You can change text size on any Kindle device or app in under a minute
Open the book you're reading. Press the middle of the screen (on a device) or tap the center of the page (on an app). A menu bar will appear at the top and bottom. Look for the icon that looks like a capital A with an up or down arrow next to it — that's your text size control. Tap the up arrow to make text larger, the down arrow to make it smaller. The change takes effect when ready and applies only to that book.
If you're using a Kindle app on a phone or tablet, the process is identical. If you're on a Kindle e-reader device (Paperwhite, Basic, Oasis, or Scribe), the menu appears the same way. The text size you choose saves automatically for each individual book, so you can read one book at size 4 and another at size 6 without having to reset anything.
Key Takeaways
- Text size changes appear when ready and are saved per book, so different books can have different sizes without extra steps.
- The text size control is always in the same place: the A icon with arrows, found by tapping the center of the page.
- Kindle offers eight text sizes, from very small to very large, so you can find what works for your eyes and lighting.
- Changing text size does not affect your reading progress or bookmarks — it only changes how the words look on screen.
Where to find the text size button on Kindle devices
On a Kindle e-reader (Paperwhite, Basic, Oasis, or Scribe), tap the center of the page while reading. A menu bar appears at the top with the book title and your progress. Below that, you'll see a row of icons. The A icon with arrows is the third or fourth icon from the left. It's the only icon that looks like a letter with up-and-down arrows.
On a Kindle app (on iPhone, iPad, Android phone, or Android tablet), the process is the same: tap the center of the page, and the menu appears. The A icon is in the same position. The menu disappears after a few seconds of inactivity, so if you don't see it, tap the center again.
The eight text sizes and how to choose between them
Kindle offers eight text sizes, numbered 1 through 8. Size 1 is the smallest; size 8 is the largest. Most readers use sizes 3, 4, or 5 as their default. If you wear reading glasses, you may prefer size 4 or 5. If you read on a phone or in dim light, you might go larger. If you read on a tablet or in bright light, you might go smaller.
The best way to find your size is to start at 4 and read for a minute. If your eyes feel strained, go up one size. If the text feels too big and you're turning pages too often, go down one size. You can change it back and forth as many times as you want — there's no penalty for experimenting. Once you find a size that feels comfortable, Kindle remembers it for that book.
Text size does not affect your reading progress or bookmarks
Changing the text size does not move you to a different part of the book or erase your place. Your progress bar stays in the same spot. Any highlights or notes you've made stay exactly where they are. The only thing that changes is how large the letters appear on your screen.
This is different from some other e-readers, where changing text size can shift your page numbers. On Kindle, the page location (shown as a percentage or chapter number) does not change when you resize text. If you were on page 45 at size 4 and you switch to size 6, you're still on page 45 — the same words are just bigger.
Why you might want to change text size while reading
Your eyes get tired at the same size over long reading sessions. If you've been reading for an hour at size 4, bumping up to size 5 for the next chapter can reduce eye strain without breaking your focus. Some readers also change size based on their environment: larger text in dim light, smaller text in bright sunlight.
If you're reading a book with a lot of dialogue, you might prefer a larger size because the frequent line breaks make pages turn faster. If you're reading a dense novel with long paragraphs, a smaller size lets you see more context on one screen. Neither choice is wrong — it's about what feels easiest for your eyes in that moment.
Other text formatting options beyond size
The menu that appears when you tap the center of the page also includes font choices. Tap the A icon (not the arrows, but the A itself) to see font options. Kindle offers several fonts: Bookerly (the default), Georgia, Palatino, and others depending on your device. Some readers find certain fonts easier to read than others, especially if they have dyslexia or astigmatism.
You can also adjust line spacing and margins from the same menu. These options work together with text size to change how the page looks overall. A larger text size with wider line spacing and bigger margins creates a very open, airy page. A smaller text size with tighter spacing creates a denser page. Experiment with these settings together to find what feels most comfortable.
What to do if the text size menu does not appear
If you tap the center of the page and no menu appears, you may be in a book that uses a fixed layout — usually graphic novels, children's books, or textbooks with images. Fixed-layout books cannot have their text resized because the text is part of the image. You can zoom in and out on the page, but you cannot change the text size the way you can in a regular e-book.
If you're in a regular e-book and the menu still does not appear, try tapping higher up on the page, closer to the top. On some devices, tapping too low (near the bottom third) does not trigger the menu. If that does not work, close the book and reopen it. If the problem continues, restart your Kindle device or app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does changing text size on one book change it on all my books?
No. Each book remembers its own text size setting. You can read one book at size 3 and another at size 6, and Kindle keeps them separate. If you want to change the default size for all future books, you have to set it book by book as you read them.
Can I change text size on a library book I borrowed through Kindle?
Yes. Borrowed books work exactly the same way as books you own. The text size change is temporary and only affects your copy while you're reading it. When you return the book, the size setting does not carry over to the next person who borrows it.
What if the largest text size (8) is still too small?
Try using the zoom feature instead. On Kindle devices, pinch outward on the page to zoom in further. On Kindle apps, use your device's built-in zoom (pinch on iPhone or iPad, or use accessibility settings on Android). This magnifies the entire page, not just the text, so images and margins zoom too.
Does text size affect how long it takes to read a book?
Yes, but only because you'll turn pages more often at larger sizes. The actual reading speed does not change. A book that takes 10 hours to read at size 4 might take 12 hours at size 6 because you're turning pages more frequently, but you're reading the same number of words at the same pace.