If you’re getting older like me, you might find that it’s harder to see what is on your computer screen than it used to be. Here are some tips to make using your Windows 10 or 11 machine easier and more comfortable with diminished sight.
Make Your Mouse Pointer Larger
If you’re always losing your mouse pointer on your screen, it might be too small to comfortably see. In these days with high-resolution monitors, why suffer with a tiny pointer when it’s easy to make it bigger?
On Windows 10, open Settings and navigate to Ease of Access > Cursor & Pointer. Use the “Change Pointer Size” slider to make your mouse cursor larger or smaller. You can also change the pointer’s color, which might make it easier to see as well.
On Windows 11, open Settings and navigate to Accessibility > Mouse Pointer and Touch. Use the “Size” slider to make your mouse pointer larger, and you can also choose a custom mouse pointer style just above that to change the color.
RELATED: How to Change the Mouse Pointer Color and Size on Windows 10
Make Your Mouse Pointer Easier to Find
Windows has a special location option that homes in on your mouse pointer with a circle if you press the Ctrl key. But you have to turn it on first.
In Windows 10 or 11, open the Start menu and search for “Mouse Settings.” When Settings opens, click “Additional Mouse Options.” In the “Mouse Properties” window, click the “Pointer Options” tab, then place a check mark beside “Show location of pointer when I press the CTRL key.”
Also, you can turn on mouse pointer trails in this same “Mouse Properties” window. To do so, place a check mark beside “Display Pointer Trails,” then use the slider to decide how long you want the trails to be. Trails make it much easier to see where the mouse pointer moves.
RELATED: How to Make Your Mouse Pointer Easier to See in Windows 10
Make Your Fonts Larger in Windows
If you’re finding it harder to read tiny fonts on your screen, it’s easy to make them larger system-wide. To do so, open Settings and select “Accessibility” in Windows 11 or “Ease of Access in Windows 10. In Windows 10, use the “Make it Bigger” slider. In Windows 11, click “Text Size” and use the “Text Size” slider to make fonts larger or smaller. Click “Apply” when you’re ready, and you’ll see the results immediately once your open windows refresh. You can come back and adjust the font size any time if you find them too large or too small.
RELATED: How to Change Font Size on Windows 11
Make Fonts Larger in Browsers
If you don’t want to make all your fonts larger in Windows, you can alternately just make them larger in your web browser by changing their default size (such as in Chrome), or on a site-by-site basis with the Zoom feature.
To make text larger quickly with the “Zoom” feature in your browser, click a browser window and hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard while you scroll your mouse wheel. Or you can use a special option in the address bar of Firefox or Chrome, or Edge.
RELATED: How to Make Text Bigger or Smaller in Google Chrome
Make Desktop or File Explorer Icons Larger
If you have trouble seeing icons on your desktop or in File Explorer, it’s easy to make them larger. In File Explorer on Windows 10 or 11, open a new window and click “View” in the menu bar, then select an icon size, such as “Large Icons,” or “Extra Large Icons.”
On the Desktop, you can quickly resize all icons by holding down the Ctrl key and scrolling your mouse wheel, making them much larger or much smaller. Or you can right-click the desktop, select “View,” and choose and icon size from the list.
And if all else fails, a good pair of reading glasses goes a long way. Good luck!
