Office Settings & Configuration

How to Increase Microsoft 365 Ribbon and Text Size

Rana Garcia Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to enlarge the ribbon controls and text in Microsoft 365 to make them easier to read.

How to Increase Microsoft 365 Ribbon and Text Size for Better Accessibility

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: Windows
Scenario: Improving the accessibility and readability of the Microsoft Office ribbon interface.
Observed behavior: Even after adjusting some Windows display settings, the Microsoft 365 ribbon controls and text labels remain too small to read comfortably.

Before you start

Ensure your Windows operating system is fully updated, as newer system updates often introduce improved display scaling and accessibility features for desktop applications.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust Windows Display and Text Scaling

Use native Windows settings to uniformly increase the size of apps and text, which directly impacts the Microsoft 365 interface.

Microsoft 365 relies on the global Windows scaling settings for its ribbon size. Adjusting both the display scale and text size usually provides the best accessibility results.

Increase Display Scaling

Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows Key + I. Navigate to System > Display. Under the 'Scale & layout' section, select a higher percentage (e.g., 125% or 150%) from the dropdown menu to enlarge all screen items.

Increase Text Size

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Text size. Drag the text size slider to the right until the preview text is comfortable to read, then click Apply.

Restart Microsoft 365

Close and reopen your Microsoft 365 applications (like Word or Excel) to ensure the new scaling settings are properly applied to the ribbon.

Scaling Limits: Note that setting the scaling percentage too high might cause some older third-party Office add-ins or dialog boxes to display improperly or get cut off.

Solution 2

Enable Touch Mode in Microsoft 365

Switching to Touch Mode adds more space around the buttons on the ribbon, making them easier to see and click.

Solution 3

Use Windows Magnifier Tool

If global display scaling is not ideal for your workflow, use the Windows Magnifier to temporarily zoom in on the ribbon controls.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for an Accessible and Customizable Interface

If you are struggling with rigid display limitations in Microsoft 365, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a clean, highly adaptable user interface that scales beautifully on high-resolution displays without requiring complex configuration.

1. Download and Install: Get the free WPS Office installer from the official website and complete the quick installation process.
2. Customize Interface: Launch WPS Office and easily adjust the skin, scaling, and reading modes to suit your visual preferences.
3. Open Existing Files: Seamlessly open and edit your existing Microsoft 365 documents without any formatting loss.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Office formats, including DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX.Clean and intuitive ribbon interface that scales smoothly across multiple monitors.Lightweight architecture ensures fast performance without high system requirements.Built-in eye protection mode for comfortable reading and editing during long sessions.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the font size specifically for the Microsoft Word ribbon?

No, Microsoft 365 does not have a built-in, standalone setting exclusively for the ribbon font size. It relies on the global Windows Text Size settings under the system Accessibility menu.

Why does the Microsoft Office ribbon look blurry after changing scaling?

Microsoft 365 relies on system-wide DPI scaling. If you change the scaling settings while an Office app is open, the interface may appear blurry. Simply closing and reopening the application, or signing out and back into Windows, will usually fix this.

Is there a shortcut to instantly zoom in on the ribbon?

While you cannot zoom the ribbon itself using Office shortcuts (like the zoom slider for documents), you can use the Windows shortcut 'Windows key + Plus (+)' to open Magnifier and instantly zoom in on the ribbon area.

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