How to make text bigger on an iPhone

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

If you find yourself squinting at messages or holding the phone at arm's length, a larger text size helps straight away. It changes Messages, Mail, Settings and most other apps at once.

Menu names are from iOS 26. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Open Settings and tap Display & Brightness

   It is in the main Settings list.

   Done

2. Tap Text Size

   A slider appears at the bottom of the screen.

   Done

3. Drag the slider to the right

   The sample text above the slider grows as you drag, so you can stop at a comfortable size.

   Done

4. Switch on Bold Text if you like

   Go back one page and switch on Bold Text. Thicker letters are easier to read for many people.

   Done

5. Go beyond the normal range

   Open Settings, Accessibility, Display & Text Size, Larger Text. Switch on Larger Accessibility Sizes and the slider gains several more steps.

   Done

Good to know

Display Zoom, on the Display & Brightness page, makes everything bigger, including buttons and icons. Choose Larger Text and tap Done; the phone restarts its screen.

To make one web page bigger in Safari, tap the page menu in the address bar and use the larger A.

Not every app follows the system text size. Some games and older apps keep their own.

In short: Settings, Display & Brightness, Text Size. For more, Accessibility, Display & Text Size, Larger Text.