To make the font bigger on iPhone with iOS 27, open Settings > Appearance > Text Size and move the slider right. For additional sizes, open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text, turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes, and increase the slider. These settings enlarge supported text, while individual apps can have different size limits.
The short version
- Start here: Increase the slider under Settings > Appearance > Text Size on iOS 27.
- Go bigger: Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes for additional text sizes in supported apps.
- Change one app: Use Per-App Settings to adjust an app separately.
- Enlarge more: Use Display Zoom for interface elements or Zoom to magnify the screen.
| Option | What it changes | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Text Size | System and supported app text | Your first adjustment |
| Larger Accessibility Sizes | Supported text beyond standard sizes | The regular slider is insufficient |
| Control Center | Adjustable text size | Quick access to the slider |
| Per-App Settings | Individual app or Home Screen text | You want separate sizes |
| Display Zoom | Text and interface elements | You want more of the interface enlarged |
| Bold Text | Letter weight | You want heavier lettering |
| Accessibility Zoom | Screen magnification | An app does not resize its fonts |
| Zoom Controller or keyboard | How you operate magnification | You prefer alternative controls |
| Accessibility Shortcut | Button access to magnification | You want a physical shortcut |
| Back Tap | Access to the configured shortcut | You prefer tapping the phone’s back |
| Action Button | Access to an accessibility feature | Your iPhone has this button |
| Hover Text | Text under a pointer | You use a mouse or trackpad |
| Hover Typing | A preview of text you type | You need larger typing feedback |
| Accessibility Reader | Readable app content | You want a separate reading view |
| Safari Page Zoom | Website content | A webpage needs enlarging |
| Safari Reader | Article presentation | You want a simplified reading surface |
| Touch gestures | Content in supported Safari and Photos views | You need temporary magnification |
| Books reading controls | Text in adjustable books | You read in Apple Books |
| News story controls | Supported channel stories | You read in Apple News |
| News+ issue controls | Adjustable stories or PDF pages | You read magazine issues |
| Stocks story controls | Supported news stories | You read business news |
| Chrome Zoom text... | Website content | You read webpages in Chrome |
| Kindle reading controls | Text in supported books | You read in Kindle |
| Subtitles & Captioning | Captions in compatible video apps | Video captions are too small |
| Live Captions | Live transcription text | You use live transcription |
| Magnifier | Physical writing viewed through the camera | You need to read printed text |
| Quick Start accessibility options | Reading settings during setup | You are setting up your iPhone |
| Administrator configuration | Accessibility settings on a managed iPhone | You need your organization’s help |
Increase the main text size
On iOS 27, open Settings > Appearance > Text Size. Drag the slider right to increase the font size. This changes system interfaces and apps that support Dynamic Type, Apple’s adjustable text system.
On iOS 26, open Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and increase the slider. If the standard range is still too small, use the accessibility controls next.
Enable larger text and heavier letters
Open Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text. Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes, then move the slider toward a larger size. Supported Apple and third-party apps can use these sizes, although their maximum sizes can differ.
For heavier lettering, turn on Bold Text under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. On iOS 27, you can also open Settings > Appearance and turn on Bold Text. This increases text weight without increasing font size.
If an app’s text stays small, try its own reading controls when available. Accessibility Zoom can also magnify content where the app does not resize its fonts.
Adjust text quickly or change just one app
Open Control Center, tap Text Size, and increase the slider for supported text. To add the control, tap the Add button, choose Add a Control, then select Text Size.
For a separate size in an individual app, open Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings > Add App. Choose the app, then tap its added entry to access its text-size settings. The result depends on the app’s support for text scaling.
You can adjust Home Screen and App Library text through the same route. Choose Home Screen & App Library when adding an entry, then tap that entry to access its settings.
Enlarge the interface with Display Zoom
On iOS 27 models offering Display Zoom, open Settings > Appearance > Display Zoom. Select Larger Text, tap Done, then tap Use Zoomed. This enlarges interface elements as well as text.
On iOS 26, open Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom. Select Larger Text, tap Done, then tap Use Zoomed. If your model does not offer this option, use text-size controls for supported text or accessibility Zoom for screen magnification.
Make webpages larger in Safari or Chrome
In Safari on iOS 27, open the webpage and tap the Page Menu button beside the search field. Select Page Zoom, then tap the larger A. When iPhone Duo is open, use Zoom In instead.
In Safari on iOS 26, open the webpage and tap the Page Menu button beside the search field, then tap the larger A directly. For a simplified reading surface on a supported article in Safari, tap Page Menu > Show Reader.
In Chrome, open the webpage and tap More > Zoom text.... Tap Zoom in to enlarge the page. These browser controls affect webpage content rather than all text on your iPhone.
For temporary magnification in a supported Safari view, spread two fingers apart or double-tap the content. Those gestures also work in supported Photos views, including when you need a closer look at text inside an image. They magnify rendered content without changing its saved font size.
