How to Make Text Larger on Your Computer, Phone and Browser

If you find yourself leaning toward the screen to read, you don't need a bigger monitor. Windows, your web browser and your phone all have built-in settings that make text larger. Start with the first method below: it changes only the text, so everything else stays where you're used to it.

1. Make Just the Text Bigger in Windows

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This setting enlarges text across Windows, including title bars, menus and icon labels, without changing the size of pictures or windows.

1. Press the Windows logo key + U, or select Start > Settings > Accessibility.
2. Select Text size.
3. Drag the Text size slider to the right until the preview text is comfortable to read.
4. Select Apply.

Windows 10: press the Windows key + U to open Ease of Access settings. On the Display page, drag the slider under Make text bigger to the right, then select Apply.

Expected result: text in menus, title bars and Settings gets bigger. Microsoft notes that most things change straight away, but some apps only pick up the change after you sign out and back in.

2. Make Everything Bigger With Scale

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If buttons and icons feel small too, change the scale. This enlarges text, apps and images together.

1. Select Start > Settings > System > Display.
2. If you have more than one screen, select the one you want to change.
3. Under Scale & layout, open the Scale list and pick a larger percentage.

Windows 10: go to Start > Settings > System > Display, scroll to Scale and layout, and choose an option under Change the size of text, apps, and other items.

Microsoft says the option marked (Recommended) is usually the best choice, so if things look too big afterwards, go back to that one.

Expected result: everything on the screen, not just the words, looks larger.

3. Change the Screen Resolution Only If You Need To

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A lower screen resolution also makes everything look bigger, but it's usually not the best way to do it. Microsoft notes that when a monitor runs below its native resolution, text won't look as sharp, and the picture can look small, centered, edged with black or stretched. Try text size or scale first.

If you do want to check it, go to Settings > System > Display and look at Display resolution. Microsoft recommends keeping the resolution marked (Recommended).

Expected result: the resolution shows the (Recommended) option, and text is sharp rather than fuzzy.

4. Zoom In on Part of the Screen With Magnifier

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Magnifier is useful when you only need a closer look now and then, such as reading small print in a form or a photo.

1. Press the Windows logo key + Plus sign (+) to turn on Magnifier.
2. Keep pressing Windows logo key + Plus sign (+) to zoom in further, or Windows logo key + Minus sign (-) to zoom out.
3. Press Windows logo key + Esc to turn Magnifier off.

Expected result: words, images and controls on the screen look bigger, and the screen goes back to normal when you close Magnifier.

5. Make Web Pages Bigger in Chrome and Edge

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Browser zoom affects only the browser, so it's handy when websites are the main problem.

Zoom the Page You're On

• Press Ctrl and + to make everything on the page larger, or Ctrl and - to make it smaller.
• In Microsoft Edge, Ctrl + 0 (zero) resets the page to its normal size.
• In Chrome, you can also select More (the three dots at the top right) and use the buttons next to Zoom.

Make Every Page Bigger in Chrome

1. Select More > Settings > Appearance.
2. Next to Page zoom, choose a larger zoom level for all pages.
3. To change only the text, choose a size next to Font size. For more choices, select Customize fonts.

Make Text Bigger in Microsoft Edge

1. Select Settings and more (the three dots) > Settings > Appearance.
2. Select Fonts, then choose a larger size from the Font size list.

Expected result: websites open with larger text without you having to zoom each one.

6. Make Text Larger on Your Phone or Tablet

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iPhone and iPad:

1. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and drag the slider.
2. For even bigger text, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text, then drag the slider.

Android: open the Settings app, search for Font size and move the slider. To make everything bigger, search for Display size instead. Google notes that the font size setting doesn't apply to some apps, and that some steps work only on Android 13 and up.

Expected result: text in Settings and in most apps looks bigger.

Still Too Small? What to Try Next

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• One app didn't change: sign out of Windows and back in. If it's a website, use browser zoom (section 5) for that site.
• Text looks blurry after a change: go back to the (Recommended) resolution and scale in Settings > System > Display.
• Resolution changes on its own: Microsoft says your graphics driver might need to be updated. Check Windows Update, or see our guide to updating your graphics driver.
• Reset Chrome's zoom for one site: select More > Settings > Privacy and security > Site settings > Additional content settings > Zoom levels, then select the X next to the site.