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How to Increase Font Size in Word Comments and Tracked Changes
Question details
The user needs to increase the font size of text in comments and tracked-change balloons to make them readable.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Reviewing documents with tracked changes and comments where the text appears too small to read comfortably.
- Observed behavior
- Recent Word updates have made comment text and tracked-change balloons difficult to read, and modifying standard styles does not successfully change the displayed font size.
Before making systemic changes to Word's styles or settings, check if simply increasing the document zoom level makes the comments readable for your current reviewing task.
Adjust Document Zoom or Use the Reviewing Pane
The quickest way to make small comment text readable without altering underlying document styles is adjusting the view settings.
Modern comments often scale differently than document text. Zooming in or switching to the dedicated Reviewing Pane can immediately improve legibility.
Navigate to the View tab in the top ribbon and click Zoom, or use the zoom slider located at the bottom right corner of the Word window to increase the percentage.
Go to the Review tab, look for the Tracking group, and click Reviewing Pane (Vertical or Horizontal) to view all tracked changes and comments in a separate, clearer list.
Disable Modern Comments
Reverting to classic comments can restore traditional balloon text formatting, allowing custom font sizes to apply correctly.
Modify the Balloon Text Style
If you are using classic comments, changing the built-in Balloon Text style will adjust the default font size for tracked changes.
Try WPS Office for a Cleaner, More Legible Reviewing Experience
If Microsoft Word updates are making it frustrating to read comments and tracked changes, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, user-friendly interface with excellent Microsoft format compatibility, making document reviews seamless without forced UI changes.
- 1. Download and Install: Download WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Open your Document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx file containing the comments and tracked changes.
- 3. Review with Ease: Navigate to the Review tab to experience a clean, fully legible layout for all your annotations and edits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the font size of just one specific comment?
Directly changing the font size of an individual comment's text is generally not supported in newer Word versions with Modern Comments. You usually need to change the global display settings like zoom or revert to classic comments to adjust text sizes.
Why did my comment text suddenly become so small?
Word updates often introduce new features like 'Modern Comments,' which have a fixed UI scaling that operates independently of the standard Balloon Text styles you may have used in the past.
How do I fix comment formatting issues across all my documents?
If the issue persists across all files, try testing Word in Safe Mode, disabling third-party add-ins, repairing your Office installation, or renaming the Normal.dotm template to reset your default Word settings.
