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How to change Display Zoom on an iPhone

By Updated 14 November 20263 min read

Device: iPhone 17e · Software: iOS 27.0.1 · Checked October 2026

Real screenshot · iPhone 17e, iOS 27.0.1

In short

On iOS 27, open Settings, tap Appearance, scroll down and tap Display Zoom. Choose Larger Text for bigger buttons, icons and text, or Default to fit more on the screen, then tap the tick at the top right and, as Apple describes, Use Zoomed. On iOS 26 it is under Display & Brightness.

Well, it is tiring to squint at a screen where the words are fine but the buttons still feel tiny. That is where Display Zoom comes in: Text Size changes the size of text, while Apple says Display Zoom magnifies the entire iPhone screen.

5 of 5 steps show a real screenshot from our iPhone 17e.

Steps

0 of 5 steps
  1. 1

    Open Settings and tap Appearance

    On iOS 27 Appearance is in the main Settings list. On our iPhone 17e it is in the group that starts with General, below Accessibility and Action Button.

    iPhone screen: Open Settings and tap Appearance
  2. 2

    Scroll down and tap Display Zoom

    It is below Text Size and Bold Text. The row shows the current view, Default on our iPhone 17e with iOS 27.

    iPhone screen: Scroll down and tap Display Zoom
  3. 3

    Choose Larger Text

    The left preview shows bigger controls and text, with less on the screen at once. In the picture Default is still selected; tap Larger Text to select it. Nothing changes until you tap the tick.

    iPhone screen: Choose Larger Text
  4. 4

    Or choose Default

    The right preview is the normal view, which shows more content. On our iPhone 17e with iOS 27 Default was ticked.

    iPhone screen: Or choose Default
  5. 5

    Tap the tick to apply it

    The blue tick is at the top right of the Display Zoom page. Apple says to tap Use Zoomed next. We did not apply it on our iPhone 17e, so Default stayed ticked.

    iPhone screen: Tap the tick to apply it

If you do not see this option

If this does not work

  • Nothing changed after choosing Larger Text Don't worry, the choice just needs confirming. Apple says to tap the tick, then Use Zoomed. On our iPhone 17e the tick is the blue button at the top right of Display Zoom.
  • Text is still too small For even bigger text, Apple says to go to Settings, tap Accessibility, then tap Display & Text Size.
  • Text is too small in one app only? There is no need to make everything bigger for one awkward app. Apple says you can change the text size while you are in an app with the Text Size slider in Control Center. If the slider is not there, add the Text Size control to Control Center first.

Good to know

To make only the text bigger, use Text Size on the same Appearance page: how to make text bigger on an iPhone.

On iOS 26 and earlier the setting is under Settings, Display & Brightness, Display Zoom.

Larger Text shows less on the screen at once, so lists and web pages need more scrolling. That is the trade for bigger buttons. It changes how the iPhone looks, not your apps or data, so there is nothing to lose by trying it.

Watch these steps

Video thumbnail: How to change Display Zoom on an iPhoneWatch on YouTubeThe same steps, recorded on our iPhone 17e · opens YouTube

About this guide

Device
iPhone
Shown on
iOS 27.0.1 (iPhone 17e)
App
Settings
Path
Settings › Appearance › Display Zoom › Larger Text or Default
Real screenshots
5 of 5 steps
Checked
October 2026
Sources
1 official, linked below

The screenshots are our own, taken on an iPhone 17e running iOS 27.0.1. On iOS 27 Display Zoom moved to the new Appearance page. The Appearance page on our phone showed Default.

What changed: the screenshots are now our own iPhone 17e on iOS 27.0.1, dark mode, and the wording is checked against those screens and Apple's iOS 27 guide.

Sources

Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.

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