Tom Westrick has been writing about technology professionally since 2014, but he started poking and prodding at electronics as a teenager. His work has been published on Android Central, iMore, and Windows Central. When he’s not writing, Tom is a Tier-1 Help Desk Technician, songwriter, and guitar player. Read more.

While most of what you see on the web is sized correctly, you might come across the occasional site you want to view bigger. You also might be faced with aging eyes and need a size boost for everything. Whatever your situation is, it’s easy to make content bigger on your Chromebook!

How To Zoom In and Out on One Page

If there’s just one page you want bigger, you can zoom in by placing two fingers together on the trackpad, then moving those fingers apart. You can also press the Ctrl and + (plus) keys at the same time to zoom in

Zoom back out by placing two fingers separated on the trackpad, then bringing them together. You can also press the Ctrl and – (minus) keys at the same time to zoom out.

To reset a page to its default size, press Ctrl+0.

How To Make Almost Everything Bigger

You can also make the default size bigger for every website you visit. Clicking the time in the lower-right corner of your Chromebook and then s elect the “Settings” icon.

On the Settings page, scroll down to the Appearance section and then click the “Page Zoom” drop-down. Select a percentage larger than 100% to make everything bigger.

This will make every website, the Settings menu, and Android apps zoomed in by default. Unfortunately, this change does not affect Linux and Chrome Web Store apps. As an example, here’s the How-To Geek homepage with the zoom set to 100%:

And here it is with the zoom at 150%:

If you need to change this back to the default size, head back to the Appearance section in Settings and set page zoom to 100%.

Once you change this setting on one Chromebook, it will remain the same if you ever sign into another Chromebook or Chromebox. Now, you won’t have to strain your eyes to read your favorite websites!

Zooming in and out on a Chromebook is easy — you just have to know which of the many methods you can use will work best for your unique situation.

For example, you’ll have to consider whether you want to simply increase the size of everything on your screen, or just the text on a specific page.

Here’s a breakdown of the methods you can use to zoom in and out.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

HP 14″ Chromebook (From $249 at Best Buy)

How to zoom in and out on a Chromebook

• Increase or decrease the size of a specific page: Press the “Ctrl” button and the plus or minus sign button to zoom in and out — you can also reset the zoom quickly by pressing “Ctrl” and “0.” As you zoom, you’ll see a notification with your current level of zoom, represented as a percent, appear in the top-right corner of the page.
• Increase or decrease the size of everything on the screen: Press “Ctrl,” “Shift” and the plus sign to increase size, or the minus sign to decrease the size. Again, replacing the plus or minus with a “0” press will reset the screen.
• Magnify the entire screen: Here, everything will stay the same size, but you’ll zoom in closer. Press “Ctrl,” Search — the magnifying glass icon key located just above your “Shift” key — and “M.” You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to magnify the screen — hit “Continue” to do so, then navigate using your trackpad.

If you have a Chromebook with a touchscreen, you can also zoom in or out by using two fingers, as you would with any touchscreen smartphone.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

How to rotate the screen on a Chromebook in 2 different ways

How to screen record on your Chromebook using a Chrome extension

How to copy and paste on a Chromebook in 4 different ways

How to change your background on a Chromebook, using its default photos or one of your own

Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

We’re back with another quick tip to help you get the most out of your Chromebook. Large or small, HD or 4K, your Chromebooks display is useless if you can’t see what’s on your screen because it’s too small. Thankfully, your lovely little Chrome OS device offers you a number of tools with which you can make the items on your screen larger or smaller at will. I’m going to cover three ways that you can zoom in and out on your Chromebook and then, you can decide which method best fits your needs.

Display size

Every Chromebook comes out of the box with a default display size. The default depends on the size and available resolutions on that particular device. The “native” resolution is the actual resolution of the display and that may or may not be the default resolution. Again, it depends on the device. On this Acer Spin 713 I’m using, the native display is 2K with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 on a 13.5″ screen. That resolution makes elements on the display very, very tiny. Therefore, the default display size on the Spin 713 is actually 1410 x 940 which I find very comfortable. Some users may prefer a higher output while others are comfortable with lower. It’s entirely up to you.

