Magnifier Lens

WHAT IT DOES

Magnifier Lens is a browser extension that adds a floating magnifying glass that follows your mouse cursor, zooming in on the content beneath it. This tool helps users with visual impairments, low vision, or anyone who needs to read small text or examine fine details on a webpage. You can customize the zoom level from 1.5x to 5x, choose between small, medium, or large lens sizes, and select a circle or square lens shape. The tool can be toggled on or off at any time, and all settings are saved per website. The lens follows the mouse smoothly and provides a clear magnified view of the page content.

WHERE IT RUNS

Magnifier Lens runs on any webpage, overlaying a floating panel that does not interfere with page content. It operates entirely in your browser as a lightweight userscript, using CSS transforms and canvas rendering for magnification. It works on any page, whether static or dynamic, with no external dependencies. All settings are stored locally using GM_setValue—no data is ever sent to any server.

HOW TO USE

After installation, open the floating panel by clicking the extension icon. The panel shows the current status (Enabled or Disabled) and a toggle button to enable or disable the magnifier. Use the "Zoom" slider to adjust the magnification level from 1.5x to 5x. Select the lens size from the dropdown: Small, Medium, or Large. Select the lens shape from the dropdown: Circle or Square. Once enabled, move your mouse over any part of the page to see the magnified content inside the lens. The lens follows your cursor smoothly and displays the content beneath it at the selected zoom level. All settings are saved per website, so your preferences persist across visits.

REAL MECHANISM — WHY THIS WORKS

Most magnifier tools require system-level accessibility features or separate applications that affect all windows. Magnifier Lens uses a CSS-based approach that creates a floating lens element that follows the mouse cursor. The tool creates a div element positioned fixed on the page with pointer-events: none so it doesn't interfere with clicking or interacting with page content. The lens uses a combination of CSS transform and a canvas element to display the magnified content. The canvas captures the page content beneath the cursor using drawImage with the viewport region, scaling it up by the zoom factor. The lens shape is controlled by border-radius (circle) or no border-radius (square). The size is controlled by the width and height of the lens element. The lens updates its position on every mousemove event, and the canvas is redrawn to reflect the current cursor position. This approach ensures smooth, responsive, and fully private magnification without requiring any external services or network access.

THE PANEL

The floating panel is fully draggable and remembers its position per site, snapping to the edges of the viewport when dragged near them. You can collapse the panel to a small icon to minimize screen distraction and expand it back with a single click. The panel is resizable from the bottom-right corner, giving you more space to view controls. Press the Escape key to close the panel instantly. The panel remains open across page navigation within the same domain, maintaining your current view state. All preferences—panel position, enabled state, zoom level, lens size, and lens shape—are saved per domain for a seamless experience.

PLEASE NOTE

Magnifier Lens requires the free BotGentz extension to be installed and enabled, as it relies on the cross-extension messaging API provided by BotGentz for DOM access permissions. The magnifier works on most page content but may have limited effect on canvas elements, videos, or iframes. The lens may not follow the cursor on pages with complex scrolling or fixed elements. The canvas-based rendering captures the viewport content; areas outside the viewport may not be magnified. All settings are stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue. No page content, cursor data, or usage information is ever sent to any server. The extension does not read, store, or transmit any personal information. It only provides a visual magnifier at your request.