How to Change Icon Size and Text Size in Windows 10

Windows has introduced a new addition to its family of software, Windows 10. It is a new addition to the family. As much as consumers are appreciating Windows 10, they find it hard to get used to it. Simple things like changing the background or changing the icon size can be a challenging task. This is definitely not because Windows 10 is hard to use and can always be operated by tech savvy people but because it is a new software system and different from its processors.

Many people want to know how they can change the icon size in Windows 10. Many even think that Windows 10 does not offer such features and it is not possible to change the icon from its default setting. However this is not the case. It is very much possible to change your icon size or even magnify it. It is even possible to change the text size for icons. So to answer this question today, we will bring you a step by step tutorial and guide today. Follow the steps below to re-size or magnify your icon size:

How to Re-Size Desktop Icons in Windows 10

1. Right-click on the blank area of the desktop.
2. Move your mouse pointer to View.
3. Click on your desired option from the list (Large icons / Medium icons / Small icons).

How to Re-size Icons and Text Size in Windows 10

You can easily resize your icon size by following the steps below:

1. Click on Start button → Settings → Ease of access.
2. Click on Display from the left side pane.
3. Now look at the right side pane, you’ll see a slide bar “Make text size bigger“. Move the slider to change the sizes of the texts, apps, Taskbar Icon and other things. If you move the slider to the right, the size will increase and if you move it to the left, the size will start decreasing.
4. You will see an option called Apply below. Click on it to save your settings.

How to Magnify in Windows 10

Another method to change the size of icons is by magnifying. It is possible to magnify a portion of your screen or your icon size. To do this, you can use the magnifier icon on your laptop or use the shortcut to quickly magnify whatever you want, just by pressing Windows Key and + (Plus Sign). You can also bring up magnifier in Windows 10 by clicking on Start button -> Settings -> Ease of Access -> Magnifier then move the slider to make it work.

You can use the plus sign (+) to magnify and zoom in and the minus sign (-) to zoom out again. You can use the Windows key and ESC key to exit the magnifier window.

Though Windows allows the users to change the icons according to their own preferences, it is always more advisable to let the settings stay at default unless very crucial. This is because Windows has designed the features in its software system according to the particular needs of people.

How to Change the Icon Size in Windows 10

By Melanie Pinola 29 April 2019

Wish the desktop icons in Windows 10 were bigger so you could stop squinting at them or they’d be easier to tap on a touch screen laptop? Or do you wish they were smaller so the shortcuts didn’t take up as much space on your laptop’s screen? Not to worry, we have a list of short steps on how to change the icon size in Windows 10.

How to Change the Size of Desktop Icons in Windows 10

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop.

2. Select View from the contextual menu.

3. Select either Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons. The default is medium icons.

On my laptop with a native 1600 by 900 pixels display, the large option looks huge, the small size is too small, and the medium size looks just right (as Goldilocks would say). Your mileage might vary depending on your screen’s display resolution. Changing the size of the icons on the desktop doesn’t affect the size of the icons elsewhere in Windows 10, but there are ways you can change those too.

How to Change the Size of the Taskbar Icons

If you want to change the size of the icons in your taskbar, there’s a different setting for that, which will also change the size of text, apps, and other items across Windows 10.

1. Right-click on an empty space on the desktop.

2. Select Display settings from the contextual menu.

3. Move the slider under «Change the size of text, apps, and other items» to 100%, 125%, 150%, or 175%.

4. Hit Apply at the bottom of the settings window. Windows might ask you to log out and log back in for a more consistent experience.

This will not only make the icons in the taskbar a bit larger, but it will also make text bigger in apps like Microsoft Edge and Calendar, as well as in Windows 10 notification windows.

How to Change the Size of Icons in File Explorer

If you’d like larger or smaller icons or thumbnails in particular folders, you can change those on the fly in File Explorer.

Just head to your folder location and use your mouse’s scroll wheel to zoom in or out, effectively switching the view between Windows 10’s large icons, medium icons, small icons, list, details, tiles, and content views.

Although File Explorer will remember your last setting when you open this folder again, this is a folder-specific setting, so you’ll have to adjust each folder you’d want different icon and text sizes for.

Windows Icon Size Guide (Win 7 ICO Format)

A Quick & Easy guide to Microsoft Windows Icon Size

There is sometimes a little confusion over the different sizes required to create a Windows 7 Application Icon file. This is in some way brought about by the flexibility of the ICO format and its ability to ‘contain’ many image sizes and colour depths but is also not helped by Microsoft’s own quite poor documentation on Windows Icon Size, see here.

