Change Font in Mail App on iPhone: Step-by-Step

This guide shows you how to change the font size and style in the Mail app on your iPhone. While iOS doesn’t offer a direct “change font” button inside Mail, you can adjust the text size globally or per-app, and use bold text for the entire system. You’ll also learn how to change the font used when composing emails by pasting text from other apps. No special tools are needed—just your iPhone’s Settings.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone running iOS 15 or later (steps are similar on older versions).
• Access to the Settings app (the gray gear icon).
• For composing with a custom font, any app that lets you format text (like Notes, Pages, or a third-party rich-text editor).

Step-by-Step

Adjust Font Size in Mail (Per-App Setting)

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Mail.
3. Tap Message Font Size (under the “Composing” section).
4. You’ll see a slider with a small “A” on the left and a large “A” on the right. Drag the slider to the right to increase the font size, or to the left to decrease it.
5. As you drag, a preview above the slider shows how the text will look. When you’re satisfied, tap Back in the top-left corner to save the change.
6. Open the Mail app to see the new size applied to your message list and email content.

Change Font Size for All Apps (Including Mail)

1. Go to Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Tap Text Size.
3. Drag the slider to adjust the base font size. This affects all apps that support Dynamic Type, including Mail.
4. If you want even larger text, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text and toggle it on, then drag the slider.
5. Note: The per-app setting in Mail overrides this global setting for the Mail app only.

Make Mail Text Bold

1. Open Settings > Display & Brightness.
2. Toggle on Bold Text. Your iPhone will restart to apply the change.
3. After restart, Mail will use bold fonts throughout, making text appear heavier and slightly larger.

Change the Actual Font Style When Composing (Workaround)

1. Open an app that supports rich text formatting, such as Notes or Pages.
2. Type your email content there. Use the app’s formatting tools to change the font style (e.g., to a serif font like Georgia, or a monospace font).
3. Select all the text (tap and hold, then drag the selection handles, or tap “Select All” in the menu).
4. Tap Copy.
5. Open the Mail app and start a new email. Tap and hold in the body area, then tap Paste.
6. The pasted text will retain its font formatting, as long as the source app uses standard text styles that iOS can transfer.
7. You can also use this method to paste formatted text from a web page or a PDF.

Common Mistakes

• Looking for a font dropdown in Mail: Mail doesn’t have a built-in font picker for composing. Don’t waste time searching for it—use the workaround above.
• Changing the wrong setting: The “Message Font Size” in Mail settings only affects the reading view, not the font when you compose. To change the compose font, you must use the copy-paste method.
• Forgetting that Bold Text restarts your iPhone: If you toggle Bold Text, your phone will restart. Make sure you’ve saved any work before doing this.
• Expecting the per-app setting to affect all text: The per-app setting in Mail only changes the size, not the style. It also doesn’t affect the font used in the email list—only the message content.

Tips

• Use the Larger Text accessibility option if the standard Text Size slider isn’t big enough. It goes beyond the regular maximum.
• If you often need a specific font for business emails, create a template in Notes with your preferred font and copy-paste from there each time.
• To quickly zoom in on any email, double-tap with three fingers to zoom (if enabled in Accessibility > Zoom). This is a temporary magnifier, not a permanent font change.
• Keep your iPhone updated. Apple occasionally adds new formatting options in Mail with iOS updates.

Troubleshooting

• Font size doesn’t change in Mail: Make sure you’re adjusting the correct slider. The “Message Font Size” is under Mail settings, not Display & Brightness. Also, check if you have any custom font settings in the Mail app’s “Composing” section that might override.
• Pasted text loses formatting: Some apps don’t export rich text when copying. Try copying from a different app, or use the “Paste and Match Style” option (if available) to force a specific style. If you’re pasting from a website, the formatting may not transfer if the site uses non-standard CSS.
• Bold Text option is grayed out: This usually happens if you have a profile or restriction enabled. Check Settings > General > Restrictions (or Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions) to ensure Display settings aren’t locked.
• Changes don’t apply to emails I receive: The font size setting only affects how text is displayed on your screen. The sender’s font choice is preserved in the email’s HTML, and you can’t override it for incoming emails except by zooming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the default font for composing new emails?

No, Mail doesn’t have a built-in default font selector. You can only change the font by copying formatted text from another app and pasting it into the email body.

Why is my Mail font so small?

Your Mail font size might be set to a small value in Settings > Mail > Message Font Size. Increase the slider, or go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and adjust the global slider.

Does changing the font size in Mail affect attachments?

No, it only affects the text in the email body and list. Attachments like PDFs or Word documents open in their own viewers with their own zoom controls.

Can I change the font color in Mail?

Yes, when composing, select the text and tap the “Aa” icon in the formatting bar (above the keyboard). You can change the color, but not the font style directly.

Will the font change sync across my other Apple devices?

No, font size settings are per-device. You’ll need to adjust them on each iPhone, iPad, or Mac separately.

Is there a way to make the font bold only for the subject line?

No, the subject line always appears bold in the message list. You can’t change that separately.

Related

• Recover Deleted Photos from SD Card on Android Without a Computer
• Fix Computer Problems With This Fast Simple Trick
• Fix Facebook Messenger Not Working on Mac