Trying to make out minuscule letters in an email? Looking to alter the typeface’s size in an email you send? Find out here how to change the font size in Gmail.
First, Have Pencils Shrunk?
It is a truth, of course, near-universally acknowledged, that a pencil will let you rewind a cassette’s tape.
I don’t recall having much luck with that, only slippage and pencils sticking out of cassettes at odd angles. Still, the collectively common recollection must come from somewhere… Have pencils shrunk?
Probably not. More likely, the instructions to use pencils, much like the tapes and the equipment, all come from a country where they work: Japan.
Now, want to shrink the fonts in Gmail or make them large enough to wind 10½-inch reels?
How to Change the Font Size in Gmail
For Writing and Sending Email
Time needed: 2 minutes
To change the default font size for writing emails in Gmail on the web using a desktop browser:
- Click the Settings gear icon in Gmail.
- Select See all settings on the sheet that has appeared.
- Go to the General tab.
- Click Size under Default text style:.
- Choose the desired font size from the menu that has popped up.
- Click Save Changes.
To alter the font size for text you are writing in an individual email:
- Highlight the text whose size you want to change.
- Click Formatting options in the message’s composition toolbar.
- Now click Size.
- Choose the desired font size.
Gmail keyboard shortcuts: Press Command Shift + (Mac) or Ctrl Shift + (Windows and Linux) to make text bigger and Command Shift - or Ctrl Shift - to make text smaller.
Back to default: You can reset the formatting (including the font size) using the Gmail toolbar button for removing formatting.
In the Gmail Apps
In the Gmail apps for Android and iOS; you can change the font size you see when writing the same way you change it for reading (see below); this will not alter the size for recipients, though.
For Reading Email
In a Desktop Browser
To change the font size while you read an email in Gmail on the web:
- Use your browser’s zooming function.
Firefox: Open the hamburger menu and choose + or - under Zoom.
Google Chrome, Edge and many other Chromium browsers: Click the three dots menu, then use + and – under Zoom.
Safari: Select View | Zoom In and View | Zoom Out in the menu.
Keyboard shortcuts: The shortcuts are typically Ctrl + (Windows) and Command + (Mac) for zooming in, Ctrl - (Windows and Linux) and Command - (Mac) for zooming out and Ctrl 0 (Windows) or Command 0 (Mac) for returning to 100% zoom for Gmail.
In the Gmail Apps for iOS and Android
To customize the font size in the Gmail apps for Android and iOS:
- Use the device’s accessibility settings.
Android: Change text & display settings
iOS: How to Change the Font Size in iPhone
How to Change the Font Size in Gmail: FAQ
Will changing the default font size change the size for the Gmail interface?
No.
To change the font size for the Gmail interface, you can scale it up using the browser (along with the emails you read; see above).
Can I enlarge only the email and not the Gmail interface?
No, not easily.
To zoom in just on an email’s contents:
- Save the message as a PDF or as an EML file from Gmail.
- Open that file in viewer that lets you enlarge it.
What are the Gmail font sizes (“Small” to “Huge”)?
Gmail’s font sizes correspond to an assortment of HTML font sizes:
| Gmail Font Size | HTML Code | Comparable Size |
|---|---|---|
| Small | 1 (x-small) | ~10px |
| Normal | default (small) | ~12px |
| Large | large | ~17px |
| Huge | 6 (xx-large) | ~32px |
(How to change the font size in Gmail tested in desktop browsers; first published May 2024)