Windows · Accessibility
Increase text size across Windows
Text size lets you enlarge text in most Windows apps and menus independently of overall display scaling, making content easier to read without shrinking the layout of everything else.
How to open Text Size
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Text size
- Drag the slider and review the live preview
- Select Apply to update text across supported apps
What you should know
- Drag a slider to preview and apply larger text in real time
- Applies to File Explorer, Settings, and many built-in apps
- Works independently from display scaling and resolution
- Reverts easily by moving the slider back to the default position
Why it matters
Many users find default text sizes too small to read comfortably, especially on high-resolution or small-format displays, and increasing text size is one of the simplest accessibility improvements available. Unlike full display scaling, which enlarges everything including icons and spacing, text size targeting keeps layouts compact while making words easier to read. This is particularly valuable for users with mild vision impairment who don't need a full magnifier. It's also a quick fix for glare-heavy or low-quality monitors where small fonts blur together.
Best practices
- Use the live preview pane to find a comfortable size before applying
- Combine with display scaling if text size alone isn't enough
- Reset to default if an app's layout breaks with larger text
- Revisit this setting after connecting a new or different-sized monitor
Common problems and fixes
- Increasing text size doesn't affect all apps
- Text size only affects apps that support the accessibility text API; some third-party apps use display scaling instead.
- Text looks blurry after increasing size
- Sign out and back in, or restart the app, so it can redraw at the new text size.
- Layout elements overlap after enlarging text
- Reduce the text size slightly or use display scaling instead for that specific app.
Tips and tricks
- Use Ctrl+Scroll wheel within many apps for a quick temporary zoom instead
- Check the live preview text sample before committing to a size
Frequently asked questions
Does this change my screen resolution?
No, it only enlarges text rendering, leaving resolution and most spacing unchanged.
Is this different from display scaling?
Yes, display scaling enlarges everything uniformly, while text size targets only text.
Will this affect all installed apps?
Only apps built with modern Windows UI frameworks respond to this setting; some legacy apps won't change.
Related settings
- AccessibilityAccessibility settings (renamed from Ease of Access in earlier Windows versions) bring together vision, hearing, and interaction tools like Magnifier, Narrator, high contrast themes, live captions, and Sticky Keys. These features are designed to make Windows usable regardless of visual, auditory, or mobility needs, but many are genuinely useful for anyone.
- Display SettingsDisplay settings allow you to adjust screen resolution, brightness, scaling, and multiple monitor configurations. Proper display configuration improves visual clarity and productivity.
- Visual EffectsVisual effects settings let you turn off animations, transparency, and auto-hiding scroll bars to create a simpler, calmer, and more predictable interface.
More Accessibility guides for Windows
- Language & RegionLanguage & Region settings let you configure your display language, keyboard layouts, regional date/time formats, and add additional languages for typing and speech.
- Voice TypingVoice Typing lets you dictate text directly into any text field using your PC's microphone instead of a physical keyboard, powered by online speech recognition. Triggered with Win+H, it includes automatic punctuation, voice commands for corrections, and support for multiple dictation languages.
- NarratorNarrator is the screen reader built into Windows 11 that reads aloud on-screen text, describes buttons and controls, and lets you operate the entire system with the keyboard or touch instead of a mouse.
- Contrast ThemesContrast themes apply high-contrast color combinations across Windows and apps, making text and UI elements easier to distinguish for people with low vision or light sensitivity.
- Text CursorText cursor settings let you change the color, size, and indicator of the blinking cursor that appears when typing, making it easier to locate on screen.
- Mouse Pointer and TouchThis page controls the size, color, and style of the mouse pointer and touch indicator, making them easier to see and track across the screen.