To change the default font in Google Docs, select some text, choose the font and size you want, then click Format > Paragraph styles > Normal text > Update ‘Normal text’ to match. Then click Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles. New documents will start with that font.
These steps follow Google’s Docs Editors Help pages on changing how paragraphs and fonts look and titles and headings, plus the iPhone and iPad version of the formatting page. The default-style commands are in Google Docs on a computer.
How to Change the Default Font in Google Docs
- Open a document in Google Docs on your computer and type a line of text.
- Select the text, then choose a font from the Font menu and a size from Font size in the toolbar.
- With the text still selected, click Format > Paragraph styles > Normal text.
- Click Update ‘Normal text’ to match.
- Click Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles.
Result: Every new document you create starts with your font and size for body text. Step 4 alone only changes the Normal text style in the current document; step 5 is what makes it your default.
How to Apply Your Default Font to an Existing Document
Saving a default does not change documents you already have. Open the document and click Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Use my default styles.
Result: The document switches to your saved style set. This applies the whole set, including any heading styles you saved, so use it when you want the document to match your saved formatting.
How to Set Default Fonts for Headings
- Format a heading the way you want it, then select it.
- Click Format > Paragraph styles > Heading 1 > Update ‘Heading 1’ to match.
- Repeat for any other heading levels you use. Google Docs has six heading levels plus Title and Subtitle.
- Click Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Save as my default styles.
Result: Your headings use their own fonts in new documents. Google notes that updating a style changes all text in the document that uses it.
How to Restore Google’s Original Font
- Click Format > Paragraph styles > Options > Reset styles.
- To make the original styles your default again, click Options > Save as my default styles.
Result: The document returns to Google’s original style set. Resetting and saving are separate steps, so do both if you want future documents to use the original font too.
Change the Font for a Whole Document
If you only need to change one file, press Ctrl+A (Command+A on a Mac) to select everything, then pick a font and size in the toolbar. Google also documents a keyboard route: press Alt+/ (Option+/ on a Mac), type part of the font name, press the Down arrow to select it, and press Enter.
How to Add More Fonts
Google says that in supported languages you can add fonts to your list: open the font search with Alt+/ (Option+/ on a Mac), type “more fonts,” and press Enter. In the dialog, select the fonts you want and click OK. The dialog lets you search for types like “serif,” “script,” or “mono.”
Can You Change the Default Font in the Google Docs App?
Not directly. Google’s iPhone and iPad help lets you change the style, font, size, and color of selected text (tap Edit, select text, tap Format > Text), but it does not document a default style setting in the app. Try keeping a document with your preferred styles and using More > Make a copy whenever you need a new one on your phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do new documents still use the old font?
You probably updated Normal text without saving it as a default. Repeat step 5 above, Options > Save as my default styles, after updating the style.
How do I change the font color in Google Docs?
Select the text, click Text color in the toolbar, and pick a color. In the iPhone or iPad app, tap Edit, select the text, tap Format > Text, and choose Text color.
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Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
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