Due to the fragmented nature of Android, changing your fonts on different Android manufacturers and versions will vary. The steps below are confirmed to work on a Samsung device running Android 9 Pie.
Changing Built-In Font Settings
Some Android devices and versions have built-in settings to allow you to change your font style. If your phone or tablet doesn’t have these options, you won’t be able to change the font style without rooting your device, which isn’t something we recommend.
If you do have the option to alter your font settings, head to the “Settings” menu on your Android device by swiping down the notifications shade and tapping the gear icon in the top right. You can also access your “Settings” menu from the app drawer.
In the “Settings” menu, scroll down and tap the “Display” option.
The “Display” menu may vary depending on your Android device. Tap “Font Size and Style” if you’re a Samsung device owner. This may appear as “Font” or another variation on other phones and tablets.
In the “Font Size and Style” menu, tap the “Font Style” button.
You’ll have a list of pre-installed font styles available for you to choose from. “Default” is, as the name suggests, the default font used on your device.
Tap on one of the other available fonts to switch to it. The change should happen automatically.
Samsung Galaxy device owners are able to install other fonts using the Samsung Galaxy Store. Below the list of pre-installed fonts, tap “Download Fonts” to load the Samsung Galaxy Store. From there, download one of the available font options by tapping the download button next to it.
Once your new font style is installed, return to the “Font Style” menu and tap on it to switch.
Using a Custom Launcher
If you don’t have the option to change your font style on your Android device, you can use a custom launcher instead. Two popular launchers you could choose to use are Nova Launcher and Action Launcher.
Both of these launchers will display custom fonts for you, but these will only be displayed within the launcher itself. That means the font you see elsewhere in your Android settings and in other apps will remain as the Android default.
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Changing Fonts in Nova Launcher
With over 50 million downloads, Nova Launcher is one of the most-used custom Android launchers. If you have it installed, you can customize the font style being used for app icons on the home screen, in the app drawer, and for any app folders.
To start, swipe up from your home screen to access the Nova Launcher app drawer. Then tap the “Nova Settings” app.
If you want to change the font being used with icons on your home screen, tap Home Screen > Icon Layout.
App drawer fonts can be changed by tapping App Drawer > Icon Layout. Follow the same process for app folders by tapping Folders > Icon Layout.
The “Icon Layout” menu will be slightly different for each of these three options, but the font style section remains the same.
Under the “Label” option, you’ll see a “Font” setting. Tap on this to select between one of four options: Normal, Medium, Condensed, and Light.
Once you’ve made your selection, tap the back button and check the icons in your app drawer or home screen to confirm the font style has changed.
Changing Fonts in Action Launcher
If you’re using Action Launcher and you want to customize the font style used in your app drawer and home screen, swipe up to enter your launcher app drawer and then tap the “Action Settings” app.
In the Action Launcher Settings menu, tap the “Appearance” option.
Scroll down within the “Appearance” menu and then tap “Font.”
Choose one of the custom Action Launcher fonts available within the “Font” menu. Tap on one of the options to confirm your choice and then select the back button to return to your app drawer.
The font being used within the app drawer and on your home screen will change to match your chosen font choice.
Other Third-Party Font Style Apps
A number of font style apps are available on the Google Play Store. These apps aren’t generally recommended as most won’t be able to make any changes to the default font style your device uses.
Some, like Stylish Text, will let you write “stylish text” in messaging apps like WhatsApp that give the impression you’re using a different font. These apps use custom symbols to display stylized text rather than actually making any changes to your font style.
Other apps, like Stylish Fonts, use the same process that allows users to install fonts using the Samsung Galaxy Store. If you have a Samsung device, it’s recommended you use the built-in “Download Fonts” method listed above instead.