Adjusting the display size will affect all elements on your desktop including your shelf icons. You can change it anytime you want but this is the best way to adjust your display if the overall output is too small or large for your liking. To adjust your display size, head to the settings menu by opening the system tray in the bottom-right corner. Click the gear icon and look for the “device” tab. Click that and then, select “display.” You should see a slider. Adjust that slider until you see a screen size that feels comfortable. You’re all set now. If you decide you want to change it later, just head back to the settings. Additionally, you can use this menu to adjust the display settings and arrange any external monitors you have connected to your Chromebook. Power Tip: You can change the display size using shortcut keys and save yourself some time. Adjust the display size up using Ctrl+Shift+= or down with Ctrl+Shift+-. To reset to the default resolution, just click Ctrl+Shift+0.

Zoom page

If you’re happy with the resolution on your Chromebook but you need to zoom in or out on a specific page, there’s a shortcut to do just that. You can access the “zoom” settings by clicking the three-dot menu at the top-right of the browser but the quick way is to use the shortcuts Ctrl with +/-. Once you’re done getting a closer look, just reset the page zoom with Ctrl+0.

Touchpad

Sometimes, you just want to zoom in on something and you can do so with your trackpad. All it takes is two fingers. Just use your thumb and index finger to pinch and zoom in and out on the active window. Seriously. Try it now. (You don’t have to use your thumb and index. They’re your fingers. Use whichever two you prefer.) Anyway, this is the quickest, easiest way to zoom in on a page or image on your Chromebook without actually adjusting any settings. I hope this helps you get around your Chromebook a little easier. Stay tuned for more Quick Tips from Chrome Unboxed.

June 25, 2021 4 min read

Look for PWA available June 29 on Google’s new web store

We’re excited to announce we’re launching a new Zoom progressive web application (PWA) for Chrome OS! This will improve the Zoom experience for Chromebook users, and give them access to even more Zoom features on Chrome OS devices.

What’s a Progressive Web App (PWA) & why do I need it?

At Zoom, we want to ensure users can have a productive experience, regardless of which device they may be using. That’s why we built our application as a Progressive Web App (PWA) , which leverages web-based technology to deliver a native desktop experience.

We’ve partnered with Google to create the best possible application experience on Chrome OS, and are excited to offer a PWA client that gives you even more features and improved performance.

PWAs are web apps that can be installed on your OS to provide an app-like experience while using the same technology as your web browser and Chrome OS. PWAs are usually faster and more functional than a regular app, and take up less storage — which is great for cloud-based devices.

As Zoom centrally updates our web client, the PWA will also receive updates automatically to get the latest and greatest Zoom features.

If you’re a systems administrator, you can still remotely install and manage the PWA, providing centralized configuration and security options.

Read on to see how Chromebook users can get started using the new PWA come June 29!

Downloading & installing the Zoom PWA

The new PWA will be installable from the Google Play store (click the link, or search for ‘Zoom PWA’ or ‘Zoom for Chrome PWA’ in the Play store), and will appear as an application on your Chrome OS device.

Download the app, then either log in or join a meeting — and you’re up and running. You can also install the new app directly from your web browser navigation bar as well as via central admin management.

Though customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to the legacy native app through January 2022, it’s best to switch to the new Zoom PWA client as soon as possible.

Zoom functionality on a Chromebook

Our PWA offers much of the same great Zoom functionality as you would experience on a Windows or Mac desktop, and has even more features than the previous Zoom app for Chromebook:

• Customizable Gallery View (on supported machines)
• Self-select Breakout Rooms
• Live transcription
• Live translation (with assigned interpreters)
• A new background masking feature for privacy
• Raised hand and meeting reactions

We’ll also be introducing a wide range of new features releasing over the next 3-6 months that will further accelerate what Zoom can do on Chrome and web.

