the global default until you reset it.
Fix a Site That Keeps Its Own Zoom
If one website ignores your new default, it probably has a saved zoom level of its own. Clearing that entry does not change the default percentage for other websites.
- Open Settings from the menu.
- Select Privacy and security in the left sidebar.
- Select Site settings.
- Select Zoom levels.
- Remove the affected website from the list of saved zoom levels.
- Reload the website and check whether it now matches the default.
TIP: Need to reset just the page you are looking at? Press + on Windows or Linux, or + on macOS. This clears the page’s saved zoom adjustment without changing the default in Appearance.
If the default works on another website but not on this one, its responsive layout may be reacting to the browser window width. Zoom changes the page scale, but it cannot force a site to use its desktop design.
RELATED: page zoom in Chrome on Android
Common Questions About Chrome Page Zoom
Here are the answers we give most often when a page opens at the wrong size.
What is the default page zoom in Chrome on a computer?
Chrome normally uses 100% page zoom. A lower percentage shrinks web content, while a higher percentage enlarges it, although operating system display scaling can also affect the apparent size.
Will a default page zoom apply to every website?
It applies to sites that do not have a saved per-site zoom. If one website keeps a different size, its own zoom value is overriding the default.
How do I change the zoom for only one site in Chrome?
Use the Zoom controls in Chrome’s menu for that page. Chrome saves the selected level for the site, so the adjustment is separate from the global default.
How do I reset a site that is stuck at the wrong zoom?
Focus the page and press + on Windows or Linux, or + on macOS. This resets the page’s saved zoom adjustment so you can check the default again.
Why does changing Chrome’s default zoom not fix a small page?
The site may have its own saved zoom, or it may use a responsive layout based on the browser window size. Test another site after resetting the affected page. If the new default holds there, the first site is the exception, not Chrome.
Great article! I set up a Chromebook for an elderly friend who has macular degeneration. I changed the Chrome “Page Zoom” to 150%. When I last visited her that got changed to 50%. She is the farthest thing from a power user so I know she did not knowingly do it. I realize she may have inadvertently – somehow – held down CTRL while scrolling or clicked CTRL and the minus key. Or maybe one of her grandkids clicked CTRL and minus because it’s wonky to use. Anyway, my question is, how can I configure her device or browser such that after a reboot it sets it to, say, 150% ? In that way if it is changed on purpose or accidentally, it will always revert back to, say, 150% Thanks so much!
Hi Brian, thank you for dropping by. The feature to set permanently to 150% Zoom is not currently possible out of the box. However, you can use the Chrome extension to make it happen; please check this Custom Page Zoom, which I guess will help in your case. If your elderly friend visits’ say, ABC.com, then you can save the Custom Page Zoom to 150%, which will be set even after reboot.
This method does not seem to work on Android 5.0.1 – would you have more information for me?
I would have tried it with CTRL + and CTRL – – does not work either.
Many thank !!!
Hello Benjamin, Android OS does not support keyboard shortcuts. However, you can follow these steps to force zoom in chrome android.