How To Make Font Bigger In Outlook

If you find yourself squinting to read emails, this guide is for you. Making the font bigger in Microsoft Outlook can reduce eye strain and make your inbox much easier to navigate. We'll show you how to change the text size in several key areas: when you're writing new emails, when you're reading messages you've received, and for the general Outlook interface like your folder list. These steps work for most modern versions of Outlook on Windows and Mac, helping you customize the view for your comfort.

Fast Answer

For New Emails: Go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts.
For Reading Emails: Use the Zoom slider in the bottom-right corner of the reading pane.

2-5 minutes Time needed

Easy Difficulty

Different settings for different views Watch out for

Before You Start

You will need the Microsoft Outlook desktop application installed on your Windows or Mac computer. These steps are not for the Outlook.com web version.
Have Outlook open and running so you can follow along with the steps in real-time.
Understand that changes you make for composing emails will be seen by your recipients, while changes to your reading view are only for you.

Check first: Some workplace computers have settings controlled by an IT department. If you find an option is grayed out or your changes don't save, you may need to contact your IT administrator for assistance.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Change the Default Font for New Emails

This is the most common adjustment. It sets the font size for all new messages you compose, as well as for your replies and forwards. This change affects what the people you email will see.

Open Outlook and click on the File tab in the top-left corner.
Select Options from the menu on the left (it's usually at the bottom).
In the Outlook Options window, click on the Mail category.
Look for a button labeled Stationery and Fonts... and click it.
A new "Signatures and Stationery" window will open. Here you'll see options for New mail messages and for Replying or forwarding messages. Click the Font... button for the one you want to change.
In the Font window, you can choose a new font, style, and most importantly, a new Size. A good, readable size is often 12pt or 14pt.
Click OK on each window to save your changes. Now, when you create a new email, it will use your larger font settings.

Tip: You can set different fonts for new messages and replies. For example, you might use a slightly smaller font for replies to keep email threads cleaner.

Temporarily Zoom In to Read an Email

If you just need to make the text of a single email bigger without changing any permanent settings, the Zoom feature is perfect. This only affects your view, not the email itself.

Click on the email you want to read in your inbox so it appears in the Reading Pane.
Look to the bottom-right corner of the Outlook window. You will see a zoom slider with a - and a + sign.
Click the + or drag the slider to the right to increase the text size. A setting of 125% or 150% is often comfortable.
Alternatively, if your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scroll the mouse wheel up to zoom in.

This zoom level will be remembered for the message you are viewing, but you can easily change it for the next one.

Permanently Increase Font Size for All Received Mail

If you're tired of zooming in on every single email, you can change the default font size for reading plain text messages. This is especially helpful for newsletters or system alerts that don't have their own formatting.

Follow the first four steps from Step 1: Click File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts....
In the "Signatures and Stationery" window, look for the section at the bottom: Composing and reading plain text messages.
Click the Font... button in this section.
Choose your desired font and size, then click OK to confirm.
Click OK on the remaining windows to close them. Outlook will now display unformatted emails using your new, larger font settings.

Increase Font Size in the Message List

You can also make the font bigger for the list of messages in your inbox (the view that shows the sender, subject, and date). This makes it easier to scan through your emails before opening them.

Click on the View tab in the main Outlook ribbon at the top of the screen.
Click on View Settings. A window named "Advanced View Settings" will pop up.
Click on Other Settings....
In the "Other Settings" window, you'll see options for fonts. Click the Font... button under Row Font.
Select a larger size, such as 10pt or 11pt (a small increase goes a long way here), and click OK.
Click OK again on each open window to apply the change. Your list of emails will now be easier to read.

Tip: In the same "Advanced View Settings" window, you can click Conditional Formatting... to set rules, like making all unread messages or messages from your boss appear in a larger, bold font.

Change the Font Size in the Folder Pane

The Folder Pane is the column on the left with your Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, and other folders. Changing this font is not done within Outlook's font settings, but by adjusting your computer's overall display settings.

For Windows 10/11:

Right-click on your desktop and select Display settings.
Under the Scale & layout section, you will see a dropdown menu for "Change the size of text, apps, and other items."
Try increasing this from 100% (Recommended) to 125%.
This will make text larger across all your applications, including the Outlook Folder Pane. You may need to sign out and sign back in for the changes to take full effect.

This is a system-wide change, so it will affect all of your programs, not just Outlook. Adjust it to find a comfortable balance for all your work.