Increase text in reading apps
In Books on iOS 27, open a book and tap the page if its controls are hidden. Tap Menu > Themes & Settings, then tap the larger A. On an open iPhone Duo in landscape, use the Appearance button at the outer edge to access the appearance controls.
Books font adjustments depend on the content supporting adjustable text. Fixed-layout documents do not necessarily resize their fonts, so use accessibility Zoom to magnify a page that stays small.
In Kindle, open a supported book and tap the top center of the screen. Choose Aa > Font, then increase Font Size. Alternatively, open Themes and select Large or Low Vision.
In Apple News, open a story, tap More > Text Size, then tap the larger letter. For supported channels, this changes the story and other stories in that channel. Apple News availability varies by region.
For a News+ magazine, open an issue in News. In an adjustable story, tap More > Text Size, then tap the larger letter; for a PDF issue, spread two fingers apart to magnify the page. News+ issues are subscription content in supported regions, and PDF magnification enlarges the page rather than resizing its font.
In Stocks, open a supported story and tap More Actions > Text Size, then tap the larger letter. On an open iPhone Duo in landscape, tap Text Size directly. Story availability has regional and subscription limitations.
Magnify text that stays too small
Accessibility Zoom magnifies the screen even where an app does not resize fonts. Open Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and turn on Zoom. Under Zoom Region, choose Full Screen Zoom or Window Zoom.
Double-tap with three fingers to turn magnification on or off. To increase it, double-tap with three fingers, keep them down after the second tap, and drag upward. With Full Screen Zoom, drag the screen with three fingers to move around. With Window Zoom, drag the handle at the bottom of the Zoom lens. On iPhone Duo, magnification operates on one display at a time.
For a floating control, open Settings > Accessibility > Zoom and use Zoom Controller to enable it. Double-tap the controller to toggle magnification, and drag it to move around. With a compatible connected keyboard, use Keyboard Shortcuts in the same settings to control Zoom from the external keyboard.
Add shortcuts for magnification
Open Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut and select Zoom. Triple-click the Side button on a Face ID model or iPhone Duo, or the Home button on iPhone SE. If several accessibility features are assigned, tap Zoom in the resulting menu.
On iPhone 8 or later running iOS 14 or later, you can trigger that configured shortcut through Back Tap. After assigning Zoom to Accessibility Shortcut, open Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. Choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, assign Accessibility Shortcut, then perform those taps on the back of the phone.
On an iPhone with an Action button, open Settings > Action Button and swipe to Accessibility. Tap the selection button beneath it and choose the accessibility feature you want. Press and hold the Action button to activate your selection.
Read content in an enlarged view
To use a separate reading view, open Settings > Accessibility > Read & Speak > Accessibility Reader and enable Accessibility Reader. Open the content, then launch the reader through Control Center, its configured Accessibility Shortcut, or Share > Accessibility Reader. This works with content the reader can detect or receive.
In the reader, tap More > Customize Reader, select a theme, and tap Edit. Increase Text Size to enlarge the reading text. Basic text enlargement in Accessibility Reader does not require Apple Intelligence.
On iOS 27, you can use Hover Text with a compatible mouse or trackpad to enlarge text under the pointer. Connect the device, open Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text, and enable Hover Text. Adjust Size, then move the pointer over text to display an enlarged view.
With a connected keyboard, hold Control while hovering. You can also enable Activation Lock, then press Control three times quickly to keep activation on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make text bigger while setting up a new iPhone?
On the Quick Start screen, tap Accessibility Options > Display & Text Size to adjust reading settings. Alternatively, double-tap with three fingers and adjust the magnification slider. Quick Start can also transfer accessibility settings from a compatible nearby iPhone or iPad.
Can you enlarge the text you are typing?
On iOS 27, open Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text > Hover Typing, enable Hover Typing, and adjust Size. Enter text in an input field to see the enlarged typing window. This enlarges a preview rather than every app’s underlying font, and it does not require a pointing device.
How do you make subtitles bigger on iPhone?
Open Settings > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning > Style. Choose an existing larger style or create a custom style with a larger font size. This applies to video apps that honor Apple’s subtitle styling.
How do you enlarge Live Captions?
On iPhone 11 or later, open Settings > Accessibility > Live Captions and enable Live Captions. Open Appearance and increase the caption size. This changes live transcription text, and availability varies by language and region.
Can your iPhone enlarge printed text on paper?
Open Magnifier, aim the camera at the writing, and increase magnification with the slider. For adjustable captured text, tap Capture > Reader > More > Customize Reader, select a theme, tap Edit, and increase Text Size. Reader requires detectable text, and these adjustments affect physical writing viewed through the camera rather than the iPhone interface.
Can your organization adjust text size on a managed iPhone?
On compatible MDM-managed iPhones running iOS 16 or later, ask your administrator to send the MDM Settings command with Item set to AccessibilitySettings and TextSize set to a larger supported integer. The range is 0 to 11, with 11 the largest, and ZoomEnabled can also enable magnification. Console menu names depend on the MDM vendor. Apple says you can subsequently change these settings yourself.