How to Change the Default Font in Outlook (and Make Text Bigger)
You want every email you write to start in the same font and size, without changing it by hand each time. Or the text you read is too small. Those are two different settings, and each version of Outlook keeps them in a different place.
In short: to change the default font for emails you write, use Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Message format in new Outlook for Windows, Settings > Mail > Compose on the web (Email instead of Mail on Outlook.com), File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts in classic Outlook, and Outlook > Settings > Composing in Outlook for Mac. Classic Outlook has separate fonts for New mail messages and Replying or forwarding messages, so set both. Your font doesn’t apply to plain text messages. To make text bigger for reading, use View > Zoom in new Outlook and on the web, or the zoom slider at the bottom right of the Outlook window in classic Outlook.
Change Default Font in Outlook: Where the Setting Is
| Outlook | Default font for emails you write | Bigger text for reading |
|---|---|---|
| New Outlook for Windows | Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Message format | View > Zoom, one email at a time |
| Outlook on the web and Outlook.com | Settings > Mail (Email on Outlook.com) > Compose > Message format (HTML only) | View > Zoom, or your browser’s zoom |
| Classic Outlook for Windows | File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts, separate fonts for new mail and replies | Zoom slider at the bottom right of the window, with “Remember my preference” |
| Outlook for Mac | Outlook > Settings > Composing (legacy Outlook: Fonts) | Format > Increase Font Size, or the preview font under Reading |
| Outlook for iPhone and Android | No steps from Microsoft; work admins can set one | Follows your phone’s text size |
How to Change the Default Font in New Outlook for Windows
These steps come from Microsoft’s Set a default font for email messages article.
- Select Settings (the gear icon), or on the View tab select View settings.
- Select Mail, then Compose and reply (some Microsoft pages say Compose).
- Under Message format, choose the font and size you want.
- Select Save.
How to Change the Default Font in Outlook on the Web and Outlook.com
Microsoft gives the same steps for personal and work or school accounts. Its articles name the first menu Mail; on a personal Outlook.com account in November 2026 it was labelled Email.
- Select Settings (the gear icon).
- Select Mail (Email on Outlook.com), then Compose.
- Under Message format, set Compose messages in to HTML. Microsoft says fonts can only be changed in HTML format.
- Choose the font and size. A sample line shows how your text will look.
- Select Save.
How to Change the Default Font in Classic Outlook
Classic Outlook keeps separate fonts for new messages, for replies and forwards, and for plain text. These steps come from Microsoft’s default font article and its font article for classic Outlook.
- Select File > Options > Mail.
- Under Compose messages, select Stationery and Fonts.
- On the Personal Stationery tab, under New mail messages, select Font.
- Choose the font, style, size and color. The preview updates as you go.
- Select OK.
- Repeat with the Font button under Replying or forwarding messages, so your replies match.
- Select OK until the dialogs close. The change applies right away.
The third Font button, for composing and reading plain text messages, sets how plain text messages look while you write and read them. Plain text doesn’t support fonts, so it doesn’t change what recipients see.
To go back to the original font, open the same Font box and choose +Body, Regular, size 11 and color Automatic. Microsoft’s font articles still name Calibri as Outlook’s default font. Microsoft designed Aptos as the new default Office font to replace Calibri, so a newer setup may show Aptos instead.
How to Change the Default Font in Outlook for Mac
Microsoft’s Mac font article gives different steps for new and legacy Outlook for Mac. In new Outlook for Mac:
- Select Outlook > Settings, then Composing (or Fonts, if that’s what you see).
- Next to New mail, click Select…, choose a font and size, then OK.
- Do the same next to Reply or forward.
In legacy Outlook for Mac, go to Outlook > Settings > Fonts, then click Font next to each style under Default fonts. Microsoft set October 2026 as the end of support for legacy Outlook for Mac, with continued support depending on your license.
Can You Change the Font in the Outlook App on iPhone and Android?
Microsoft’s support pages don’t give steps. Its page Can I change the font when composing an email or reply? says this is “currently unavailable.” Its admin documentation, updated in October 2026, disagrees in part. It says an organization’s IT can set a default font and size for the app, for reading and for composing, and can choose whether users may change it. For a personal account, Microsoft documents no default font setting you can change yourself, as of November 2026.
