Modern Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones have powerful high-resolution screens, but standard interface settings aren’t always convenient for all users. Small fonts in menus, messages or browsers can be a serious problem for people with low vision or just for those who prefer large text. Fortunately, the MIUI shell (and now HyperOS) provides flexible tools to personalize the display of information.
In this article, we will take a look at all the tools available to scale text, from basic menu settings to advanced options for developers, and learn not just to make letters bigger, but also to adjust the spacing and screen resolution to keep the layout readable and not to break the layout of applications, which is especially true for models with a diagonal of less than 6.5 inches.
Before we start to make changes, it's worth noting that more font affects the amount of information that fits on a single screen. The interface will become more spacious, but there will be fewer elements on the page. But reading comfort is always more important than saving space, and Android provides the perfect balance.
Basic text size setting in MIUI
The easiest and safest way to resize characters is to use the built-in settings, which do not require superuser rights and works on all current Xiaomi firmware versions, and you need to go to the appropriate settings menu, where scaling control is displayed in a separate unit.
Go to the Settings menu and find the Screen section (in some versions it may be called Screen and Brightness) and there is a slider that is responsible for scaling the system font. When you move the slider to the right, the text in all supported applications will increase in real time, allowing you to immediately evaluate the result.
☑️ The font setting algorithm
Note that changing this option affects not only system menus, but also most third-party applications such as Viber, Telegram or browsers. If after zooming in the text in some application “got” or became unreadable, try zooming down a little or using the “Read Mode” feature.
⚠️ Note: With maximum font size, some interface elements may crop or overlap, especially in older applications that aren’t optimized for large text sizes.
It's important to distinguish between font size and screen resolution. The typeface setting changes only the scale of the letters, while the change in resolution (DPI) affects the pixel density and size of all interface elements, including icons and indentations. For the average user, it's enough to work with the slider in the Screen section.
Advanced settings: Screen size and DPI
If standard magnification isn't enough, the MIUI shell offers a deeper tool, which is to scale the screen. This feature often confuses users because it affects all interface elements globally. You can find it by Settings → Screen → On-screen element size (or "Scale"). Preset modes are available here: S, M, L, XL.
Choosing XL or Extra Large makes the interface as large as possible, almost turning a smartphone into a device with simplified controls. This is a great option for older people. However, it is worth remembering that when choosing large modes, fewer lines of text and buttons can be placed on the screen, which requires more frequent scrolling of pages.
For advanced users, you can change the density of dots per inch (DPI) through the developer menu, so you can make the font and icons bigger or smaller in increments that are not available in the regular menu, and you have to click seven times on the build number in the About Phone section to get there, activating the developer mode.
In the developer menu, find the "Smallest width" option. The default value is usually around 360-392 dp. Reducing this number (for example, to 320) will visually increase all elements, including the font. Be careful: setting a low value can make the interface unreadable, and you will have to reset the settings.
| Parameter | Standard value | For large text | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type size | 15-18 sp | 20-24 sp | Only text |
| Screen size | 100% (M) | 125% (L/XL) | The interface. |
| DPI (Min. width) | 360-392 dp | 300-320 dp | Globally (system + applications) |
| Fat content | Normal. | Bold-haired | Readability |
Use of reading mode and themes
Large font is not just about size, it's also about contrast. Xiaomi smartphones have a built-in Read Mode feature that not only filters blue light, but can also mimic the texture of paper, making text clearer. You can activate it through Settings → Screen → Read Mode.
Within the reading mode settings, there are often additional options available to improve text perception. You can choose a monochrome mode that turns the screen into an e-book. In this format, the contrast between black letters and a white (or yellowish) background becomes maximum, making it much easier to read small text.
The impact of the topic on readability
You also have to look at the system themes, and the MIUI theme store has a "older" or "big print" category, and installing this theme changes not only the size, but also the style of the icons and widgets, making them more visible, and it's a complete solution for those who don't need a standard zoom.
⚠️ Note: Third-party themes may not display correctly in some system applications after the update MIUI. If you notice any mistakes, return the standard Infinity theme».
Set up a font in the Chrome browser and other applications
Often users want to zoom in only when they read news online without changing their system settings. The Google Chrome browser, which is set by default on Xiaomi, has its own zoom settings. They are on the way: a three-point menu → Settings → Special features.
And here you'll find the "Scaling Text" slider, which is going to increase the font on all web pages, and this is especially convenient, because many sites have responsive layouts, but they can still use a small size for the main text, and the changes are instant and don't require reloading the page.
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Xiaomi’s browser (Mi Browser) also has a “Night Mode” feature and a separate font size setting in the settings menu, which works independently of the system.
For instant messengers like WhatsApp or Telegram, settings are usually inside the apps themselves. For example, on Telegram, you need to go to Settings → Chats → Font size, which allows you to flexibly customize each application separately if you lack the system scale.
Display problems after enlarging font
The increase in font on Xiaomi sometimes leads to unexpected artifacts, text can overlap buttons, climb out of windows or become unreadable in narrow menus, most often because app developers did not provide for the adaptation of the interface to large fonts.
If you encounter such a problem, try reducing the screen size (DPI) back to the standard value, leaving only the system font enlarged. The combination of “Average screen size + Large font” often gives a better result than the maximum values of both parameters.
In rare cases, cleaning the cache of a problematic application helps. Go to Settings → Applications → All applications, find the program with display errors and click “Clear Cache” This will cause the application to recalculate the size of the interface elements to take into account the new system settings.
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The optimal setting is a balance between font size and screen scale. Don't twist both settings at the same time to avoid app layout failures.
Special opportunities for the visually impaired
For users with severe visual impairments in Android and MIUI, there is a section called "Special features" where you can find Magnification, which allows you to use the smartphone screen as a magnifier: triple tapping the screen or using special navigation buttons increases the selected area.
TalkBack, which voices everything that happens on the screen, is also available in this section, and while it doesn't zoom in on the font visually, it changes the way you interact with your smartphone, making the letter size a secondary parameter.
Enabling these features can be done through quick access (often by pressing the power or volume button for a long time) is an important tool that turns a modern Xiaomi smartphone into an affordable device for people with disabilities.
⚠️ Warning: TalkBack completely changes the logic of the control (single tap selects the element, double tap activates it) and only turn it on if you really plan to use it, otherwise the phone will become impossible to control.