How to zoom in on a screen recording.
A screen recording shows the whole screen, so small text and buttons are hard to see, especially on a phone. Zooming in on the part that matters fixes that. Here are the three ways to do it, from most work to least.
The short answer
You can zoom while recording with your system magnifier, add zoom keyframes afterwards in a video editor, or use a screen recorder that zooms in on every click by itself, like Zoomingscreen. The last one takes no editing: record, stop, and the zooms are already placed.
Way 1: zoom while you record
Both Windows and macOS have a built in magnifier. On Windows, press the Windows key and the plus key to open Magnifier. On a Mac, turn on zoom in System Settings, under Accessibility, then zoom with the keyboard shortcut or by holding a key and scrolling.
This works with any recorder, but you have to zoom in and out by hand while you talk and click, and the movement is usually jerky. It is fine for a quick one off, not for a video people will watch on your website.
Way 2: add zoom keyframes in a video editor
Most video editors, like CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro or iMovie, can zoom by scaling the clip between two keyframes. Put a keyframe where the zoom should start, another a moment later at a bigger scale centered on the spot, and two more to zoom back out.
The result can look great, but it is slow: a two minute recording with fifteen clicks means about sixty keyframes, each placed and aimed by hand.
Way 3: let the recorder zoom for you
Some screen recorders note where you click while you record and place the zooms for you. Zoomingscreen is one of them. It eases in toward each click, follows text as you type, glides between clicks that are close together, and never zooms so far that text turns blurry.
You still have control: every zoom is a block on a timeline you can move, aim, resize or delete. The steps for this way are below.
Tips for zooms that look good
A few rules of thumb from making a lot of demo videos.
- Zoom to between 1.3x and 2x. More than that and the viewer loses their place.
- Start zooming a moment before the click, so the zoom is in place when it happens.
- Keep clicks that are close together in one zoom, instead of zooming out and back in.
- Leave the mouse still for a second after an important click, so viewers can read.
- Record at a high resolution, so zoomed in parts stay sharp.
Step by step
Install a recorder that zooms on clicks
Add the Zoomingscreen Chrome extension to record a website, or get the desktop app for Windows, macOS or Linux to record any app.
Record your screen
Press Start recording and use your product as normal. Click on the things you want viewers to see.
Stop and check the zooms
When you stop, the editor opens with a zoom on each click. Play it back to see where the camera moves.
Adjust any zoom
Drag a zoom on the timeline to move it, drag its ends to make it longer or shorter, or drag the box over the picture to aim it. Press Z to add a zoom of your own.
Export the video
Pick a shape and quality and export an MP4, WebM or GIF.
Questions.
How do I zoom in on a screen recording on Windows?
Use a recorder that zooms on clicks, like the Zoomingscreen desktop app for Windows, or zoom while recording with Magnifier (Windows key and plus), or add zoom keyframes in a video editor afterwards.
How do I zoom in on a screen recording on a Mac?
Turn on zoom in System Settings under Accessibility to zoom while recording, add zoom keyframes in iMovie or another editor afterwards, or use a recorder that zooms on clicks by itself, like Zoomingscreen for macOS.
Can I zoom in on a screen recording after recording?
Yes. In a video editor, scale the clip between keyframes. In Zoomingscreen, the zooms are added after you record, so you can move, aim or add zooms any time before exporting.
Is there a free way to zoom in on a screen recording?
Your system magnifier and free editors like DaVinci Resolve cost nothing. Zoomingscreen is free to record and edit, with 2 days of exports on a free account, then $14.99 a month or $49.99 once.
Does zooming in make the video blurry?
It can if you zoom far into a low resolution recording. Keep zooms under about 2x and export at 1080p or higher.