FF UI font size is way too small

[match798]

Version: Firefox 91.7.1esr (64-bit), OS: Windows 10, Screen: 1920*1080

Not sure if I'm the only one, but the font size of the menu, toolbars and tabs, or basically the text size of all FF windows and UI becomes too small to be readable now (the font size of webpage region is fine or adjustable tho).

I guess this is probably because of a recent update, as I just noticed the difference very recently. I've searched and found some temporary solutions which, however, will scale up everything including both UI and webpage. I just personally wish the UI font size would be larger or at least restored to that of previous versions in future updates so that the eyes of FF users will hopefully be functioning for a longer period of time. Thanks!

[match798]

Just a follow up. This issue is likely due to some unexpected change in the global setting of windows 10 font size (I didn't change anything tho). So, basically, the global text size in win10 just somehow automatically got much smaller for unknown reason, even though the display setting remains the same.

What I did is applying a new zoom factor in Windows10-Settings-Display and then restoring the old zoom level. Only now can the actual zoom level work correctly. Alright, this sounds more like a windows bug report, my bad, but hopefully helpful to those with similar issues.

[jscher2000]

Hi, yes, Firefox tries to follow your OS scaling to start fonts off at a comfortable size. It sounds like you discovered the layout.css.devPixelsPerPx preference which can override that. It would be nice if there were completely separate preferences for the user interface parts and the web content, but... we don't have that.

[match798]

Thank you for the reply! And yes, I found this trick, thanks to your previous answers and similar posts of other people. Just like what we both mentioned, it works but in conflict with the zoom setting of web content, which likely needs to be adjusted for each specific website.

I'm not an expert at all but feel like it should definitely be much harder than just creating two separate scaling variables... Anyway, this is probably a long-wished feature request or feedback, and hopefully this will come true in a future version.

[buenasuerte]

I agree, the small size issue is very annoying, I hope that will be fixed in the next update.

[JEANNE]

Yes I totally agree. All the menu bar, bookmarks, history, tabs, address bar everything is so small even when I put on my readers I still have to strain to make out the words.  Make all those fonts at least 14. What is it now 8?  It shouldn't be so hard to change the font and it is just plain maddening.  Changing the font to large is a joke. No difference. I can't do programing so this needs to come stock.   Takes me twice as to use FF because I can't see the darn words. Please please change the font size to at least 14. I am slowly moving over to Safari to get my work done. I started with FF 17 years ago but this font thing is a deal breaker. PLEASE fix it thank you.  I have FF 102.3 Oesr on a Macbook. Air I just upgraded from a 78.6 Oesr with a new computer. I was so excited and thrilled. I hope you can fix this.  Thank you.

[jscher2000]

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@JEANNE wrote:

Yes I totally agree. All the menu bar, bookmarks, history, tabs, address bar everything is so small even when I put on my readers I still have to strain to make out the words.  Make all those fonts at least 14. What is it now 8?  It shouldn't be so hard to change the font and it is just plain maddening.

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Hi Jeanne, I suggest submitting this on the Mozilla Support site. They have a team of support volunteers to troubleshoot malfunctions with your currently installed version of Firefox, while this site is focused on idea submissions for future versions of Firefox (looking ahead anywhere from 8 weeks to many months). Here's a link to the new question form (for Windows/Mac/Linux): https://mzl.la/3y1vQUQ (please mention Mac in the subject line)

[gwynedd]

See my rant from 31July22?? My UI was fine [and customized only by text zoom to 110 %] when update/ver 103 issued a few days earlier ruined not just one day but each one since. STB to adopt 'global' accessibility criteria that are actually applied to Windows inside the UI so bolsh to that explanation. I think it likely a cse of misjudged pandering to the miniaturists staring at their devices and wanting to see well, more. EG I have not one but two columns of data in plkain view on fave weatherzone now...Moving to Ubuntu soon.

[jscher2000]

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@gwynedd wrote:

See my rant from 31July22??

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Hi, where is that?

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My UI was fine [and customized only by text zoom to 110 %] when update/ver 103 issued a few days earlier ruined not just one day but each one since.

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For some users, Firefox 103 enlarged the entire browser and for most there was no change. Did Firefox 103 shrink your browser?

Firefox 103 now applies the Windows "Make text bigger" setting as a zoom multiplier (Release Notes). You can either modify your Windows setting (if you don't need it in other applications) or add a new Firefox preference.

Windows Setting. On Windows 10, this is in the Display control panel. You can find it by typing make text bigger in the system search box:

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Firefox Preference. Firefox 103 has 3 interrelated hidden settings that control the overall zoom level and whether it considers information from the system. This one seems to be working for many people to revert the latest change:

(A) In a new tab, type or paste about:config in the address bar and press Enter/Return. Click the button accepting the risk.

