Change App-Specific Text Size in iOS 15 Control Center

Apple introduced a major accessibility improvement in iOS 15 that allows users to customize Dynamic Type scaling on an application-by-application basis directly from Control Center. Prior to this update, modifying text size via Control Center applied the change globally across the entire operating system. This article outlines the specific options added in iOS 15 for per-app font scaling, how the toggle operates, and how to configure it on your device.

The New Control Center Text Size Options

When opening the Text Size tool in iOS 15 while an application is open, a segmented toggle appears at the bottom of the screen beneath the vertical slider. This control introduces two distinct options:

  • [App Name] Only: Sets the selected font scale exclusively for the application currently active in the background. Changes made while this option is highlighted will not affect the Home Screen, system menus, or any other third-party apps.
  • All Apps: Applies the selected font scale globally across the entire system, mirroring the legacy behavior from earlier iOS versions.

Each app retains its custom scaling independently. For example, you can set Safari to 120% text size while keeping Messages at the default 100% or scaling an email client down to 90%.

How to Use App-Specific Text Scaling

To use this feature, the Text Size shortcut must first be added to Control Center:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Select Control Center.
  3. Under More Controls, locate Text Size (represented by an "AA" icon) and tap the green + (plus) button to add it to your active controls.

Once enabled, follow these steps to adjust text size for a specific app:

  1. Open the app whose text size you want to change.
  2. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen (or swipe up from the bottom on devices with a Home button) to open Control Center.
  3. Tap the Text Size (AA) icon.
  4. Tap the button at the bottom labeled [Current App Name] Only.
  5. Drag the vertical slider up or down to choose your preferred reading scale.
  6. Tap anywhere outside the slider card or swipe to dismiss Control Center.

The modified text scale will remain active for that specific application until you manually return to the Text Size control and readjust it or switch the toggle back to All Apps.