Teachers hosting a Zoom class from a Chromebook can:

• Access the Security icon in the meeting controls to lock the meeting, enable the Waiting Room, and remove participants
• Share their entire screen or just a single application window
• Record the session to the cloud (if using a paid Zoom account)
• Create and assign Breakout Rooms
• Share audio with your screen shares (expected this summer)
• Use a whiteboard when sharing your screen (expected this fall)

Students using Zoom on Chromebooks can:

• View a teacher’s shared screen and share their own if enabled
• Use nonverbal feedback like Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down
• Raise their hand to ask a question
• Chat with the teacher
• Join Breakout Rooms created by the teacher

Students and other participants also still won’t have the Annotate option on shared screens.

Additional tips & resources

The new Zoom PWA requires the most recent Chrome browser and OS update — Chrome 91.x — to offer the full range of performance and feature upgrades. We strongly encourage users to update their Chrome OS for the best possible experience.

A few other tips for anyone using Zoom’s Chromebook app:

• Always upgrade to the latest version of Chrome OS for the best performance.
• Reduce the number of open tabs and apps to avoid spreading out your CPU usage.
• Avoid connecting multiple monitors to minimize CPU load constraints.
• For additional Chromebook support, access the Chromebook Help Center .

Check out or our Education blog for more tips and resources on using Zoom for teaching, learning, and connecting your educational community.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published April 23, 2020, and has been updated with the latest information about using Zoom on Chrome devices.

• You can easily zoom in and out on a Chromebook using one of a few different keyboard shortcuts.
• There are different methods to zoom in and out, however, so you can choose whichever one works best for your situation.
• These methods all include using the Chromebook’s Ctrl key.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Zooming in and out on a Chromebook is easy – you just have to know which of the many methods you can use will work best for your unique situation.

For example, you’ll have to consider whether you want to simply increase the size of everything on your screen, or just the text on a specific page.

Here’s a breakdown of the methods you can use to zoom in and out.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

HP 14″ Chromebook (From $US249 at Best Buy)

How to zoom in and out on a Chromebook

• Increase or decrease the size of a specific page: Press the “Ctrl” button and the plus or minus sign button to zoom in and out – you can also reset the zoom quickly by pressing “Ctrl” and “0.” As you zoom, you’ll see a notification with your current level of zoom, represented as a per cent, appear in the top-right corner of the page.
• Increase or decrease the size of everything on the screen: Press “Ctrl,” “Shift” and the plus sign to increase size, or the minus sign to decrease the size. Again, replacing the plus or minus with a “0” press will reset the screen.
• Magnify the entire screen: Here, everything will stay the same size, but you’ll zoom in closer. Press “Ctrl,” Search – the magnifying glass icon key located just above your “Shift” key – and “M.” You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to magnify the screen – hit “Continue” to do so, then navigate using your trackpad.

• Magnify part of the screen: Press “Ctrl,” Search and “D.” You’ll need to enable this by hitting “Continue” in the pop-up that appears. You’ll then see the part of the screen where your cursor hovers magnified at the top section of your screen.

• Increase or decrease the whole screen magnification: Press “Ctrl,” “Alt” and brightness up (or down) key – those are located between the mute and show all screens keys at the top of your keyboard. Keep in mind that this only works if you’ve already magnified the screen.

If you have a Chromebook with a touchscreen, you can also zoom in or out by using two fingers, as you would with any touchscreen smartphone.

Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:

How to rotate the screen on a Chromebook in 2 different ways

How to screen record on your Chromebook using a Chrome extension

How to copy and paste on a Chromebook in 4 different ways

How to change your background on a Chromebook, using its default photos or one of your own

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Can you use Zoom on your Chromebook? Will it work?

Yes. You can use Zoom on your Chromebook to take calls and to schedule calls. Everything works, except for the Virtual Backgrounds feature.

In this article, I will walk you through installing and setting up Zoom on your Chrome OS.

Can you install the Zoom app on your Chromebook?

Yes. Zoom has an official Progressive Web App (PWA) that you can install from the Google Play Store.

Install Zoom

You can install the official Zoom app from the Google Play Store here. Click Install and follow the prompts to install Zoom.

Zoom Chrome App

Head over to Chrome Web Store here and install the official Zoom app.

