A new iPhone is a common holiday gift for a parent or grandparent, and the first thing many of them say is that the text is too small. Before you wrap it, or on the day you set it up together, a few settings make the screen much easier to read. This guide follows Apple's iPhone User Guide, with the current iOS steps first and notes for iOS 26.
Start with Text Size
Apple lets you set one preferred text size for supported apps, including Calendar, Mail, Messages, Notes and Settings.
- Go to the Settings app on the iPhone.
- Tap Appearance, then tap Text Size.
- Drag the slider left or right to change the text size.
On iOS 26: the same options are under Display & Brightness instead of Appearance.
Set it while the person who will use the phone is holding it. What looks fine to you may still be small to them.
Make the text bold
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap Appearance (Display & Brightness on iOS 26), then turn on Bold Text.
Bold Text makes letters heavier everywhere, which helps a lot on a bright Lock Screen or in low light.
Magnify the entire screen with Display Zoom
Text Size only changes text. Display Zoom makes text and interface elements like icons and buttons larger too.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Tap Appearance (Display & Brightness on iOS 26), tap Display Zoom, then tap Larger Text.
- Tap the confirm button, then tap Use Zoomed.
With everything larger, fewer apps fit on each Home Screen page, so it's a good moment to keep only the essentials on page one.
Go even bigger with Larger Accessibility Sizes
If the regular slider still isn't enough, Apple has extra sizes in Accessibility:
- Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
- Tap Larger Text.
- Turn on Larger Accessibility Sizes, then drag the slider to adjust the text size.
On the same Display & Text Size screen you can also turn on Bold Text, and Apple lists more options there, including Button Shapes, On/Off Labels, Reduce Transparency, Increase Contrast and Reduce White Point.
Change text size inside an app
Apple's tip: open Control Center, then adjust the Text Size slider. If it isn't there, tap the Add button in the top-left corner, tap Add a Control, then tap the Text Size control. This is handy for a parent who only needs bigger text in one app, like Messages.
A gift-day setup checklist
- Text Size: set it with them, at a comfortable reading distance.
- Bold Text: turn it on if letters look thin.
- Display Zoom: choose Larger Text for bigger icons and buttons.
- Control Center: add the Text Size control for quick changes.
- Lock Screen: pick a simple, high-contrast wallpaper so the time is easy to read.
Troubleshooting
- Some apps didn't change: the text size setting applies to apps that support it, so a few apps may stay the same.
- Display Zoom option missing: Apple describes Display Zoom as a feature of supported iPhone models.
- Text now too big: move the Text Size slider back a step.
Going further with ScreenLux
ScreenLux is the wallpaper app I built, and a clean, high-contrast background keeps a bigger clock and larger icons easy to read. On iPhone, its live wallpapers arrive as Live Photos for the Lock Screen, so a winter design can move. The holiday styles are at customphonewallpapers.com. All artwork is created with generative AI tools.
ScreenLux is free to download and preview; subscription unlocks the full catalog and removes ads.
My team specializes in advanced generative AI art and video, and WatchLux and ScreenLux are where we apply it to the watch and the phone.
- iPhone and iPad: ScreenLux on the App Store
Sources checked (official help pages, Oct 22, 2026): Apple iPhone User Guide, "Adjust iPhone display and text settings" (support.apple.com/guide/iphone/adjust-iphone-display-and-text-settings-iphd6804774e/ios); Apple iPhone User Guide, "Make text easier to read on iPhone" (support.apple.com/guide/iphone/make-text-easier-to-read-iph3c076905a/ios)
Sean McCue, Founder, WatchLux and ScreenLux
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