How to Zoom Out in Teams: Quick View Adjustment Trick

I spent 10 minutes yesterday trying to figure out why my Teams screen looked like a magnifying glass. Turns out the zoom feature had been accidentally triggered during a call.

Here’s the thing—it’s not immediately obvious where to find the zoom controls in Teams. The setting hides in plain sight, and there are three different ways to adjust it depending on your device and preferences.

You’ll get back to normal view in under 5 seconds once you know where to look. No restarting the app, no digging through settings menus, just a quick adjustment that works every time.

Works on Windows, macOS, and even the web version. Between you and me, I wish I’d known this during my first week at Microsoft.

What Youll Need

Instructions

This takes seconds and works across desktop and web versions of the platform.

During a meeting or call, locate the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the screen. This is the More actions button, which expands to reveal additional controls. The icon appears as a horizontal ellipsis.

Click it to open the dropdown. If you’re using the web version, ensure the meeting window is in focus first—otherwise the menu might not appear. The option you need is always near the top of this list.

From the dropdown, choose Large gallery. This automatically adjusts the layout to show up to 49 participants on screen at once, effectively zooming out the view. The transition is instant.

If you don’t see this option, your meeting might have fewer than 10 participants. In that case, the standard Gallery view (which shows up to 9 participants) will be available instead. Either option achieves the zoom-out effect.

For finer control, hover over a participant’s video feed. You’ll see a Pin icon appear. Right-click the feed and select Spotlight to temporarily prioritize it, but this doesn’t affect zoom—use it only if you need to focus on a presenter.

To revert to a closer view, return to the three-dot menu and select Gallery view or Together mode (if enabled). The system remembers your last preference for future meetings.

Press Ctrl + Shift + O to toggle between Gallery view and Large gallery instantly. This shortcut works in both Windows and macOS versions. No need to navigate menus—just hold the keys for a split second.

If the shortcut doesn’t respond, check that the meeting window is active. Some browser extensions can interfere with keyboard inputs, so test in an incognito window if issues persist.

After adjusting, confirm the view shows more participants or a wider field. In Large gallery, the video feeds shrink slightly to fit the grid. If the change isn’t visible, refresh the meeting window or restart the app.

The zoom level resets when you leave and rejoin the meeting. Bookmark the shortcut or menu path for next time—it’s the fastest way to readjust without fumbling through settings.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These quick adjustments will save you time and frustration during your next call.

Menu Navigation: In Step 1, if the three-dot menu doesn’t appear immediately, try clicking elsewhere in the window first to ensure it has focus. I’ve found this works especially well in browser versions where multiple tabs can steal focus. The horizontal ellipsis icon is small but always in the top-right corner.

View Selection: For Step 2, remember that Large gallery won’t appear if you have fewer than 10 participants. In this case, Gallery view is your best option and will still give you that zoomed-out effect. The transition between views is instant, so don’t be afraid to try both to see which works better for your meeting size.

Keyboard Shortcut: The Ctrl+Shift+O shortcut in Step 4 is a game-changer once you get the hang of it. If it doesn’t work, double-check that you’re pressing all three keys simultaneously. Some keyboard layouts might require slight variations, so test it in a blank document first to troubleshoot.

Verification Step: In Step 5, if the zoom level doesn’t seem to change after selecting Large gallery, don’t panic. The video feeds do shrink slightly to accommodate more participants, but the difference can be subtle. Compare the number of visible participants before and after to confirm it worked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mastering the zoom-out feature in Microsoft Teams is a game-changer for better visibility during meetings or screen sharing. Now that you know how, try it out in your next call! 💡 If you found this trick helpful, explore more Teams shortcuts to boost your productivity even further.