Standard Windows Icon Sizes shown in Axialis Icon Workshop

If you want to create an Windows 7 Compliant ‘Application Icon’, to be used as a short-cut, a file type, or embedded in an executable file, it must contain the minimum following icon sizes:

Standard Windows Icon Size for ICO format

• 256 x 256 pixels – 32bit (24bit colour, 8bit transparency)
• 48 x 48 pixels – 32bit (24bit colour, 8bit transparency)
• 32 x 32 pixels – 32bit (24bit colour, 8bit transparency)
• 16 x 16 pixels – 32bit (24bit colour, 8bit transparency)

To allow for backwards compatibility with Windows operating systems of software with a limited colour palette, you can also include the above icon sizes in 8bit (256 colours, 1bit colour transparency) and if you really wish to cover all eventualities in your icon design, 4bit (16 colours, 1bit transparency). This last colour depth is very rarely of use and as a rule I don’t tend to include it unless requested specifically by the client as it just uses up unnecessary space. In fact, more often than not, 32bit ICO files are fine for most projects but I recommend you test in the final application before making this decision.

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Additional Common Windows Icon Sizes

There are other additional Icon sizes supported by Windows Icons but they are rarely used. However, I will list them here for completion.

Extra Icon Sizes

• 128 x 128 pixels
• 96 x 96 pixels
• 180 x 180 pixels
• 72 x 72 pixels
• 64 x 64 pixels
• 24 x 24 pixels

The size most commonly used size on this list is ’24 x 24′ as it is a standard size for menus within Windows 7 and 3rd-party software. When creating ICO files specifically for menus, rather than app icons, 16 x 16, 24 x 24 & 32 x 32 are the three most common sizes used.

Testing your Windows 7 Icon

The easiest way to test the compatibility of your Windows 7 ICO files is in a standard ‘Window’.

Save your ICO files into a folder and then use the ‘View’ drop down to select the view or size of icon you wish to see.

Standard Windows Icon Sizes shown in Axialis Icon Workshop

Windows 7 automatically scales the icons as you move between the sizes you have created. You can test this by moving the slider up and down.

The actual sizes displayed at each of the headings are as follows:

• Extra Large Icons – 256 x 256 pixels
• Large Icons – 96 x 96 pixels (Automatically rendered by Windows from 256 version)
• Medium Icons – 48 x 48 pixels
• Small Icons – 16 x 16 pixels
• List – 16 x 16 pixels
• Details – 16 x 16 pixels
• Tiles – 48 x 48 pixels
• Content – 32 x 32 pixels

Windows Icon Size Oddities

ICO files can also be used as overlays within Windows 7, a prime example is the small curved arrow used as a short-cut symbol on ‘Shortcut’ icons. Windows overlays a transparent ICO file with a small offset graphic within the bottom left corner, on top of the standard Application ICO file. Annotations is another case applying to the bottom right hand side but I have never come across a request from a client to create icons of this description in the 15 or so years I have been an icon designer, so it is not something I would lose any sleep over.

I hope you found this overview useful.

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37 thoughts on “Windows Icon Size Guide (Win 7 ICO Format)”

And because Microsoft documentation on this is rather vague, like you so attentively noted, I found your post re this subject and had a read, low and behold something came alive.

I have some interest in the overlay portion for icons for an app, the problem is that some of these overlays are bound to the notification tray so end up creating icons with the overlay included because documentation is nonsense and trying to make it work is easier and faster including overlays.
I have of course had requests for this type of icon and its the customers job to implement the icons in the application which doesn’t always go as planned.

Clearest of many articles I’ve read. Thank you.

In the Windows Explorer details view how is it that WinZip, for example, gets the full 16×16 treatment but Notepad and my file types get shrunk to 8×8 inside some gratuitous frame? I want my full 16×16 allocation.

Thanks for the reply. I must admit I have not seen the behaviour you mention in Windows 7 or 8.

I wonder if you may have some 3rd party software that is affecting how your icons are displayed?

Can you provide a link to a screenshot?

Estou com duvida sobre o tamanho do ícone da área de notificação do Windows.

Obs: Fiz alguns teste e todos apresentaram que a imagem da barra de tarefas e da área de notificação são do mesmo tamanho: 32×32. Nos testes crie um ícone com varios tamanhos de imagem (16×16 … 48×48, e outros tamanhos nesse intervalo), cada tamanho coloquei uma cor na imagem diferente.

Sendo que na teoria as imagem da barra de tarefas e da área de notificação são de tamanhos diferentes.

Voce sabe me dizer o porque disso?

Desde já agradeço!

Translated from Portuguese:

I have doubts about the size of the icon in the notification area of Windows.
Note: I did some testing and all showed that the image of the taskbar notification area and are the same size: 32 × 32. In tests create an icon with several image sizes (16 × 16 … 48 × 48, and other sizes in this range), each size put a different color in the image.
Since in theory the image of the taskbar notification area and are of different sizes.
You can tell me why that is?
I thank you!

thanks Adam, very helpful article.

i’ve a question too:
i made an icon contains a 96×96 image, but windows shows a resized 256 (or 128) instead when i chose “large icons” view, have you ever experienced omething like this?

you can see the difference

I hope I understand your question correctly.

