Make text bigger in Finder, Mail and other Mac apps

Why it happens

Your Mac starts with small, crisp text that fits a lot on screen. That can be hard work for your eyes, especially on a laptop. The Text size slider makes words bigger in supported apps without changing the rest of the screen.

How to fix it

1. Choose Apple menu, then System Settings.

2. Click Accessibility, then Display, then Text size. A new page opens with a slider at the top.

   Accessibility›Display›Text size

3. Drag the slider to the right. Below it you'll see a list of apps, so you can also give one app its own size if you only struggle there.

4. Open Finder or Mail to check. Some apps only pick up the new size after you quit them with Command-Q and open them again.

Still not fixed?

1. To make everything bigger, not just text, open Displays and pick a larger option such as Larger Text under Resolution. Icons, menus and windows all grow.

   Displays›Resolution

2. For a closer look at one spot, turn on Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom, then press Option-Command-Equals to zoom in and Option-Command-Minus to zoom out.

   Accessibility›Zoom›Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom

3. In Safari and most web browsers, press Command-Plus to make a web page bigger, and Command-0 to go back to normal.

4. If text looks blurry rather than small, or the screen shows lines or patches, the display may be faulty. Contact Apple Support or a repair shop.