How to Change the Font in Windows 11

The quickest way to change the Windows 11 font is through a Windows Registry edit, which we’ll do by creating a REG file.

What Does Changing the System Font Do?

Changing the Windows 11 font using this registry tweak will switch up the way text looks throughout the operating system. Desktop icon text and the links in Control Panel are a couple of examples, but it’s most obvious in other areas, such as the Run dialog box. Another way to get there is through the Run command: ms-settings:fonts. However, not every part of Windows will change to the new font. All the text within Settings, Start menu, Clock, Quick Settings, and numerous other areas aren’t affected.

How to Restore the Default Font in Windows 11

The best way to get the original Windows 11 font back is to reverse the registry tweak that changed it in the first place. To do that, repeat the steps from above, but replace the Notepad text with different code. You can do this one of two ways. This first method is easiest only if you still have the original REG file: If you don’t have the original REG file readily available to edit, just repeat the steps at the top of this page. When you get to the part about pasting the code into Notepad, use the modified code from Step 2 above, and don’t make any changes to it.

Changing Other Fonts in Windows 11

The method outlined in this article isn’t how it typically works when you want to use a new font in Windows. The directions explained above are unique for two reasons: Windows doesn’t have a built-in way to change the system font, and you’re changing the system font, not just the font type for a single app. Most programs have their own font settings so you can make changes that apply to just that one program. And doing it is extremely easy because Windows 11 does provide a way to easily install a font that can be used by any of your software. For example, if you’ve downloaded a font you’d like to use in Microsoft Word, install the font to your computer, and it’ll be available the next time you open Word. That’s usually how it works: install the fonts to your computer, and then any program on your PC can access them. For example, you can change the default font and size in Outlook by choosing an installed font. The same thing applies when you pick a new default font for Thunderbird emails. Online apps need separate instructions since they don’t typically access local fonts: here’s how to edit Gmail’s default font options in your browser. With some programs, there’s a special folder in the app’s installation directory that’s used to load fonts for that one piece of software. You can install fonts just for Photoshop, for example.