How To Make Outlook Font Bigger

If you find yourself squinting at your screen 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 manage. This guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions to increase the text size in every part of Outlook, from the emails you read and write to the list of messages in your inbox. We cover the desktop app for Windows and Mac, the web version, and the mobile app.

Fast Answer

For New Emails: Go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts...
To Read Emails: Use the Zoom slider in the bottom-right corner of the Reading Pane.
For the Inbox List: Go to View > View Settings > Other Settings...

2-5 Minutes: Time needed per setting

Easy Difficulty

Multiple Settings Watch out for

Before You Start

You will need access to your Microsoft Outlook account, either through the desktop application (for Windows or Mac), a web browser, or a mobile device.
No special tools or software are required. All settings are built directly into Outlook.
Take a moment to identify which part of Outlook you want to change. Do you want larger text when you write emails, when you read them, or in the main message list? Outlook has separate settings for each.

Check first: The instructions can vary slightly depending on your version of Outlook (e.g., Outlook 365, Outlook 2019, Outlook for Mac). Font size changes you make for reading emails are local to your computer and won't affect how others see emails they receive from you.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Change the Font Size for Emails You Write

This is the most common request. This setting changes the default font, size, and color for all new emails you compose. It also lets you set different fonts for replies and forwards.

Open the Outlook desktop application on your Windows PC.
Click on File in the top-left corner of the window.
Select Options from the bottom of the left-hand menu. This will open the Outlook Options window.
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 appear. Under the "Personal Stationery" tab, you will see font settings for New mail messages and for Replying or forwarding messages.
Click the Font... button next to the one you want to change. You can now select a new font type (like Arial or Calibri), style (like Regular or Bold), and most importantly, the Size. A good starting point is 12pt or 14pt.
Click OK on the Font window, and then OK on the Signatures and Stationery window, and finally OK on the main Outlook Options window to save all your changes.

Tip: Choose a common, "web-safe" font like Arial, Verdana, or Georgia. This ensures your email will look consistent and readable for the person receiving it, regardless of their device.

Temporarily Zoom In to Read an Email

If you just need to quickly enlarge a single email that's hard to read, you don't need to change any permanent settings. You can use Outlook's built-in zoom feature.

Click on the email you want to read in your inbox to open it in the Reading Pane.
Look to the very bottom-right corner of the Outlook window. You will see a zoom slider with a percentage next to it (e.g., 100%).
Click and drag the slider to the right to increase the zoom level and make the text larger. You can also click the + button to zoom in incrementally.
Alternatively, you can hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and scroll up with your mouse wheel to zoom in.

This change is temporary and only affects the email you are currently viewing. When you click on another email, the zoom level will reset to the default.

Increase the Font Size of Your Inbox Message List

This change affects the list of emails in your inbox, making the sender name, subject, and date easier to read. It does not change the content of the emails themselves.

In the main Outlook window, click on the View tab at the top.
In the "Current View" section of the ribbon, click on View Settings.
A dialog box named "Advanced View Settings" will appear. Click on the Other Settings... button.
In the "Other Settings" window, you'll find options for fonts. Click the Font... button under Row Font.
Choose your desired font, style, and size. A small increase to 10pt or 11pt often makes a big difference without taking up too much screen space.
Click OK on each of the open windows to apply your changes. Your message list will immediately update with the new, larger font.

Tip: You can also change the "Column Font" (the headers like "From," "Subject," "Received") in the same "Other Settings" menu if needed.

Adjust Fonts in Outlook for Mac

If you're using Outlook on a Mac, the menus are slightly different. Here’s how to adjust the fonts for composing and reading emails.

With the Outlook application open, click on Outlook in the menu bar at the very top of your screen.
Select Settings... (or Preferences... in older versions) from the dropdown menu.
In the Settings window, click on Fonts.
You will see options to set the default font for New mail and Reply or forward. Click the corresponding Font... button to make your changes.
To change the font size of the message list, close the Fonts window, go to the View menu at the top of the screen, select View Settings..., then Other Settings... and adjust the text size options there.

Enlarge Text in Outlook on the Web (Outlook.com)

The web version of Outlook handles fonts differently. Changes to your composing font are in the settings, but for reading emails, you'll rely on your web browser's built-in zoom function.

For composing emails: Log in to your account at Outlook.com. Click the gear icon for Settings in the top-right corner. Click View all Outlook settings at the bottom. Go to Mail > Compose and reply. Here you can set your default font size and style under "Message format."
For reading emails and viewing the interface: The easiest way to make everything on the screen bigger is to use your browser's zoom. Press Ctrl and the plus key (+) on your keyboard to zoom in. Press Ctrl and the minus key (-) to zoom out. On a Mac, use Command instead of Ctrl.

