How to enlarge the font on Windows and macOS

How to enlarge a font on Windows

Using a utility (for any version of Windows except XP)

Using standard Windows font customization tools is not always possible to achieve the desired result. While in most versions of the OS you can only change the scale of the interface as a whole, third-party software allows you to customize the font of different elements of the system separately.

Using the System Font Size Changer utility, you can enlarge the text in the title bar, main menu, message box, palette title, icon label, and tooltip (tooltip). To adjust each of these elements, the program has corresponding sliders.

How to enlarge a font on a Windows computer

The Export button is used to save the System Font Size Changer settings in a separate file. If, after a crash or reinstallation of the system, the text returns to the standard state, you can restore the specified sizes thanks to this file. To do this, just open it in Explorer and agree to change the Windows registry.

System Font Size Changer →

Using standard settings

If you do not want to install third-party programs, you can always get by with the standard scaling settings.

On Windows 10

Right-click on the desktop and select Display Settings. In the window that appears, expand the "Resize text, applications and other items" list and select any of the available zoom options. If none of them work, click Custom Scaling, enter a new size (100 to 500%) in the box, and apply the changes.

The scale of some design elements will change only after a system reboot.

On Windows 8

Right click on the desktop and select "Screen Resolution". In the next window, click "Resize text and other items." Then adjust the overall scale of all items using the slider (or selectors if not present), or adjust only the text size of the selected items using the drop-down list. When done, click Apply.

On Windows 7

Go to Start → Control Panel → Appearance and Personalization → Display and select any of the proposed scaling options. If none of them works, on the left panel, click "Other font size", specify the desired magnification factor and click OK.

In Windows Vista

Right click on the desktop and select "Personalize". In the left pane of the window that opens, click "Change font size". Then select a zoom option and click OK. If the proposed options do not suit you, click "Custom scale" and set the appropriate value.

On Windows XP

Right-click on the desktop and select Properties → Appearance. In the "Font size" list, specify the desired enlargement option and click OK.

How to enlarge the font on macOS

You can enlarge everything on the macOS screen by changing its resolution. To do this, open the Apple menu, go to System Preferences → Displays, and check the box next to Scaled. Then select a lower resolution and confirm the changes.

How to enlarge a font on a macOS computer

If you have a Retina display, you will see options for scaling text instead of resolution in the Displays menu. In this case, choose the appropriate one.

You can also resize text only for specific interface elements. To customize the font for the icons on the desktop, minimize all applications, click View → Show View Options and select a size from the Text list.

To change the font size for icons in the Finder, do the same with an open Finder window on your screen.

To resize text and other items in the sidebars, open the Apple menu and go to System Preferences → General. Choose Large from the Side Menu Icon Size list.