Zoom in on your screen during a presentation, live and on one hotkey
The thing you’re explaining is always the smallest thing on screen. Hold Ctrl+Win+G and SHARA enlarges it live, then lets go when you release. Four zoom modes, one hotkey, and Zoom, Teams, Meet and OBS show it like any other pixel when you share or record the entire screen.
Hold, show, release
- Pick a mode once.Choose Magnifier, Live Zoom, Spotlight dim or the 9:16 window in SHARA’s settings. The lens hotkey opens that mode from then on.
- Hold Ctrl+Win+G over the detail.Keep talking. The zoom follows your cursor.
- Adjust while it’s on.In Live Zoom, roll the mouse wheel to go closer and move the mouse to pan. For the Magnifier, set the zoom from the Magnifier slice of the Ctrl+Space Wheel or the docked toolbar with ↑ / ↓ or the mouse wheel.
- Release.The screen is back to normal, and the app’s own zoom and layout were never touched. Prefer tap on, tap off? Switch the lens trigger from Hold to Toggle.
Pick the moment, get the mode
Four modes solve four different problems. Choose what you’re about to show.
- Moment 1 · Clicking a tiny control in a busy interfacePRO
Magnifier
A picture-in-picture lens that follows your cursor. The detail under the pointer is enlarged while the rest of the screen stays at normal size, so viewers see the control and where it lives.
- Best for
- Toolbars, dropdowns, a VS Code side panel, one Excel cell.
- Skip it if
- You need to read a large block of text. Use Live Zoom.
- Adjust
- Ctrl+Space, Magnifier slice, then ↑ / ↓ or the mouse wheel.
- Reading more than one control? Zoom the whole screen. Live Zoom →
- Moment 2 · Reading code, logs or a spreadsheet regionPRO
Live Zoom
Full-screen zoom of the live display. Roll the mouse wheel to zoom in and out smoothly; move the mouse and the view pans. Videos, builds and 3D views keep running underneath.
- Best for
- Code, logs, long formulas, a region of a dashboard.
- Skip it if
- Viewers need to keep the whole layout in view. Use Magnifier.
- Adjust
- Mouse wheel zooms, mouse movement pans.
- Layout has to stay put? Dim around the cursor instead. Spotlight dim →
- Moment 3 · Pointing attention at one part of a slidePRO
Spotlight dim
Everything except the area around your cursor goes dark. Nothing changes scale, so the layout your audience knows stays put.
- Best for
- Busy slides, dashboards, a form where one field matters.
- Skip it if
- The thing is too small to read. Enlarge it with Magnifier.
- Adjust
- Move the cursor; the bright area follows.
- Going vertical for Shorts or Reels? Frame it in 9:16. 9:16 window →
- Moment 4 · Recording a demo for Shorts or ReelsPRO
9:16 Vertical Broadcast Window
A vertical 9:16 window that follows your cursor smoothly, so a widescreen desktop demo becomes a vertical shot for Shorts, Reels or a vertical stream.
- Best for
- Vertical clips and streams recorded from a normal monitor.
- Skip it if
- You’re presenting live in a widescreen call.
- Adjust
- Move the cursor; the frame follows it.
All four modes are in SHARA Pro. The lens hotkey opens whichever one you picked, so switching is a settings change, not a new shortcut to learn. Instructors lean on the Magnifier to zoom into small UI during software lessons, and creators use the 9:16 window to record vertical demos for Shorts and Reels.
Make the zoom fit how you present
- Active mode: which of the four the lens hotkey opens.
- Lens trigger: hold (default) or toggle.
- Zoom amount: from the Magnifier slice of the Wheel or the toolbar; Shift or Alt with the mouse wheel for fine steps.
- The hotkey: Ctrl+Win+G by default, or any chord you record. Every default is on the SHARA keyboard shortcuts page.
Screen zoom is Pro, and it’s unlocked in your trial
Every install starts with a 14-day Pro trial, so all four modes work from day one. After that, zoom needs Pro; the free tools keep working.
| For zooming while you present | SHARA Free | SHARA Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Magnifier, Live Zoom, Spotlight dim, 9:16 window | During the 14-day trial | ✓Included |
| Cursor halo and click flash | ✓Free forever | ✓Included |
| Laser, Pen, Arrow, Eraser, SHARA Wheel | ✓Free forever | ✓Included |
| Price | $0 | $19.99 once, no subscription |
Free forever tier. SHARA Pro is a $19.99 one-time lifetime license with a 14-day money-back guarantee, usable across your personal Windows devices via the Microsoft Store.
Install free and zoom through your next meeting with all four modes unlocked, then decide.
Windows Magnifier and ZoomIt already zoom. Here is where each fits.
Both are free Microsoft tools, and for occasional zooming they may be all you need.
| Windows Magnifier | ZoomIt | SHARA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Accessibility: reading your own screen | Presenters: zoom and draw in demos | Presenters and creators |
| Start and stop | Win++, then Win+Esc | Ctrl+1 zoom, Ctrl+4 LiveZoom | Hold Ctrl+Win+G, release |
| Views | Full screen, lens, docked | Zoom (still image) and LiveZoom | Magnifier, Live Zoom, Spotlight dim, 9:16 |
| Spotlight dim, 9:16 window | ✕No | ✕No | ✓Yes |
| Also does | Follows focus and text cursor | Drawing, typing, break timer, recording, screenshots | Cursor halo, click cues, pens, keystroke pill |
| Price | Free, built into Windows | Free (Sysinternals, also in PowerToys) | Zoom in Pro, $19.99 once |
Fair take. ZoomIt records; SHARA doesn’t, because it overlays. Both take screenshots. If you already use ZoomIt, keep it: the default hotkeys don’t clash. Add SHARA for the lens, the spotlight and the 9:16 window.
Share the whole screen and the zoom goes with it
- Zoom and Microsoft Teams: In Zoom or Teams, share your entire screen: a single-window share doesn’t capture SHARA’s overlay.
- Google Meet: present your entire screen.
- OBS Studio: Display Capture records every mode, including the 9:16 window for a vertical scene.
- Camtasia: the Recorder captures all overlays, full screen or region.
Overlays render on a system layer captured natively by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and OBS. Presenter Mode hides the Ctrl+Space Wheel from recordings. Share or record the entire screen and every zoom mode comes with it.
Where zoom does the heavy lifting
Shorts, Reels and tutorials
The 9:16 window turns a desktop demo into a vertical shot, no reframing in the editor.
See the recording setup TECHNICAL INSTRUCTORSDense software, small targets
Magnify the VS Code, PowerPoint or CAD control you’re clicking while students watch.
See the lesson setup ZOOM AND TEAMSDemos on a shared screen
Viewers on laptops can read what you point at.
See the call setup“Wonderful, clearly stands out from other applications with this functionality, due to the scope and variability. Thank you for your creativity.”
Microsoft Store review, Germany
Screen zoom questions
How do I zoom in on my screen during a presentation on Windows?
What’s the difference between Magnifier and Live Zoom?
Will people in Zoom or Teams see the zoom?
Can I tap once instead of holding the hotkey?
Is screen zoom free?
Make the small detail the big picture
A picture-in-picture Magnifier, Live Zoom, Spotlight dim and a 9:16 window on one hotkey, in a Windows overlay your call app captures when you share the entire screen. GPU-rendered with 1000 Hz input response.
Mashyo makes SHARA. Windows Magnifier, ZoomIt and PowerToys are Microsoft products; Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, OBS Studio and Camtasia belong to their owners. None is affiliated with SHARA. Last updated: October 16, 2026.