IOS – Which of iOS apps allow customizing font size

accessibilityfontiosresolution

Which of iOS apps that allow customizing font sizes:

  • either through support of DynamicType / LargerText system settings (and BoldText that can be helpful to improve readability)
  • or have their own settings for font size–and how broad is the size range available?

One of the goals for such a list is to help understanding how font sizes can change when switching between devices with different DPI and resolution–given current variety: iPad Mini/Air, iPhone 6/6+, earlier iPhones.

Ideally I'd be happy to compare screenshots, but doubtful how it can be achieved here at SE with reasonable efforts.

Best Answer

(please contribute to the list with any other apps, and feel free to edit to make the list more accurate--this is a community wiki answer)


Notation for the list below:

  1. With few exceptions, any app falls into on of these categories:

    • it supports System Settings > Dynamic Type and Bold Text (I mark it as "Dynamic&Bold" below)
    • OR also supports System Settings > Larger Text (I mark as "Larger Text")
    • OR has its own app-specific font size settings ("App settings")
    • OR has NO font size customization whatsoever ("No customization")
  2. For each app, I also specify how its maximum text size compares to standard system apps at maximum Dynamic Type setting if different (the app font is Smaller or Larger than in system apps)--to make it easier for a given app to understand its text size limit, given only few minutes with built-in apps only at Apple outlet.


Social networks

Facebook:
- all UGC (News Feed, User Timeline, Individual post and comments): Dynamic&Bold (since 2015-Nov-06); much Smaller
- app interfaces: No customization; smaller

Twitter:
- timeline: App settings (3 sizes); smaller
- settings screen: Dynamic&Bold

Google+: No customization; Much smaller

Instagram: No customization; Much smaller

VKontakte (both iPad- and iPhone apps): No customization; Smaller


Email apps

Mail:
- plaintext emails: Dynamic&Bold
- HTML emails: font scales only with Larger Text, but not with Dynamic Type(!); but can be much smaller than for plain text emails / than in other apps

GMail: No customization; Smaller (both for plaintext and HTML emails)

Google Inbox: No customization; Smaller (both for plaintext and HTML emails)

AirMail: Dynamic Text, App Settings; no LargerText support (text gets smaller instead)

Calendar (by Apple): Dynamic&Bold


Task managers

OmniFocus:
- Dynamic&Bold throughout the app
- LargerText for leaf-level outline items and Note editing only; No for outline groups

Things: No customization; smaller


Instant Messengers

Messages (iMessage):
- history of chat with a contact: LargerText
- list of contacts on left sidebar: Dynamic&Bold

Skype: No customization; Much Smaller

Telegram:
- history of chat with a contact: Dynamic Type (no Bold Text); smaller
- list of chats: No customization; Smaller


Web browsers

Safari:
- regular browsing: No customizaion; pinch to zoom leads to horizontal scrolling. Smaller.
- has a special Reader Mode with App Settings: wide range of sizes, comparable to the range of Larger Text. Works only for article-type web pages, not everywhere.

All other browsers tried (Google Chrome, Opera, Yandex Browser, iCabMobile): No Customization; pinch to zoom leads to horizontal scrolling. Smaller.


Office documents

Google Drive: No Customization

Google Docs: No customization: only document zoom, leads to horizontal scrolling. Smaller

Google Sheets: No Customization: only document zoom, leads to horizontal scrolling. Smaller


Maps

Google Maps: No customization; Smaller

Apple Maps: Dynamic Type only


Other built-in apps

Settings: Dynamic&Bold

Notes: LargerText

Reminders: LargerText

home screen: No customization

built-in keyboard: Bold Text only


Other third-party apps

Pocket:
- list of articles: Dynamic&Bold
- aricle body: App settings: wide range of sizes, comparable to the range of Larger Text

Google Keep: No Customization. Much Smaller.