Do I still need -webkit-zoom-in?

Only for very old browsers: Chrome before 37, Safari before 9. Firefox before 24 used -moz-zoom-in. Current browsers accept plain zoom-in.

Should a lightbox thumbnail use zoom-in or pointer?

zoom-in, if clicking makes the image bigger on the same page. It tells people what will happen, which pointer does not.

Does zoom-in zoom the page?

No. It only changes the cursor. Your code does the zooming.

cursor: zoom-in in CSS: the magnifier with a plus

cursor: zoom-in; Move your mouse over this box Cursors only appear with a mouse or trackpad. Open this page on a computer to see this one.

This is the cursor your browser and system draw for zoom-in.

What it shows

A magnifier with a plus sign. Windows has no system role for it, so Chrome, Edge and Firefox draw their own. On macOS 15 and later Chrome uses the system zoom-in cursor; before that it uses its own image.

Usage

When to use it

Use it for

Thumbnails that open a larger view or a lightbox.
Product photos with click-to-zoom.
Charts and diagrams where a click zooms into the area under the pointer.

Avoid it for

Links that go to another page, even if the page shows a bigger image. Keep the hand.
Images that do nothing when clicked, just because they are photos.

Code

Copy the snippet

CSS

.zoomable { cursor: zoom-in; }
.zoomable.is-open { cursor: zoom-out; }

HTML

<div class="zoomable" role="img" aria-label="Product photo">Product photo</div>

Support

Browsers and systems

Browser support for zoom-in
Browser	Support
Chrome	37
Edge	12
Firefox	24
Safari	9
Safari on iOS	no
Chrome on Android	37

The matching operating system cursor
System	Matching cursor
Windows role	none (browser-supplied)
Windows file	`none`
macOS	Zoom in (macOS 15+)

Watch out

Gotchas

Switch to zoom-out on the enlarged image so people know a second click shrinks it again.
Windows has no zoom cursor role, so a Windows cursor scheme cannot restyle it.
The lightbox needs keyboard support too: Enter to open, Escape to close.

FAQ

Questions

Do I still need -webkit-zoom-in?: Only for very old browsers: Chrome before 37, Safari before 9. Firefox before 24 used -moz-zoom-in. Current browsers accept plain zoom-in.
Should a lightbox thumbnail use zoom-in or pointer?: zoom-in, if clicking makes the image bigger on the same page. It tells people what will happen, which pointer does not.
Does zoom-in zoom the page?: No. It only changes the cursor. Your code does the zooming.

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