Click Add to Chrome to install the app.

Next, click Add app to confirm.

Google Chrome will now download Zoom and install it on your Chromebook. When the app is ready, click Launch app.

Launch the Zoom App/Client

You can launch the Zoom app using the Launch app button soon after installing it.

What if you want to open the app again?

Open the Chromebook launcher and click the Zoom app icon.

If you use the app regularly, you can pin the zoom desktop client to the taskbar. Open the app, and while it is open, right-click the icon and choose Pin.

Join a Zoom Meeting

You can use the Zoom app without logging in or creating an account. All you need is a meeting ID or a personal link name.

Enter the meeting ID, provide a screen name (the name that will appear on the meeting screen) and click Join.

Log into Zoom

If you already have a Zoom account, log in using your username and password. If you do not have an account yet, you can sign up for a new account now.

You can also sign in using your Facebook or Google account. To login using your company or school account, click Sign in with SSO.

Zoom Scheduler Extension

Zoom also has an official Chrome extension to schedule calls and meetings. You can install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.

What is the use of the Zoom Scheduler extension?

• Start an instant meeting
• Schedule a meeting
• Schedule a meeting for other

If you use Google calendar to schedule meetings, you can quickly add a Zoom meeting link using this extension.

Zoom Virtual Background on Chromebook

Virtual backgrounds can make your Zoom meetings exciting. However, this does not work on the Chromebook app.

To use the Zoom virtual background feature, you will have to use it on a PC or Mac. You can find more detail here.

Update: The Android version of the Zoom app now supports Virtual Backgrounds. If you are using the Android app on your Chromebook, update the app to the latest version to use this feature.

Zoom App Gallery View

While you are on a Zoom meeting, you’ll find the option to switch between Gallery View and Speaker View on the top-right corner.

You’ll see the option to switch to Speaker view in the same place.

You can also use the following keyboard shortcuts:

• Switch to Speaker view: CTRL + ALT + 1
• Switch to Gallery view: CTRL + ALT + 3

Zoom Keyboard Shortcuts on Chromebook

If you prefer using keyboard shortcuts while on a Zoom call, here is a list of them for your Chromebook:

Keyboard shortcuts for Zoom on Chromebook

View Participants

While you are in a meeting, click the Participants icon to view people who are attending your meeting.

Share Screen

To share screen during a Zoom call, click the Share icon on the toolbar at the bottom of your app’s screen.

If your host has not enabled screen sharing, you will see a notification:

If you see this message, request your host to enable screen sharing for participants. Here is a screenshot from the Android app running on another Chromebook:

Zoom App Settings

To access Zoom app settings on your Chromebook, click the gear icon on the top-right corner.

The Settings panel will open as a popup.

Summary

It is useful to install and use Zoom on your Chromebook if you need it for school or work.

If you are using it temporarily for a quick meeting, you could simply use the web version of Zoom. This way, you can attend a zoom meeting or call without installing the app.

I hope you found this guide useful. If you have questions, let me know in the comments section.

About Dinsan Francis

Content Strategist and Digital Minimalist. Loves testing new Chromebook features and writing about them. Favorite Chrome OS Channel is Canary. | Twitter | YouTube.

One of the most popular video-conferencing apps on the market, Zoom has seen a significant rise in user growth over the past few months. It can be installed on your smartphone or tablet and can even be used in your favorite browser. But what if a Chromebook is your laptop of choice? Zoom has now released an official app that works in the same way a native app would work on Mac or Windows. Here’s how to use Zoom on Chromebook.

Downloading the Zoom App

Using Zoom on your Chromebook is as easy as downloading an app.

1. The first thing you need to do is locate the Zoom app in the Google Chrome Store. Once you’ve located it, click “Add to Chrome.”

2. Go to the app launcher and click (or type in) Zoom so the application opens. The app launcher is easily located at the bottom-left of the screen with an icon of a dark circle surrounded by a ring of lighter circles around it.

