Quick step-by-step summary (click to expand)
- Open Gmail on desktop. Mobile apps do not have full font settings.
- Click the gear icon. Top-right corner, then click “See all settings”.
- Find the Default text style section. Under the General tab, scroll down.
- Pick your font style. Choose from the font dropdown (Sans Serif, Serif, Fixed Width, Wide, Narrow, Comic Sans, Garamond, Georgia, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Verdana).
- Pick a size. Small, Normal, Large, or Huge.
- Pick a text color. Optional. Click the T with a color underline to open the color picker.
- Save changes. Scroll to the bottom of the settings page and click “Save Changes”.
Change default font style and size on Gmail Web
- Open mail.google.com in a desktop browser.
- Click the gear icon at the top right, then click “See all settings”.
- Under the General tab, scroll to “Default text style”. This section shows a preview of your current default.
- Click the font family dropdown. Gmail offers 11 built-in fonts. Sans Serif is the default. Serif and Georgia are good for a more formal look. Comic Sans is available but usually not what you want.
- Click the size dropdown next to the font. Options are Small, Normal, Large, and Huge. Normal is the default (about 13px).
- Optional: click the text color picker (the T with a colored underline) to change the default color. Black is standard; only change this if you have a specific reason.
- Scroll to the bottom of the Settings page and click “Save Changes”. Your next compose window will use the new defaults.
Change font per email (without changing the default)
Sometimes you want a special font just for one email without touching your default settings. When composing:
- Highlight the text you want to reformat.
- Click the “A” icon with a paintbrush (in the toolbar at the bottom of the compose window).
- Pick the font, size, or color from the dropdowns that appear.
- The change applies to the selected text only. Your default stays the same for future emails.
Font size options in Gmail (what the labels actually mean)
Gmail hides the exact pixel size, but the four size options map to approximately:
- Small: 10 pixels
- Normal: 13 pixels (the default)
- Large: 18 pixels
- Huge: 24 pixels
For most professional email, Normal or Large works best. Huge is only appropriate for accessibility (visually impaired users) or for people who read on very high-resolution monitors from far away.
Change font size on Gmail Android
The Gmail Android app does not have a font-style setting. What you can change is the overall app text size:
- Open the Gmail app.
- Tap the menu icon (three lines) at the top left.
- Scroll down and tap “Settings”.
- Tap “General settings”, then tap “Default reply action” or similar (font size lives here in some versions).
- Look for “Reading pane font” or similar. If your Android version does not have it, change the system-wide font size instead: Android Settings > Display > Font size.
The mobile app respects the composed email’s font (set on desktop) when displaying it, so if your default is Georgia Large on the web, that renders on mobile too.
Change font size on Gmail iPhone
iOS Gmail has even fewer font options. To make Gmail text larger on iPhone:
- Open the iPhone Settings app (not the Gmail app).
- Tap “Display & Brightness”.
- Tap “Text Size”.
- Drag the slider to the right for larger text. This applies system-wide, including Gmail.
- For even larger sizes, go to Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text and toggle on “Larger Accessibility Sizes”.
Troubleshooting: font changes not saving
- You picked a font but the compose window still uses the old one. Refresh your browser (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R). Gmail sometimes caches the old font style until a full page reload.
- Setting saved but resets after a day. A browser extension is interfering. Disable extensions one at a time (starting with any grammar checker or email formatter) and re-check.
- Font shows in compose but recipient sees a different one. Their email client may substitute the font if it does not have your chosen font installed. Sans Serif, Georgia, and Verdana are the safest choices for cross-client rendering.
- “Save Changes” button grayed out. You have unsaved changes in another section of Settings. Undo those or refresh the page.
- Font resets after switching accounts. Each Gmail account has its own font default. Set it independently in each account’s settings.
Best fonts for professional emails
Not all fonts render the same across email clients. Safe choices that display consistently on Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and Thunderbird:
- Sans Serif (Gmail default): clean and modern, works everywhere
- Georgia: slightly more formal, easy to read on screens
- Verdana: designed for screen readability, no serifs
- Tahoma: compact and readable, common on Windows
Avoid Comic Sans, Fixed Width, Wide, and Narrow for professional work. These look inconsistent across email clients and can appear unprofessional. Fixed Width is only appropriate if you send code snippets frequently.
Reset Gmail font back to default
If you want to go back to the standard Sans Serif Normal:
- Go to Settings > General > Default text style.
- Click the “Remove formatting” button (the T with a small X or diagonal line, right of the color picker).
- Scroll down and click “Save Changes”.
The compose window returns to Sans Serif Normal for new emails.
Official documentation
Frequently asked questions
Can I use custom fonts (like Google Fonts) in Gmail?
Not natively. Gmail only offers 11 built-in fonts. For custom fonts, you would need a third-party email marketing tool like Mailchimp or a browser extension like Simple Gmail Notes. Even then, the recipient may see a fallback font if their email client does not support web fonts.
Why does my font look different in the sent email than in compose?
The recipient’s email client may not have your chosen font installed. It falls back to a default. Stick to Sans Serif, Georgia, Verdana, or Tahoma for consistent rendering across Outlook, Apple Mail, and Thunderbird.
Can I change the font size of received emails, not just sent ones?
Received emails display in the font the sender used. You cannot change that per email. What you can change is your browser zoom level (Ctrl+Plus / Ctrl+Minus) which scales the entire Gmail interface including received emails.
Does the Gmail Android app let me set default fonts?
No. The Android and iPhone Gmail apps do not have a font style setting. Any default you set on the web will apply to emails composed on desktop but not to emails composed on the mobile app.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to change font in compose?
No dedicated shortcut. But Ctrl+B (bold), Ctrl+I (italic), and Ctrl+U (underline) work in compose. To change font style or size, you have to click the formatting toolbar. Enable keyboard shortcuts in Settings if they are not on already.
Can I bold or italicize by default (not just per email)?
Yes. In the Default text style section, click the B (bold), I (italic), or U (underline) button before saving. Every new compose window will start with that formatting active. Most people do not want this because it makes replies stand out awkwardly.