How To Make Text and Icons Bigger in Windows 10 and 11

By / Windows 10, Windows 11 / 6 minutes of reading

Do you find yourself squinting at your computer screen? On modern high-resolution monitors and laptops, text and icons can appear frustratingly small at the default settings. The good news is that Windows 10 and Windows 11 both give you several easy ways to make everything larger — no technical knowledge required.

This guide covers three methods: making everything bigger using display scaling, making only text bigger using Windows accessibility settings, and zooming in on webpages in your browser.

Table Of Contents
  1. Method 1: Make Everything Bigger — Display Scaling (Windows 10 and 11)
  2. Method 2: Make Only Text Bigger — Windows Accessibility Settings
  3. Method 3: Make Webpages Bigger in Your Browser
  4. Bonus: Use Windows Magnifier for Temporary Zoom
  5. Which Method Should You Use?
  6. Summary

Method 1: Make Everything Bigger — Display Scaling (Windows 10 and 11)

The quickest way to make icons, text, apps, and menus larger all at once is to change the display scale settings for your computer. This is sometimes called DPI scaling or “Scale & Layout” in Windows settings.

This is the best option if your entire screen feels too small — for example, on a laptop with a Full HD or 4K display where everything looks tiny. It’ll make everything that bigger and easier to see, making your computer more comfortable to use.

Steps for Windows 11:

  1. Right-click on any empty area of your desktop.
  2. Select Display settings from the menu.
  3. Scroll down to the Scale & layout section.
  4. Click the dropdown arrowhead under Scale.
  5. Choose a higher percentage — 125% or 150% are good starting points. On larger screens you may see options up to 200% or more.
Make everything appear bigger in Windows 11. Display Settings highlighted on options menu.
Right click on your desktop and then left click Display Settings.
Scale and layout settings in Windows 11
To make everything a little bigger on your screen select a higher percentage under Scale.

Steps for Windows 10:

  1. Right-click on the desktop and select Display settings.
  2. Under Scale and layout, look for Change the size of text, apps, and other items.
  3. Select a higher percentage from the dropdown — try 125% first, then go higher if needed.
Display Settings indicated on Windows 10 options menu.
Right click on your Windows 10 desktop, then left click Display Settings on the options menu.
Changing the Scale and layout in Wndows 10 to make everything look a little larger on screen.
Click the dropdown arrow and change the scale to a higher percentage to make everything appear larger on screen.

Quick Note

On some laptops, the maximum scaling you can select is 125%. This is a hardware limitation, not something you’ve done wrong. If you need more, try Method 2 below as well.

Tip: Windows may label one option as “Recommended” — don’t let that put you off changing it. The recommended setting is just Windows’ best guess; you should pick whatever feels comfortable for your own eyes. You can always switch back.

Method 2: Make Only Text Bigger — Windows Accessibility Settings

If icons and buttons feel a comfortable size but text is hard to read, you can increase text size separately without changing the rest of your display. This setting is found in the Accessibility section of Windows settings (called Ease of Access in Windows 10).
This is ideal if you want larger labels, menus, and system text but don’t want your icons or windows to grow.

Steps for Windows 11:

  1. Press the Windows key + U to open Accessibility settings, or go to Start > Settings > Accessibility.
  2. Click Text size under the Vision section.
  3. Drag the Text size slider to the right. You’ll see a live preview text (above) change size as you adjust.
  4. When you’re happy, click Apply. Windows will briefly show a “Please wait” message.
Change text size in Windows 11 in the Accessibility settings.
Click Text Size.
Drag the Text Size slider to the right to make text appear larger in Windows 11.
Then use the slider to make the text larger.

Steps for Windows 10:

  1. Press the Windows key + U to open Ease of Access settings.
  2. Under Make text bigger, drag the slider to the right.
  3. You’ll see the “Sample Text” increase in size as you move the slider.
  4. Click the Apply button when you’re happy with the changes.
Make text bigger in Windows 10
Drag the slider to make text on your computer appear bigger.

Quick Tip

For the best result, try combining both methods — use display scaling to get everything to a comfortable size, then fine-tune text size separately if needed. This works especially well on small laptops with high-resolution screens.

Method 3: Make Webpages Bigger in Your Browser

When you’re browsing the internet, individual websites may still feel small even after changing your Windows settings. Fortunately, there’s a simple keyboard shortcut that works in every major browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and others.

To zoom in on a webpage:

  • Hold Ctrl and press the + (Plus) key. Each press makes the page a little bigger.

To zoom back out:

  • Hold Ctrl and press the – (Minus) key.

To reset the zoom back to normal:

  • Hold Ctrl and press 0 (zero).

You can also use your mouse scroll wheel: hold Ctrl and scroll up to zoom in, or scroll down to zoom out.

Good to Know

If you close your browser while it’s zoomed in, it’ll still be zoomed in when you open it again. It “remembers” what state it was in when you last used it.

Browser zoom only affects your web browser. Your Windows display settings and text size settings still apply everywhere else on your computer.

Bonus: Use Windows Magnifier for Temporary Zoom

If you only need to zoom in temporarily — for example, to read a small piece of text or look at a map in detail — Windows has a built-in Magnifier tool that blows up part of your screen.

  • Turn Magnifier on: Press Windows key + Plus (+)
  • Move around the screen by moving your mouse pointer in the direction you want to go.
  • Zoom in more: Keep pressing Windows key + Plus (+)
  • Zoom out: Press Windows key + Minus (–)
  • Turn Magnifier off: Press Windows key + Esc

Magnifier is great for occasional use but isn’t designed as a permanent solution — for that, stick with display scaling and text size settings.

Which Method Should You Use?

What feels too smallBest solution
Everything — icons, text, apps, menusDisplay scaling (Method 1)
Text only — labels, menus, SettingsAccessibility text size (Method 2)
Webpages onlyBrowser zoom (Method 3)
One area of the screen, temporarilyWindows Magnifier

Summary

Adjusting your display scale and text size settings is the most effective way to reduce eye strain and make your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer easier to use.
Don’t be afraid to experiment, I know from my own early experiences that changing settings on computer is a little scary, but all of these settings can be easily changed back at any time. Start with 125% display scaling and work up from there until your screen feels comfortable.

As for the Windows Magnifier, I find it a little cumbersome to use, but it’s there if you ever need it.

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