Make Fonts Bigger on the Outlook Mobile App

The Outlook app for iOS and Android does not have its own internal font size settings. Instead, it respects the system-wide text size settings of your phone. To make the text bigger in the Outlook app, you need to increase the font size for your entire device.

For iOS (iPhone/iPad): Go to your device's Settings app. Tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size. Tap Larger Text and adjust the slider to your preferred size.
For Android: Go to your phone's Settings app. Tap Accessibility (or sometimes Display first, depending on your phone model). Look for an option like Font size or Font and screen zoom and adjust the slider.

Be aware that this change will affect the text size in most other apps on your phone, not just Outlook.

Quick Reference

Situation	Use this	Why
Just need to read one hard-to-see email	Zoom Slider (bottom-right)	It's a quick, temporary fix that doesn't change any settings.
Want all emails you write to have a larger font	File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts...	This sets your personal default for all new messages and replies.
Your inbox list of messages is too small	View > View Settings > Other Settings... > Row Font	This specifically targets the message list for better scanning.
Using Outlook.com in a web browser	Browser Zoom (Ctrl + or Command +)	This is the standard way to enlarge web content and affects the whole page.
Using the Outlook mobile app	Phone's Accessibility Settings	The app inherits its font size from the main operating system settings.

Common Problems When You Make Outlook Font Bigger

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them.

My font size keeps resetting.

This can happen for a couple of reasons. In a corporate environment, your IT department may enforce a standard view setting that overrides your personal changes. If you are on a personal computer, make sure you are clicking OK to close every settings window after making a change. If you just close a window using the "X," your changes may not be saved.

The font is bigger, but only for some emails I read.

This is usually due to the difference between Plain Text and HTML emails. Your font settings for reading primarily apply to Plain Text messages. Most modern emails are sent in HTML, where the sender specifies the font style and size. For these emails, your best tool is the Zoom slider, as it can override the sender's formatting for easier reading on your screen.

I changed the font, but the To, Cc, and Subject lines are still small.

The font size for the message headers (To, Cc, Bcc, Subject) is part of the main Outlook user interface and cannot be changed by the user. The font settings you adjust only apply to the body of the email you are composing or the content in your reading pane and message list.

Advanced Tips for Managing Outlook Fonts

Once you're comfortable with the basics, you can use these more advanced features for even better control.

Use Conditional Formatting to Highlight Important Emails

You can make emails from specific people, like your manager, automatically appear in a larger or different colored font in your message list. Go to View > View Settings > Conditional Formatting.... Here you can add a rule (e.g., "From... your boss's email") and then click the Font... button to set a unique size and color for those messages. This makes crucial emails impossible to miss.

Create a Custom "Large Font" View

If you only need large fonts occasionally (for example, when presenting your screen in a meeting), you can create a separate view instead of changing your default settings. Go to View > Change View > Manage Views.... Click New... to create a copy of your current view, give it a name like "Large Font View," and then modify its font settings. You can then easily switch between your standard view and your large font view from the "Change View" menu.

Leverage System-Wide Accessibility Tools

If you have significant vision difficulties, consider using the accessibility tools built into your operating system. Both Windows and macOS have system-wide font scaling options that increase the text size across all applications, including Outlook. Windows also includes the Magnifier tool, which can zoom in on any part of your screen on demand.

How To Make Outlook Font Bigger FAQ

How do I make the font bigger in my Outlook Calendar?

The process is very similar to changing the inbox view. In your Calendar, go to the View tab, click View Settings, then Other Settings.... You can adjust the fonts for the time, appointments, and more.

Will changing my Outlook font affect Word or Excel?

No. The font settings inside the Outlook application are self-contained and will not change the default fonts in any other Microsoft Office programs like Word or Excel.

How can I reset all my view settings back to the default?

If you've made several changes and want to start over, you can easily reset a view. Go to the View tab and click the Reset View button. This will revert the current view (like your inbox) to its original default settings.

Why are the font settings grayed out on my work computer?

If you cannot change certain settings, it is likely that your company's IT administrator has set a group policy to maintain a standard appearance for all users. You would need to contact your IT support department for assistance.

Final Checklist for Making Outlook Font Bigger

You've identified which part of Outlook needs a larger font: composing, reading, or the message list.
For writing emails, you have adjusted the font size via File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts....
For viewing your list of messages, you have modified the view settings at View > View Settings > Other Settings....
You know how to use the Zoom slider for quickly enlarging a single email without changing permanent settings.
You understand that for Outlook.com and the mobile app, you must use browser zoom or system-wide accessibility settings.
You have sent a test email to yourself to confirm that your new composing font looks correct.