3. Sign in to the app using your school, work, or personal login credentials.

4. You’ve done it. Zoom is now successfully installed on your Chromebook.

Having successfully completed these steps, you can immediately join or start a Zoom meeting. It’s a good idea to join a test meeting with a friend or family member first to make sure your camera and mic are working properly as well.

Downloading Zoom from the Play Store

If you’re already familiar with the Play Store Zoom app, consider mirroring that experience on a Chromebook. Fortunately, adding the application to your Chromebook is as easy as any other Android app installation.

1. Click on the Google Play Store app from your app launcher. Again, that is located at the very bottom left of your screen.

2. Type “Zoom” into the search bar that appears inside the Play Store application.

3. Locate the app “Zoom Cloud Meetings” and click Install.

4. Once the app is installed, click on “Open” or go back and locate the application via the Chromebook app launcher.

5. Whichever method you choose, you will see a familiar Android Zoom application.

6. You can now join a meeting, sign up, or sign in.

There is no question that for the full Zoom experience, the “native” application is a richer experience. The Play Store Zoom app is far more limited in its functionality. However, if all you want to do is video chat, the Play Store app works just fine.

Zoom Functionality on a Chromebook

Even as Zoom on a Chromebook won’t offer the complete functionality of a Mac or Windows application, it comes pretty close. There are a host of capabilities including:

• Joining audio or video meetings
• Managing participants
• Controlling screen share
• Using the in-meeting chat
• Inviting others to join a meeting
• Pinning a participant’s video
• Starting or stopping your video
• Switching to Gallery View

Most Chromebooks only come with a small amount of storage space. If you are planning to record a Zoom session, do make sure you have enough storage space on your Chromebook.

Related:

David is a freelance tech writer with over 15 years of experience in the tech industry. He loves all things Nintendo.

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2 comments

Zoom on Chromebook is terrible. Compared with the Windows version there are only 4 tiles coming up, the main controls are hard to find.
Supposed to be easy to use but I have used 8 other video conferencing programs and this is the worst

Peter is absolutly right,the app is so limited you cannot even save contacts.

Comments are closed.

Affiliate Disclosure: Make Tech Easier may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

While Chromebooks have their own selling points, they do come up short when compared to Windows and other such devices. This is because Chromebooks run on Google’s own ChromeOS. Unlike Microsoft Windows, Chrome OS is extremely lightweight and does not need much processing power. While you can run a number of apps on the Chrome OS including Zoom, there are some features that you will notice missing from the app.

One such feature is the ability to change your background in Zoom. In this article, we will cover the best workaround to get a working virtual background in Zoom on your Chromebook.

• Why can’t you use virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?
• Is there a workaround to use Zoom virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?
• What do you need to use virtual backgrounds on Zoom on Chromebook
• How to use virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?
  • Step 1: Download Visual Effects for Google Meet
  • Step 2: Create a Meeting on Google Meet
  • Step 3: Show Zoom windows during screen share
  • Step 4: Start a Zoom meeting
• How to change a virtual background on Zoom?

Why can’t you use virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?

Chromebooks pride themselves on being lightweight and quick. While the ChromeOS itself is quite light, that doesn’t mean that apps have to follow suit. The downside of Chromebooks is that they also ship with much lower specs than regular PCs. This means compromisation in terms of processing power.

Unsurprisingly, Zoom requires quite a lot of processing power; not just to run but specifically to use virtual backgrounds. Since Chromebooks ship with lesser CPU, Zoom has removed the virtual background function altogether.

Is there a workaround to use Zoom virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?

While technically Zoom does not have the function on Chromebook, there is a workaround that you can use to get virtual backgrounds on a Zoom meeting. Using this method requires you to run Google Meet simultaneously. Check out the guide below to learn how to use virtual backgrounds on a Zoom meeting on Chromebooks.

What do you need to use virtual backgrounds on Zoom on Chromebook

Here is a list of prerequisites that you need in order to use virtual backgrounds on a Zoom meeting on Chromebooks.

• Zoom app for Chromebook (Android app)
• Google Meet ID (Google ID)
• Visual Effects for Google Meet extension

How to use virtual backgrounds on Chromebook?

