Change Font Style on iPhone and iPad in iOS 10

Changing the font style on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 10 lets you customize how text appears in apps like Mail, Notes, and Safari. While iOS 10 doesn’t offer a system-wide font changer, you can adjust text size, boldness, and use per-app font settings where available. This guide walks you through each option step by step.

What You’ll Need

• An iPhone or iPad running iOS 10 (Settings > General > About > Version to check)
• Your device passcode if you have one enabled
• For per-app fonts: the app must support the iOS 10 text settings (e.g., Notes, Mail, or third-party apps like Pages)

Step-by-Step

1. Open Settings – Tap the gray gear icon on your home screen.
2. Go to Display & Brightness – Scroll down and tap “Display & Brightness.” This controls overall text appearance.
3. Enable Bold Text – Toggle “Bold Text” to ON. Your device will restart to apply the change. All system text becomes thicker and darker.
4. Adjust Text Size – Go back to Settings and tap “General,” then “Accessibility.” Under the “Vision” section, tap “Larger Text.”
5. Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes – Toggle “Larger Accessibility Sizes” to ON to reveal extra-large size options.
6. Drag the slider – Move the slider to the right to increase text size. The preview above the slider updates in real time. This affects apps that support Dynamic Type (Mail, Notes, Calendar, and many third-party apps).
7. Set per-app text size (if supported) – In apps that support it, you can override the global size. For example, in Notes, tap the “Aa” button in the toolbar, then choose a size from the pop-up menu. In Mail, tap the “Aa” icon in the compose window to adjust the font size for that email only.
8. Change font in specific apps – Some apps have their own font settings. For instance, in Pages, tap the paintbrush icon, then “Font” to choose a different typeface. In third-party apps, look for a “Text” or “Typography” option in the app’s settings or toolbar.
9. Use a custom keyboard for different font styles – If you want to type in a different font (like cursive or monospace), install a third-party keyboard from the App Store (e.g., Fonts, Cool Fonts). Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard, then select the installed keyboard. When typing, tap the globe icon to switch to that keyboard and choose the font style.
10. Restart if changes don’t appear – After changing bold text or large text, some apps may need a restart. Close the app completely (swipe up from the app switcher) and reopen it.

Common Mistakes

• Expecting a system-wide font change – iOS 10 does not allow you to change the default font (like Helvetica) across the entire system. You can only adjust size and boldness, or change fonts within individual apps.
• Forgetting to enable “Larger Accessibility Sizes” – Without this toggle, the slider only goes up to a moderate size. Turn it on for much larger text.
• Not checking app compatibility – Many apps don’t support Dynamic Type. If an app ignores your text size setting, it’s the app’s limitation, not a mistake on your part.
• Using a custom keyboard that doesn’t work in all fields – Some keyboards only work in specific apps or may not appear in password fields for security reasons.

Tips

• Use the zoom feature for a quick look – If you just need to read something small, triple-tap with three fingers (if enabled) to zoom in, rather than changing the global text size.
• Set a shortcut for bold text – In Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, you can create a shortcut like “bold” that expands to a bold Unicode character (though this only works in apps that support rich text).
• Try the “Increase Contrast” option – In Settings > General > Accessibility > Increase Contrast, you can turn on “Darken Colors” to make text more legible without changing the font.
• Use the built-in font in Pages – If you need a specific font for documents, Pages offers many typefaces that you can set as the default for new documents.

Troubleshooting

• Bold Text didn’t apply after restart – Go back to Settings > Display & Brightness and toggle Bold Text off and on again. Make sure you wait for the restart to finish completely.
• Text size changes don’t affect an app – The app likely doesn’t support Dynamic Type. Check the app’s own settings for a font size option, or contact the developer.
• Custom keyboard not showing up – Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards, tap “Edit,” and make sure your keyboard is enabled. Also, ensure “Allow Full Access” is turned on for that keyboard (if required) in the keyboard’s settings.
• Font changes revert after update – iOS updates can reset some accessibility settings. Reapply your preferences after updating.
• Cannot find “Larger Text” option – It’s under Settings > General > Accessibility > Larger Text. If you don’t see it, make sure you’re on iOS 10 or later.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I change the system font to a custom one like Arial? – No, iOS 10 does not allow changing the system font. You can only adjust size and boldness. Some apps let you choose different fonts within them.
2. Will changing text size affect all apps? – Only apps that support Dynamic Type will respond to the global text size setting. Many Apple apps do, but third-party apps may not.
3. How do I make text even larger than the maximum slider? – Enable “Larger Accessibility Sizes” and then drag the slider beyond the regular maximum. You can also use the Zoom feature for temporary magnification.
4. Does changing font size affect battery life? – No, font size has no significant impact on battery life.
5. Can I use different fonts for different contacts? – No, iOS 10 doesn’t support per-contact font settings. You can only change the global size or use app-specific settings.
6. Will my font settings sync across devices? – Text size and bold settings are per-device. They do not sync via iCloud. You’ll need to set them on each iPhone or iPad.

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