This seems to have changed for me today, but I don’t know why. Apparently something like this problem has been bothering people since the advent of Windows 10.
In my browser, the font in the URL line, the bookmarks line, and the tab titles is suddenly much smaller than I have been used to. I believe it has been 11 pt. up to today, and that now it is 9 pt. I have attempted to research this, and Microsoft recommends using Wintools to change those font sizes, but what they recommend doesn’t change those font sizes.
To be clear, the fonts inside the windows in the browser and outside the browser in other Windows tabs, are fine, and I know how to change those fonts if I need to. I am specifically asking about the fonts in tab titles, bookmarks, and the URL line.
I have tried two browsers, Firefox and Opera, and they both have the same size fonts in these places. I am convinced this is a Windows setting, and in one Microsoft post they said that this is no longer an adjustment offered in Windows 10. Is it any different in Windows 11 (they said it wasn’t but it wasn’t a very recent post)? This might be what pushes me to finally “upgrade.”
I’m using Windows 11, and under Settings > Accessibility > Text Size there is a very granular slider allowing you to adjust. I generally (considering my 51 year old eyes) use 110%. I don’t have a current Windows 10 box up, so I can’t double check that it’s gone as a feature in Windows 10 for you, but you might want to verify under Accessibility as well.
Same correct size or same incorrect size? What about non-browser areas. I know you said it’s fine in ‘other Windows tabs’, but I’m not sure what that means. Have the icons (the icons themselves or the text under them) on the desktop changed size? What about the start menu or taskbar?
There are Windows settings for Text size and scaling. You could try adjusting one or both of those to see if it fixes anything.
Also, for shits and giggles, hit Ctrl-0. Hitting Control and +/- as well as holding control while using the scroll wheel on your mouse will both zoom in/out within a browser. This is easy to do by accident, especially if you’re not aware of the feature. Ctrl-0 will reset everything to 100%. IME, some other applications will also use Ctrl-0 to reset the view back to the default. That’s usually the first thing I try when font or graphics appear to be the wrong size.
Something you could try: Hit the Win key and type ‘scale’ or ‘display’ or ‘text size’ or otherwise find your way to this setting and make sure it’s at the recommended scale (often 110% or 125%). If it’s already there, you could try increasing it to see if that helps.
It may look different on your system, but you should find something along these lines:
I feel like if this was the problem, you would have mentioned other things like the desktop icons being the wrong size or having rearranged themselves, but it’s still worth checking.
That setting only affects the text within the window, not the areas “outside” it, as I described them.
Same incorrect size. Text size is fine inside all browser tabs, and in all other windows applications (except, I realize, for the title bars, which I seldom look at).
Task bar: the icons have not changed size, but the icon name that pops up when I hover over them is small. I don’t pay much attention to that, so I’m not sure if changed.
Start menu: I think the text is smaller on that too, but I don’t use it much so I’m not sure if it has changed.
To repeat, I am aware of the text change options and the scaling options. I have tried everything I can find and they only affect the contents of the tabs or windows, not the stuff outside that is always the same – tab titles, URL line, bookmarks line, and also apparently the icon titles in the task bar.