Adjusting Fonts on Outlook for Mac

The process is slightly different if you are using Outlook on a Mac computer. The settings are more streamlined.

With Outlook open, click on Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen.
Select Preferences... (or Settings... on newer versions of macOS).
In the Preferences window, click on Fonts.
Here, you can set the default font and size for New mail and for Reply or forward.
There is also an option for Plain text, which controls the font used to display messages that don't have formatting.
Adjust the sizes as needed and simply close the window. The changes are saved automatically.

To change the message list size on a Mac, go to Outlook > Preferences > General and adjust the Text size slider.

Quick Reference

Situation	Use this	Why
Reading a single, hard-to-read email	Zoom Slider (bottom-right)	It's a quick, temporary fix that doesn't change any settings.
Setting the font for all emails I write	File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts	This sets a permanent default for outgoing mail so it's always readable.
Making the list of emails in my inbox bigger	View > View Settings > Other Settings	This makes it easier to scan your inbox without opening each email.
Making the folder names (Inbox, Sent) bigger	Windows/macOS Display Scaling	This part of the interface is controlled by your operating system, not Outlook.

Common Problems When You Make Font Bigger in Outlook

My font changes don't save after I restart Outlook.	This can happen if you don't click OK on all the settings windows to properly apply the change. Make sure you close each window by clicking the OK button. If the problem persists, your Outlook profile might be corrupted, or your IT department may have a policy preventing changes.
The recipient says my email font is huge.	When you set the font for composing emails, the recipient sees that size. Stick to professional sizes like 11pt, 12pt, or 14pt. Anything above 16pt can appear very large and unprofessional on someone else's screen.
Changing the font messed up my email signature.	Your email signature often has its own formatting. When you change your default font, it might not apply to your existing signature. You may need to edit your signature separately (under File > Options > Mail > Signatures) to match your new font settings.
The font is big when I write, but it doesn't change for incoming emails.	This is normal. The settings for composing mail and reading mail are separate. The font of an incoming email is set by the sender. You can only override this by using the Zoom feature or by using Outlook's Immersive Reader.

Advanced Tips for Making Font Bigger in Outlook

Use Conditional Formatting for Important Emails	You can make emails from specific people, like your manager, automatically appear larger and in a different color in your message list. Go to View > View Settings > Conditional Formatting. Click Add, give your rule a name (e.g., "Manager Emails"), set the font size and color, and then click Condition... to specify the sender's email address.
Create a Custom View for Readability	If you often switch between a compact view and a more readable view, you can save your large-font settings as a custom view. Go to the View tab, click Change View, and then Save Current View as a New View.... Give it a name like "Large Font View." Now you can quickly switch to it from the "Change View" menu whenever you need it.
Use Immersive Reader for Focused Reading	For a clean, distraction-free reading experience with full control over text size and spacing, try the Immersive Reader. When you have an email open in its own window, click the View tab and then select Immersive Reader. This opens the email in a full-screen mode where you can easily adjust text size, column width, page color, and even have the email read aloud to you.

How To Make Font Bigger In Outlook FAQ

How do I make the font bigger in the Outlook mobile app?

The Outlook mobile app for iOS and Android doesn't have its own font size settings. It uses the system-wide font size you set on your phone. To change it, go to your phone's main Settings app, then look under Display or Accessibility to find the font size or text size slider.

Can I change the font for just one email I'm writing?

Yes. While composing an email, simply use the font formatting tools in the ribbon at the top of the message window, just like in Microsoft Word. You can highlight text and change its size, font, and color without affecting your default settings.

Why don't my font settings work on some emails?

Some emails are sent as "Plain Text," which means they contain no formatting. Your settings for "Composing and reading plain text messages" will apply here. Other emails are sent in HTML, with the font chosen by the sender. For these, your best option is to use the Zoom tool to increase the size for reading.

Final Checklist for Making Font Bigger in Outlook

Identify the Area: Decide if you want to change the font for writing, reading, or the email list.
Change Composing Font: Use File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts to set the default for new messages.
Adjust Reading View: Use the Zoom slider for temporary changes or View Settings for permanent ones.
Update Message List: Go to View > View Settings > Other Settings to make the inbox list more readable.
Test Your Changes: Send a test email to yourself or a colleague to ensure the composing font looks correct to a recipient.
Consider System Scaling: If the folder list is too small, adjust your computer's main display scaling settings.