Android phone home screen.
Chikena/Shutterstock.com

Customization is one of the things that makes Android so great, but it's for more than just aesthetics. If you have trouble seeing things, you can adjust the size of icons, text, and more. We'll show you how.

Depending on what version of Android you're using (and what type of phone), it's possible that you may be able to change just the text size, or even make everything on the screen larger. We're going to talk about all of those options here—as well as a few other things you can do to make your phone easier to see.

Note: The screenshots below are from a Google Pixel phone with Android 12. The steps and terms will be similar for other devices and versions of Android.

RELATED: How to Change the Navigation Buttons or Gestures on Android

How to Change the Icon & Font Size on Android

To change the size of app icons on Android, you'll also be changing the size of the text. This is due to the "Display Size" settings, which essentially enlarge the entire phone interface.

First, swipe down once or twice—depending on your phone—to reveal the Quick Settings menu. Select the gear icon to go to the system settings.

Now go to the "Display" settings.

Go to "Display."

Look for "Display Size" or "Screen Zoom."

Select "Display Size."

Slide the dot on the scale at the bottom of the screen to adjust the size. You can swipe between the previews to see how things will look.

Adjust the display scale.

That's it. The display size will change in real-time as you move the dot on the scale.

How to Change Only the Text Size on Android

What if you only want to adjust the size of the text? We can do that too.

First, swipe down once or twice—depending on your phone—to reveal the Quick Settings menu. Select the gear icon to go to the system settings.

Now go to the "Display" settings.

Go to "Display."

Look for "Font Size" or "Font Size and Style."

Select "Font Size."

Slide the dot on the scale at the bottom of the screen to adjust the text size. You can see a preview of the text at the top of the screen.

Adjust font scale.

That's it. The text size for your entire phone will change with this setting.

How to Temporarily Magnify the Screen on Android

Maybe you don't want to permanently make everything on your phone giant. Android's Magnification tool allows you to zoom in on things whenever you want.

First, swipe down once or twice—depending on your phone—to reveal the Quick Settings menu. Select the gear icon to go to the system settings.

Scroll down to "Accessibility."

Select "Accessibility."

Select "Magnification." On a Samsung device, you'll need to go to "Visibility Enhancements" first.

Select "Magnification."

Toggle the switch on to enable the "Magnification Shortcut."

Enable the "Magnification Shortcut."

Android 12 introduced a visible Magnification Shortcut that floats on the edge of the screen. You can tap this to switch between different magnification modes.

Tap the floating shortcut.

Previous versions of Android have a two-finger gesture to bring up the magnification modes. Simply swipe up from the bottom of the screen with two fingers.

Swipe up with two fingers.

In both cases, you have a number of methods to zoom in while using Magnification.

To zoom in:

  1. Start Magnification.
  2. Tap the screen.
  3. Drag 2 fingers to move around the screen.
  4. Pinch with 2 fingers to adjust zoom.
  5. Use shortcut to stop magnification.

To zoom in temporarily:

  1. Start Magnification.
  2. Touch and hold anywhere on the screen.
  3. Drag finger to move around the screen.
  4. Lift finger to stop magnification.

With all of these methods, you can get your Android device looking the way you want. Some people prefer big, bold icons and text, regardless of their vision capabilities. Other people like to maximize the screen space and make elements smaller. You do you.

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