Here is how you can get virtual background on your Zoom meeting while using a Chromebook.

Step 1: Download Visual Effects for Google Meet

Visual Effects for Google Meet is a Google Chrome extension that lets you add effects to your Google Meet video call. As you probably know, Google Meet does not allow you to use virtual backgrounds. However, with ‘Visual Effects for Google Meet’, you can add all types of effects.

Visit the Google Chrome Webstore and locate ‘Visual Effects for Google Meet‘. Hit ‘Add to Chrome’ to download and install the extension on your browser.

Step 2: Create a Meeting on Google Meet

Now you need to create a new meeting using Google Meet. You do not need anyone else on the call; just you. Visit the Google Meet website and start a new meeting by going to New Meeting > Start an instant meeting.

You will notice a new white panel on the left side on the screen. Hover your mouse over the panel to view its contents.

Now scroll down to ‘Green Screen’ and click ‘Upload Background’. You can now locate the background that you would like to set. Check out this article to find some cool virtual backgrounds.

Once you have selected your background, click the ‘Green Screen’ button to activate it. You should see a tick appear within the box.

Step 3: Show Zoom windows during screen share

Next, you need to allow Zoom to show its own window when you share your screen. Previously, you could not share your Zoom window while screen sharing. This option must be enabled from the Zoom website.

Visit the Zoom website and log in with your credentials. Click ‘My Account’ in the top right corner.

Now go to Settings in the left side panel and then go to ‘In Meeting (Basic)’.

Scroll down to ‘Show Zoom windows during screen share’ and enable the setting. You also need to allow the ‘Screen sharing’ setting right below it.

Step 4: Start a Zoom meeting

Finally, it is time to start/join a Zoom meeting. You must have the Google Meet tab running in the background with the video on.

Now launch the Zoom app and log in with your credentials. Go ahead and join a meeting or start a new one. Once you do, you need to share your screen. To do that, click ‘Share Screen’ in the bottom panel. This will bring up a window will all the currently open apps and tabs on your system.

Choose the Google Meet tab and click ‘Share’.

That’s it! Zoom will use the feed from your Google Meet video which has the virtual background.

How to change a virtual background on Zoom?

If you followed the above method, you know that the virtual background is actually on Google Meet. So in order to change it, you will need to visit the Google Meet tab that is running.

Hover your mouse over the left side panel and scroll down to ‘Green Screen’. Now click ‘Upload Background’ and select the new background that you would like to apply.

We hope this article helped. If you have any queries, feel free to reach out to us in the comments below.

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  How to Zoom In and Out on a Chromebook

  While most of what you see on the web is sized correctly, you might come across the occasional site you want to view bigger. You also might be faced with aging eyes and need a size boost for everything. Whatever your situation is, it’s easy to make content bigger on your Chromebook!

  How To Zoom In and Out on One Page

  If there’s just one page you want bigger, you can zoom in by placing two fingers together on the trackpad, then moving those fingers apart. You can also press the Ctrl and + (plus) keys at the same time to zoom in

  Zoom back out by placing two fingers separated on the trackpad, then bringing them together. You can also press the Ctrl and – (minus) keys at the same time to zoom out.

  To reset a page to its default size, press Ctrl+0.

  How To Make Almost Everything Bigger

  You can also make the default size bigger for every website you visit. Clicking the time in the lower-right corner of your Chromebook and then select the “Settings” icon.

  On the Settings page, scroll down to the Appearance section and then click the “Page Zoom” drop-down. Select a percentage larger than 100% to make everything bigger.

  This will make every website, the Settings menu, and Android apps zoomed in by default. Unfortunately, this change does not affect Linux and Chrome Web Store apps. As an example, here’s the How-To Geek homepage with the zoom set to 100%:

  And here it is with the zoom at 150%:

  If you need to change this back to the default size, head back to the Appearance section in Settings and set page zoom to 100%.

  Once you change this setting on one Chromebook, it will remain the same if you ever sign into another Chromebook or Chromebox. Now, you won’t have to strain your eyes to read your favorite websites!

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