How to use the Magnifier app on Mac to zoom in on things

Find out how to use the new Magnifier app in macOS Tahoe to zoom in on small text on objects, things in your surroundings, or your face when applying makeup, plucking eyebrows, or putting on contact lenses.

iPhone and iPad have had a Magnifier app for half a decade now. macOS Tahoe 26 adds the same app with the identical app icon to Mac desktops and MacBooks.

Fundamentally, the Magnifier app on both iOS and macOS serves as a digital magnifying glass, though the one on Pro iPhone and iPad models can use the Lidar sensor to detect people and doors.

What the new Magnifier app can do on Mac

You can:

• See a live camera feed and zoom in on it
• Take a picture and zoom in on it
• Use themes, filters, and other handy tools to better see the live camera feed or the picture
• Listen to the text after taking a picture or just by pointing the camera around the object

Use Magnifier on Mac

1) Open the Magnifier app on your Mac running the latest version of macOS Tahoe 26.

2) Click Camera in the top menu bar and select an available webcam, such as your MacBook’s internal camera. You can also use your iPhone as a webcam.

3) You’ll now see a live camera feed. Unless you’re using this to apply makeup or view a stable item like a whiteboard, the live camera feed may be too shaky. In this case, it makes more sense to take a picture using the shutter button and select it to read the contents.

4) Use the minus-plus slider at the top to zoom in on the live camera feed or the picture you took. Once you have zoomed in on your live camera feed or photo, use the three-finger drag to move around and focus on just the specific part you want.

Other things you can do

Here are some quick things you should know about before you take the Magnifier app for a spin:

• Use the show detected text icon to see text in the live camera feed or a photo.

• You can also listen to text, adjust its playback speed, and click the sidebar icon in reader mode to change the theme, color, font, spacing, and more.

• Use the sidebar icon to straighten the view, change the contrast and brightness, or apply filters. These can help you view text and other things more clearly. You can also save these preferences as your default settings, so you don’t have to adjust them every time.

• Click File > New in the top menu bar to open a new window. I was even able to have the connected webcam work in one window and my iPhone camera as a webcam in another (see screenshot below). The File menu also lets you save images, open existing ones, and more.

What do you think of this new app? Will you be using it?

Also, check out: 15 new things to try in macOS Tahoe 26

Source link: https://www.idownloadblog.com/2026/03/31/magnifier-app-mac/