More info on about:config: Configuration Editor for Firefox. Please keep in mind that changes made through this back door aren't fully supported and aren't guaranteed to continue working in the future.

(B) In the search box in the page, type or paste ui.textScaleFactor and pause while the list is filtered

Normally, Firefox will display a bar with Boolean Number String and a plus button. If Firefox displays a row that already has a number value, skip to step 5.

(3) Click the circular button in front of Number and then click the + button to create a new preference.

(4) Firefox should display an editing field, and show a value of 0 -- edit the value to 100 then press Enter or click the blue check mark button to save the change.

(5) If the current value of ui.textScaleFactor is NOT 100, then double-click the preference to display an editing field, and change the value to 100 then press Enter or click the blue check mark button to save the change.

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Let us know whether that works for you -- fully, partially, or not at all.

[gwynedd]

Hi jscher2000

Thanks for your interest. Registration to forum may not have been activated when I filed earlier comments. To begin, I fit profile of ‘prosumer’-user rather than nerd.

Re Firefox

I earlier located similar hack you describe at https://www.askvg.com/fix-ui-scaling-and-large-fonts-issues-in-firefox-103-and-later-versions/ and deployed 1st, 2nd vers some days ago to no avail. No it doesn’t survive system sign-off apparently.

I re confirmed process as you describe it – sadly, it doesn’t solve my problem, however it isn’t able to I fear apart from being rapidly undone.

Issue I experience -as I can best describe - is with scaled back appearance of Mozilla browser menus, task bars, to est.75% NOT the content yielded by a [zoomed] Firefox browser search.

I tried removing Start Page custom browser in case it was to blame, again to no avail. Then I rolled back to Firefox 102 at cost of bookmarks, settings, again nil effect on my scaling issue.

Yes, there are ways to zoom content EXCEPT in my version of Mozilla Thundermail where zoom [or CTRL+/-] is not active [greyed]. Yes, after update 103 applied I initially saw blown-up UI screen content with scaled back UI menus etc.

I found Windows Settings/Accessibility feature was on large zoom factor – unsure if triggered by accident or by design of update 103.

I have since zoomed up to 120% via Firefox Setting/ Zoom sub menu, affecting just window content, yet 110% was adequate before this update 103 [?].

My OS is a few years old: Microsoft Windows 10 Home Version 10.0.19043 Build 19043.

Variable user experiences noted with Moz Firefox 103 update may be Windows version variable?

My partner’s later Windows OS desktop & browser appear unaffected.

[Preferred List view in Windows 10 Folder Tree has reduced scaling also, not readily adjustable except by switching to an icon view – much less of an issue tho.]

Re Thunderbird

Your mail send from forum web page carries CTRL+/- zoom ability within it. My other received emails –both new and previous – may not. I surmise those compiled within some on-board mail client do not - so I now strain to read not only T Bird headers, menus, but also message text as often as not. View Menu preference Message Body display is checked for ‘simple HTML’.

Only partial solution I can think of is add-on screen magnifier if available.

[rlizzie]

Greetings!

I just updated to 103.0.2 and was not happy at all with the way the browser was displaying pages that several hours previously I had managed to arrange to my satisfaction on Windows 11

I tried the suggestions above, first setting the text size in the Windows Display down to 100 from where it had been (about 120), then setting the about:config setting ui.textScaleFactor to 100 as suggested. Firefox now looks very much better - in addition all the icons I thought were missing from the toolbar have reappeared. All the icons I had positioned at the extreme right side, the printer, the zoom sizing, the ongoing download, had positioned off of the display. I don't know how it worked out for Gwynn be it worked great for me.

BTW, Previously I was using an older version on Win 11 and had a problem with the toolbars being too small. About four months ago I followed a suggestion found on this forum to correct that and I modified the about:config to change a setting, don't recall which, which worked fine. It's likely still in there, and now the two setiings are working against each other.

[robinrjellis]

I have tried all these and I still get this below. Tiny unreadable fonts in the UI (bookmarks, menus, search window). Windows 11, FF 104.0.2, 3000x2000 display, 200% Scale in OS. Any ideas?

[jscher2000]

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@robinrjellis wrote:

I have tried all these and I still get this below. Tiny unreadable fonts in the UI (bookmarks, menus, search window). Windows 11, FF 104.0.2, 3000x2000 display, 200% Scale in OS. Any ideas?

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What does your Firefox look like without any of these changes? Actually, this is not the best forum -- the Mozilla Support site has a team of support volunteers to troubleshoot malfunctions with your currently installed version of Firefox, while this site is focused on idea submissions for future versions of Firefox (looking ahead anywhere from 8 weeks to many months). Here's a link to the new question form (for Windows/Mac/Linux): https://mzl.la/3y1vQUQ