Windows only displays the 256 x 256 pixel version if you select the ‘extra large’ icon size. I never include a 96 x 96 pixel version as it is an optional size and as you mention Windows scales the 256 x 256 down as required. Including a 96 x 96 size just adds to the file size and unless you have a specific requirement for this size within some application, it shouldn’t be necessary.

I am sorry I missed your reply.

Could you please provide a screen capture to explain what you mean?

aha! thanks for the fat reply 🙂

Well here’s another one more oddity in the way Windows handles overlays. Overlay icons for 256×256 size must not be in the lower left corner of the icon, and must not be already smaller to perfectly ‘overlay’ the bigger sized icon. 256×256 overlay icons must fill up the complete available icon, and also must not be resized. Vista/7/8 do that for you for 256×256 icons. In other words Vista/7/8 take any 256×256 icon and resize it to 92×92, move it to the lower left corner and overlay it. For all other resolutions smaller than 256×256, Vista/7/8 work in the same way as XP, you have to prepare an overlay icon in the lower left corner.

Hi and thanks for the nice guide!

I have a question though. What is the name of the tool you use in the first screenshot?

Change Icon Text Size in Windows 10 Creators Update

Starting with Windows 10 Creators Update, Microsoft has removed the ability to change advanced text sizing options. Various options to configure the text size for user interface items like menus, title bars, icons and other elements have been removed along with the classic Display settings. Here is how you can change the Icon text size in Windows 10 Creators Update version 1703.

Like other text sizing options, the text size of icons could be configured in «Advanced sizing of text» classic applet. Here is a screenshot from Windows 10 Anniversary Update version 1607:

After you click that link, the following window will appear on the screen:

In Windows 10 Creators Update version 1703, this dialog has been removed. Thankfully, it is still possible to change the text size using a Registry tweak. Let’s see how.

To change text size of icons in Windows 10 Creators Update, do the following.

To adjust the text size of icons in Windows 10 version 1703, apply a Registry tweak as described below.

1. Open Registry Editor. If you are not familiar with Registry Editor, see this detailed tutorial.
2. Go to the following Registry key:

There you can find a special value IconFont. Its value contains the encoded structure » LOGFONT «. The type of the value is REG_BINARY.

You cannot edit it directly, because its values are encoded. But here is the good news — you can use my Winaero Tweaker, which will allow you to change the menu font easily.

1. Download Winaero Tweaker.
2. Install the app and go to Advanced Appearance\Icons.
3. Change the icon font and its size to anything you want.

Besides that, you can adjust horizontal and vertical spacing between icons. See the article «How to change Desktop icon spacing in Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8».

Now, sign out and sign in again to your user account to apply the changes. If you are using Winaero Tweaker, you will be prompted to sign out.

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About Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer from Russia who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

19 thoughts on “ Change Icon Text Size in Windows 10 Creators Update ”

You save my eyes! VERY BIG THANKS.

Very good observation and solution. Thanks!

You are welcome.

I already posted this elsewhere but worth repeating I guess. The change takes effect after signing out and signing in again but the default settings return after reboot. What a pain!

Aren’t microsoft engineers supposed to be SMART.

I’m having the same problem. Sizes revert to defaults when I shut down. Can this be fixed?

Took a while to find this. Brilliant fix!!
Works perfectly after Windows 10 Creators Update changes customised icon font sizes!!

Thank you for solving a problem that I thought would never be resolved. It was very easy to follow and understand your instructions. I wish the people at MICROSOFT were as intelligent and helpful as you!

Thanks for these kind words!

unable to increase/zoom out tool and menu bars for proSeries in windows 10. I believe now days there are many customers using w10 so Intuit should have solution . please advise

Changing the font for the title bars doesn’t work for me. Not after the latest Windows 10 Creator update.

I DO believe Winaero helped me do it prior to that but then it’s been awhile since i had to look into any of this.

Any suggestions? Thanks

BTW, in my comment above, I’m referring to the browser title windows.

Once I install Winaero Tweaker and make my changes to the text size, can I uninstall it? Will my text size changes remain changed in the Registry or do I need to keep Winaero Tweaker installed?

You can uninstall it. However, once you change your desktop theme, or something related to appearance changes (like font size in Settings), the changes you made might be reverted. Anyway, there is no harm if you uninstall the app.

Winearo Tweaker does not appear to work for me in Windows 10 following the creator update – is it supposed to?
Thanks

Which exactly issue you have with the app?

After the Windows 10 Creators update the W.A.T. changes were still permanent after the Fall Creators update they revert back to defaults when I shut down. Is this normal?

Just a quick, earnest comment – f**k microsoft.

Is there a way that Winaero Tweaker can backup the Advance Appearance Settings.
When I upgrade to a new Windows version I use Winaero Tweaker to restore the settings that I have configured.
Winaero Tweaker does not restore any custom settings from Advance Appearance Settings.