How to Adjust Text Size in Google Chrome Browser

Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2009/05/06 - Updated: 2026/01/19
Publication Type: Instructive / Helpful
Category Topic: Website - Related Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates

Synopsis: This guide provides practical instructions for adjusting text size in the Google Chrome browser using both keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls. The information proves particularly valuable for users with visual impairments, older adults experiencing age-related vision changes, and anyone who needs to customize their browsing experience for enhanced readability. Written by accessibility advocates with direct experience in disability issues, the tutorial breaks down simple methods such as using Ctrl+ and Ctrl- keyboard combinations or accessing Chrome's built-in text zoom menu options, making web content more accessible to millions of users who struggle with default font sizes on websites - Disabled World (DW).

Introduction

Guide to using keyboard shortcuts to increase or decrease the web page text size when using the Google Chrome browser.

Main Content

Adjusting the Font Size in the Google Chrome Browser

The following options and keyboard shortcuts let you increase or decrease the text size when using the Google Chrome browser

Depending on the webpage, zooming in or zooming out may affect the webpage's layout, causing inadvertent affects. Also, there are some limits to how large or small you can adjust the text size.

Using the mouse to adjust text size:

a) Click the "Control the current page" button.

b) Select "Text Zoom".

c) Select "Larger" or "Smaller", or "Normal" to make text the default size.

Using your keyboard to adjust text size:

a) To make the web page text size larger: Ctrl + + on the numeric keypad (hold down Ctrl and press +), or Ctrl + = on the main keyboard

b) To decrease the text size: Ctrl + -

c) To return to the default font size press Ctrl + 0

Changing Text Size in Other Web Browsers:

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: While Chrome has evolved significantly since this guide's original publication, the fundamental keyboard shortcuts remain unchanged, a testament to Google's commitment to maintaining consistent accessibility features across browser versions. What started as a basic accommodation has become standard practice in modern web design, yet many users still don't realize these simple adjustments exist. The real power here isn't just in making text bigger - it's in giving people control over their own digital experience, something that shouldn't require technical expertise or specialized software. As websites continue to prioritize aesthetic minimalism with increasingly smaller default fonts, knowing these shortcuts becomes less about preference and more about necessity for comfortable, sustainable browsing - Disabled World (DW).

Ian C. Langtree Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.