How to change text size and zoom on your phone (Android and iPhone)

At the default size, the text on a phone screen is too small for many people; parents and grandparents in particular struggle to read messages or find names in their contacts. Yet on both Android and iPhone, you can make text bigger and bolder, and magnify the whole screen when needed, with just a few taps.

This guide walks you through setting text size, display size, bold text and the magnification shortcut, and reading small printed text with the camera. Menu names are taken from Apple's and Google's own support pages; on Samsung and other brands, names may vary by manufacturer.

1. Open Settings and find the search box Open the Settings app on the phone. Menu names can vary by brand, model and software version; if you can't find a setting in the steps below, type "text", "font" or "magnification" into the search box at the top of Settings and tap the result. Changes apply straight away, so there's no need to restart the phone.
2. On iPhone: enlarge the Text Size slider On iOS 26 and earlier, go to Settings → Display & Brightness → Text Size; on iOS 27, go to Settings → Appearance → Text Size. Drag the slider to the right to make text bigger and stop at the size that's comfortable to read, using the sample text at the top as a guide. The setting applies in every app that supports it, such as Messages, Mail, Contacts, Calendar and Notes.
3. On iPhone: go to Accessibility for even bigger text If the largest size on the normal slider isn't enough, go to Settings → Accessibility → Display & Text Size → Larger Text. Turn on "Larger Accessibility Sizes" and new, bigger steps appear on the slider. Apple notes that very large text can make buttons harder to tap in some apps, so try the step just below the largest as well.
4. On iPhone: turn on Bold Text and Display Zoom On the Display & Brightness screen (Appearance on iOS 27), turn on Bold Text to make letters stand out more. On the same screen, tap Display Zoom, choose Larger Text, tap the check mark in the top-right corner and confirm with Use Zoomed. Now icons and buttons get bigger too, not just text, and fewer icons fit on the Home Screen.
5. On Android: adjust the Font size and Display size sliders Go to Settings → Accessibility → Display size and text. Drag the "Font size" slider to the right to enlarge text and the "Display size" slider to the right to enlarge everything on screen. A preview of the new size appears; if you don't like it, tap "Reset settings" to go back to the phone's original setting. Some of these steps apply only to Android 13 and later.
6. Find the right menu on Samsung and other brands On Samsung Galaxy phones, the text setting lives under Settings → Display: on the "Font size and style" screen, use the slider to enlarge text and turn on the bold font option. "Screen zoom" in the same place enlarges items on screen without changing the text size, so set both. On other brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo or Huawei, names vary by manufacturer; typing "font" into the Settings search box is the quickest route.
7. On Android: turn on Bold text and contrast On the Settings → Accessibility → Display size and text screen, turn on "Bold text". On Android 16 and later, "Outline text" on the same screen adds a clear background behind text; on Android 15 and earlier, use the high contrast text option instead. According to Google, some apps don't use the bold text setting.
8. Magnify the screen with a shortcut when needed On iPhone, go to Settings → Accessibility → Zoom and turn Zoom on; then double-tap the screen with three fingers to zoom in, drag with three fingers to move around and double-tap with three fingers again to turn it off. On Android, go to Settings → Accessibility → Magnification, turn on "Magnification shortcut" and choose the shortcut type: the Accessibility button, holding both volume keys, or triple-tapping the screen. Once magnification is on, drag with two fingers to move around and pinch with two fingers to adjust the zoom.
9. Read small print by magnifying it with the camera For small printed text such as a medicine box, a bill or a menu, open the Magnifier app on iPhone, point the camera at the text and use the slider to zoom in; the freeze button holds the frame still so you can read it comfortably. On Android, you can do the same by opening the camera and zooming in, and some manufacturers also include a separate magnifier app. Move the app to the first page of the Home Screen so it's easy to find.
10. Test the result together and fine-tune Sit with the person who will use the phone and open their messaging app, contacts, the call screen and the apps they use most. If text overflows or buttons don't fit on screen, move the slider back one step. If text is still small in a particular app, check whether that app has its own text size option in its settings; some apps don't follow the phone's text setting.

⚠ This guide is general information. Yudum cannot be held responsible for the outcome of following it; for official procedures always rely on the institution's own statement. Steps and fees change over time.

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