How to Change the Default Font in Outlook (New, Classic and Web)

Microsoft changed the default Outlook font from Calibri to Aptos, and not everyone is happy with the switch. Whether you prefer a classic serif, a cleaner sans-serif, or simply a larger size that is easier to read, Outlook lets you set your own default so every new email starts the way you want.

The exact steps depend on which Outlook you use, since the classic desktop app, the new Outlook for Windows, and Outlook on the web each handle settings a little differently. This guide covers all three, plus replies, plain text, and why your font sometimes fails to stick.

Change the Default Font in Classic Outlook (Desktop)

The classic desktop app gives you the most control, including separate fonts for new mail, replies, and plain text.

1. Open Outlook and click the File tab.

2. Choose Options near the bottom of the menu.

3. Select Mail in the left-hand panel.

4. Click the Stationery and Fonts button.

5. On the Personal Stationery tab, click Font under New mail messages, then pick your font, style, size and color and click OK.

6. To match your replies, click Font under Replying or forwarding messages and set it the same way.

7. Click OK on each window to save. Your next new email will open in the font you chose.

Change the Default Font in the New Outlook for Windows

The new Outlook for Windows keeps font settings in a simpler menu rather than under File.

1. Click the Settings gear icon in the top-right corner.

2. Go to Mail, then Compose and reply.

3. Find the message formatting section, where you can set the default font, size, style and color.

4. Adjust the options to your liking; the preview updates as you go.

5. Close settings, and your changes apply to new messages automatically.

Change the Default Font in Outlook on the Web

Outlook on the web, including Outlook.com, uses almost the same path as the new Outlook for Windows, since they share a design.

Open the Settings gear, go to Mail and then Compose and reply, and set your preferred font and size in the formatting section. Save if prompted. Because the setting lives in your account, it follows you to any browser where you sign in.

How to Change Only the Default Font Size

If you like the typeface but want larger, more readable text, you do not have to change the font family at all. In each of the methods above, simply pick a bigger point size, such as 12 or 14, and leave the font name as it is.

In classic Outlook this lives in the same Stationery and Fonts window; in the new Outlook and on the web it is in the Compose and reply formatting section.

Why Did My Outlook Font Change to Aptos?

Aptos is the modern default font Microsoft rolled out across Office and Outlook, replacing the long-running Calibri. If your emails suddenly look different, that update is usually the reason, not a change you made by accident.

You are free to switch back to Calibri or any other installed font using the steps above; the default is only a starting point.

Troubleshooting: My Font Does Not Stick

If your chosen font does not appear the way you expect, a few things could be happening. Emails sent as plain text ignore font formatting entirely, so check that you are composing in HTML format.

Keep in mind that the recipient's email app controls how your message is displayed on their end, and unusual fonts may fall back to a standard one if they do not have that font installed. Work or school accounts can also enforce formatting policies that override personal settings. Finally, your email signature has its own font, set in the signature editor, separate from the default message font.

Will the recipient see my chosen font?

Only if their device has that font and their email client respects it. To stay safe, choose widely available fonts. If a reader lacks your exact font, their app substitutes a similar default, so your careful choice may look different to them than it does to you.

Final Thoughts

Changing the default font in Outlook takes only a minute once you know where the setting lives: under File, Options, Mail in classic Outlook, and under the Settings gear, Mail, Compose and reply in the new Outlook and on the web.

Set your font and size once, adjust replies to match, and every message you write from then on will look exactly the way you want.