- Work or school account: if your emails from the app use a font you didn’t pick, ask IT. They may have set it.
How to Make Outlook Font Size Bigger for Reading
Many people searching for “Outlook font size” want to read mail more easily. Your default font doesn’t help here. It only changes what you write, and Microsoft notes that incoming HTML messages may use their own fonts and sizes.
- New Outlook for Windows: select a message, then View > Zoom. Use + to zoom in, - to zoom out, and Reset to go back. Microsoft says this zoom applies only to the email you have open, so you repeat it for each one. For larger text in the message list, see below.
- Outlook on the web and Outlook.com: open a message, then View > Zoom, and choose Zoom in, Zoom out or Reset. Your browser’s zoom works too, for example Settings and more > Zoom in Microsoft Edge (Microsoft’s steps).
- Classic Outlook, one message: drag the zoom slider at the bottom right of the Outlook window, or click in the reading pane, hold Ctrl and roll the mouse wheel.
- Classic Outlook, every message: click the percentage next to the zoom slider, pick a level in the Zoom window, and tick Remember my preference. If clicking the percentage doesn’t open it, open the email in its own window and select Zoom on the ribbon.
- Outlook for Mac: select a message, then Format > Increase Font Size. Microsoft says this resets when you leave the folder. For a lasting change, set Preview font for message under Outlook > Settings > Reading. In legacy Outlook for Mac, use the text display size slider under Outlook > Settings > Fonts.
- iPhone and Android: Microsoft says the app adjusts to the font size in your device settings. On Android, Microsoft gives Settings > Display and wallpaper > Font; the names vary by phone.
The message list has its own text size. In new Outlook, go to View > View settings > Mail > Layout, choose Small, Medium or Large under Text size and spacing, then select Save. In classic Outlook, go to View > View Settings > Other Settings and change Row Font for subject lines or Column Font for the headings (Microsoft’s steps).
Why Your Default Font Doesn’t Stick
- The message is in plain text. Plain text doesn’t support fonts or colors. In classic Outlook, check File > Options > Mail > Compose messages in this format and choose HTML. For a single reply, pop it out and select Format Text > HTML, per Microsoft’s message format article. On the web, set Compose messages in to HTML.
- Only new mail was changed. Classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac keep a separate font for replies and forwards. Set both.
- A theme or stationery is set. A theme comes with its own fonts, which can take the place of yours. In classic Outlook, go to File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts, select Theme on the Personal Stationery tab, and choose (No Theme) (Microsoft’s steps).
- You changed a different Outlook. Classic Outlook, new Outlook, the web and the Mac each have their own steps above. Check the one you write from.
- The recipient sees another font. If their device doesn’t have your font, Microsoft says their mail program swaps in one it has. A common font is the safer choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default font in Outlook?
Microsoft’s Outlook articles name Calibri, size 11, in black. Microsoft designed Aptos as the new default Office font to replace Calibri, so a newer Outlook may start new emails in Aptos. You can change either in your Outlook’s compose settings.
How do I change the default font size in Outlook?
Use the same setting as the font. New Outlook: Settings > Mail > Compose and reply > Message format. Web: Settings > Mail > Compose (Email instead of Mail on Outlook.com). Classic Outlook: File > Options > Mail > Stationery and Fonts > Font. Mac: Outlook > Settings > Composing. Pick a size and save.
Why does my reply use a different font from my new emails?
Classic Outlook and Outlook for Mac keep a separate font for replies and forwards. In classic Outlook, set it with the Font button under Replying or forwarding messages in Stationery and Fonts. If the reply opened in plain text, switch it to HTML.
How do I make the text bigger when reading emails in Outlook?
Zoom the message. In new Outlook and on the web, select View > Zoom; in new Outlook, Microsoft says this applies only to the email you have open. In classic Outlook, drag the zoom slider at the bottom right of the Outlook window, and tick Remember my preference in the Zoom window to keep it. On a phone, change your device’s text size.
Will the recipient see the font I chose?
Only in formatted email such as HTML, not plain text, and only if their device has that font. Microsoft says their mail program substitutes a font it has when yours is missing. Plain text email carries no font at all.