How to Make Text Bigger on Your Computer (Windows 11, Windows 10 and Mac)

Squinting at your screen? Here are the quickest ways to make words bigger on a Windows or Mac computer, from a two-key shortcut to settings that enlarge everything.

By Steady Neighbor Editorial Team · Updated · 2-minute read

The short answer

Quickest: in your web browser, hold Ctrl and press + (on a Mac, hold Command and press +). To make text bigger everywhere on Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > Accessibility > Text size. On Windows 10: Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Display. On a Mac: Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Display > Text size.

The quickest fix: zoom in your web browser

This works on almost every website, in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari.

To do thisWindowsMac
Make everything biggerHold Ctrl, press +Hold Command, press +
Make it smallerHold Ctrl, press -Hold Command, press -
Back to normalHold Ctrl, press 0 (zero)Hold Command, press 0 (zero)

Press + several times to keep zooming. Your browser remembers the size for each website.

Windows 11: make text bigger everywhere

  1. Click Start, then Settings. (Shortcut: hold the Windows key and press U to jump straight to Accessibility.)
  2. Click Accessibility, then Text size.
  3. Drag the Text size slider to the right until the sample text is comfortable to read.
  4. Click Apply.
Illustration of the Windows 11 Settings app. Accessibility is selected in the list on the left, the page is called Text size, and it has a sample of text, a Text size slider marked 100% to 225%, and an Apply button. The slider and the Apply button are marked as the two things to use. Settings Home System Bluetooth & devices Network & internet Personalization Apps Accounts Time & language Gaming Accessibility Privacy & security Windows Update Accessibility › Text size Text size Makes the words bigger. Icons and buttons stay the same size. Sample text: make this comfortable to read. Text size 100% 225% 1 Apply 2
Illustration, not a screenshot. Drag the slider, then click Apply. Nothing changes until you click Apply.

Make everything bigger, not just text

If icons and buttons are too small as well, change the scale:

  1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Display.
  2. Next to Scale, choose a bigger number, for example 125% or 150%.

Windows 10: make text bigger everywhere

  1. Click Start, then Settings.
  2. Click Ease of Access, then Display.
  3. Drag the Make text bigger slider to the right, then click Apply.
  4. To enlarge everything, use the menu under Make everything bigger on the same page.
Illustration of the Windows 10 Settings app, Ease of Access section, Display page. It has a sample of text, a slider called Make text bigger with an Apply button, and below it a Make everything bigger menu. The slider and the Apply button are marked. Settings Display Mouse pointer Text cursor Magnifier Color filters High contrast Narrator Ease of Access › Display Make text bigger Sample text: make this comfortable to read. Make text bigger Smaller Larger 1 Apply 2 Make everything bigger Change the size of apps and text on the main display 125%
Illustration, not a screenshot. On Windows 10 these controls live under Ease of Access, not Accessibility.

Magnifier: a magnifying glass for your screen (Windows)

Magnifier enlarges whatever part of the screen you’re looking at. It’s built into Windows 10 and 11.

To do thisPress
Turn Magnifier on / zoom in moreWindows + +
Zoom outWindows + -
Turn Magnifier offWindows + Esc

Mac: make text bigger

  1. Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner, then System Settings.
  2. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then Display.
  3. Find Text size and drag the slider to the right.
The path to follow on a Mac: Apple menu, then System Settings, then Accessibility, then Display, then Text size. Apple menu System Settings Accessibility Display Text size
Illustration, not a screenshot. On macOS Monterey and earlier, the second step is called System Preferences instead of System Settings. Everything after that is the same.

In Mail and Messages, you can also hold Command and press + to make the text bigger.

Make the mouse pointer easier to see (Windows 11)

Go to Start > Settings > Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch. Choose a bigger size and a brighter color. On Windows 10, the same settings are under Ease of Access > Mouse pointer.

Still hard to see?

If you have low vision, our guide to using a computer with low vision covers contrast themes, a screen reader and helpful equipment.

From Steady Neighbor · https://steadyneighbor.com/computers/make-text-bigger/

Sources we used

About the author

Steady Neighbor Editorial Team: We write plain-English guides for older adults and the families who help them. Every step is checked against the official instructions from Microsoft, Apple and U.S. government agencies before a guide is published, and we link to the sources we used. How we write and check our guides.