Apple Books Line and Character Spacing in iOS 16

Apple Books in iOS 16 introduced granular typographic controls that allow readers to fine-tune their reading layout for better comfort and legibility. This guide explains how the updated line and character spacing customization works, where to locate the settings within the redesigned interface, and how these adjustments alter your reading experience on an iPhone or iPad.

Accessing the Spacing Settings

To customize text spacing, open any standard e-book in the Apple Books app on an iOS 16 device and follow these steps:

  1. Tap anywhere on the screen to bring up the reading controls.
  2. Tap the Reading Menu icon (a panel icon located in the bottom-right corner of the display).
  3. Select Themes & Settings from the pop-up menu.
  4. Tap the Options button (represented by a sliders icon or labeled "Customize").

How Line Spacing Customization Works

Line spacing dictates the vertical distance between each line of text on the page. In the Options menu:

  • Adjustment Slider: Apple Books provides a continuous slider or incremental steps for line spacing, replacing the rigid presets of earlier iOS versions.
  • Expanding Space: Moving the slider to the right increases the vertical gap between lines. This creates an airy, uncrowded layout that helps readers track long lines across larger screens without accidentally skipping lines.
  • Compressing Space: Moving the slider to the left packs lines closer together, maximizing the amount of visible text on the screen to reduce how frequently you need to turn pages.

How Character Spacing Customization Works

Character spacing (also known as tracking) adjusts the horizontal space between individual letters.

  • Adjustment Slider: Located directly alongside the line spacing controls, the character spacing slider alters the tightness of the words.
  • Widening Characters: Increasing character spacing separates letterforms, which can significantly enhance readability for users with dyslexia or visual impairments by preventing adjacent characters from visually blending together.
  • Tightening Characters: Decreasing character spacing pulls letters closer, resulting in a more compact, traditional book-typesetting appearance.

Real-Time Preview and Persistence

As you adjust either slider, the background text updates in real time, allowing you to preview how your changes impact line wraps and page density before closing the menu.

Once configured, your line and character spacing preferences automatically save and apply across all compatible e-books in your Apple Books library. Note that these customization tools apply to reflowable EPUB files; fixed-layout books and standard PDF files maintain their original formatting and do not support dynamic spacing changes.