Applies ToOutlook for Microsoft 365 Outlook 2024 Outlook 2021 Outlook 2019 Outlook 2016 New Outlook for Windows

To quickly navigate your Inbox, consider enlarging the text of the subject lines and column headers, or altering their font for better readability.

Select a tab option below for the version of Outlook you're using. What version of Outlook do I have?

Note: If the steps under this New Outlook tab don't work, you may not be using new Outlook for Windows yet. Select the Classic Outlook tab and follow those steps instead.

Change the font size in your new Outlook message list

  1. From the menu, select View > View settings.

  2. Select Mail > Layout.

  3. Under Text size and spacing, select desired text size (Small, Medium, or Large).

  4. Select Save to apply the changes.

Temporarily enlarge an email in the Reading Pane in new Outlook

In the Reading Pane, you can also make the contents of an email larger so it’s easier to read. 

  1. From the menu, select View.

  2. Select Zoom. Use the or to select your desired size between 50% - 200%. (If Zoom is greyed out, select a message to view it in the Reading Pane.) You can Reset the size at anytime.

    Tip: Increasing the size of the text in the Reading Pane only works on the email you are currently looking at. When you select another email, the body text will return to the default font size. 

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Change the font size in your classic Outlook message list 

  1. Select Mail.

  2. Select View > View Settings.

  3. Select Other Settings.

  4. To change the font or font size for the column headers in your Inbox (like “From” and “Subject”), select Column Font, and then make the desired adjustment.

    Click Column Font, and then make your selections

  5. To change the font or font size of the message subject lines in your Inbox, select Row Font, and then make the desired adjustment.

    Click Row Font, and then make the selections you want.

Temporarily enlarge an email in the Reading Pane in classic Outlook

In the Reading Pane, you can also make the contents of an email larger, so it’s easier to read.

However, increasing the size of the text in the Reading Pane only works on the email you are currently looking at. When you click on another email, the body text will return to the default font size.

  1. Click once on the message you want to preview in the Reading Pane.

  2. In the bottom corner of the Outlook window, drag the zoom bar right (for larger text).Move the bar right to zoom in.

  3. If you want to keep your zoom settings, select the current %, select the percentage you would like to zoom to, then select the Remember my preference check box. Select OK to save.Zoom choices and a remember my choices option​​​​​​​

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