To make text bigger on an iPad, open Settings, tap Appearance, tap Text Size, and drag the slider to the right. On iPadOS 26 and earlier, the same slider is under Settings > Display & Brightness. To make app icons bigger, touch and hold the Home Screen background, tap the button at the top, choose Customize, and pick the larger icon size.
The steps below follow Apple’s iPad User Guide for iPadOS 27, with notes for older versions. Nothing here needs an extra app, and every change can be reversed from the same screen.
How to Make Text Bigger on iPad
This is the main text size setting. It changes text in apps that support Dynamic Type, which is Apple’s name for text that follows your system size preference.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Appearance. On iPadOS 26 or earlier, tap Display & Brightness instead.
- Tap Text Size.
- Drag the slider to the right to make text bigger, or to the left to make it smaller.
Open an app such as Mail or Notes to check the new size. Apple’s guide Adjust iPad display and text settings lists these steps. Apple says the size applies to supported apps, including Calendar, Mail, Messages, Notes, and Settings.
Not sure which version you have? Go to Settings > General > About and look at the iPadOS version. If you do not see Appearance in Settings, look for Display & Brightness.
If you use an iPhone as well, here’s how to make apps bigger on iPhone.
How to Make Text Bold
Bold Text makes letters heavier without changing their size. It helps when text is large enough but looks thin.
- Open Settings > Appearance (Display & Brightness on iPadOS 26 or earlier).
- Turn on Bold Text.
To undo it, turn the same switch off. The switch also appears under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
How to Get Even Larger Text
If the normal slider stops before the text is big enough, the Accessibility settings unlock more sizes.
Before you start: very large text can make buttons and other controls in apps hard to tap. If a screen stops fitting, come back here and move the slider left.
- Open Settings and tap Accessibility.
- Tap Display & Text Size.
- Tap Larger Text.
- Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes.
- Drag the slider to the right until the text is comfortable to read.
Apple covers this path in Make text easier to read on iPad. To go back to the normal range, turn off Larger Accessibility Sizes.
How to Change Text Size in Just One App
You do not have to change every app. There are two ways to set a size for a single app.
Use the Text Size control in Control Center
- Open the app you want to change.
- Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to open Control Center.
- Adjust the Text Size slider.
- If the slider is not there, tap the add button in the top-left corner of Control Center, tap Add a Control, then tap the Text Size control.
This changes the size of text while you are in an app. The control may let you choose between the current app and all apps, so check which one is selected before you drag.
On an iPhone, the same control can enlarge text in Messages only. Here’s how to make text messages bigger on iPhone.
Use Per-App Settings
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Per-App Settings.
- Tap Add App, then choose an app, or choose Home Screen & App Library.
- Tap the name you just added to open its settings, then adjust the text size options for it.
Per-App Settings can hold different color, text size, and motion settings for each app you add.
How to Make Apps and Icons Bigger
Text Size does not change the size of app icons. On iPadOS 18 and later, the Home Screen has its own icon size option.
- Go to the Home Screen.
- Touch and hold the Home Screen background until the icons begin to jiggle.
- Tap the button at the top of the screen, then choose Customize.
- Tap the larger icon size option.
The icons get bigger right away. In the large size, the names of the apps disappear, so you will see icons only. To get the names back, open Customize again and choose the smaller size. The steps are in Apple’s guide Customize apps and widgets on the iPad Home Screen.
The row along the bottom is your Dock, and you can change the icons in your iPad Dock to choose which apps sit there.
Also check Display Zoom in Settings > Appearance (Display & Brightness on older versions). On supported models, the More Space option makes text and buttons smaller so more fits on the screen. If everything on your iPad looks tiny, open Display Zoom and pick the other option. Display Zoom does not appear on every iPad model.
How to Zoom In on the Whole Screen
Zoom is a magnifier for the entire screen. It works in any app, including ones that ignore Text Size.
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Zoom, then turn on Zoom.
- Double-tap the screen with three fingers to zoom in.
- Drag with three fingers to move around the screen.
- Double-tap with three fingers again to zoom out.
Zoom magnifies everything, so part of the screen is hidden until you pan. Apple’s guide Zoom in on the iPad screen explains the other controls, such as Zoom Region and Maximum Zoom Level.
The slider works the same way on iPhone; here’s how to adjust the maximum zoom level on an iPhone.
Troubleshooting
- There is no Appearance menu. Your iPad is on iPadOS 26 or earlier. Use Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size.
- Text did not change in one app. The app may not support Dynamic Type. Look for a text size option in that app’s own settings, or use Zoom.
- The slider does not go far enough. Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes under Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text.
- Buttons are cut off or hard to tap. The text is too large for that app. Move the slider left a step or two.
- One app has a different size from the rest. Check the Text Size control in Control Center while that app is open, and check Accessibility > Per-App Settings.
- The screen is suddenly magnified. Zoom is on. Double-tap with three fingers to turn it off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does making text bigger also make app icons bigger?
No. Text Size changes text in supported apps. Icon size is a separate Home Screen option that you reach by touching and holding the Home Screen background and choosing Customize.
Why didn’t the text get bigger in some apps?
Text Size works in Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, and other apps that support Dynamic Type. Apps that do not support it keep their own text size. Try the app’s own settings, or use Zoom to magnify the screen.
How do I make the text smaller again?
Go back to Settings > Appearance > Text Size and drag the slider to the left. If you turned on Larger Accessibility Sizes, turn it off under Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text.
Can I see text larger without changing any sizes?
Yes, with Hover Text. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Hover Text and turn it on. You need a connected mouse or trackpad, or a supported Apple Pencil, to point at text and see a larger version of it.
Related Guides
Once the text is comfortable to read, these iPad guides cover other display and typing settings.
- How to change iPad Auto-Lock
- How to change iPad keyboard settings
- How to reset settings on an iPad
- How to use Night Shift on iPad
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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