How to Change Font in Notepad App in Windows 11/10?

Notepad is the default app comes with Windows OS for taking quick notes. This is a plain text app which does not support rich text formatting like bold, italic or underlining. However, Microsoft introduced few customization options to change font size and family in Notepad app. You can use these features to set the comfortable bolder font for your need when using the app. If you are not happy with Notepad, consider these alternatives to simplify your work.

Default Fonts in Notepad

Notepad app uses custom font settings and do not use the Windows OS fonts. By default, Notepad app uses the following font setup:

• Family – Lucida Console
• Style – Regular
• Font size – 10 pixels

It will look like below when you type in the app.

Change Font in Notepad App in Windows 11

Follow the below instructions to change the font only in Notepad app:

• Open Notepad app from Start menu or by searching.

• Click on the gear icon showing on top right corner of the app. Alternatively, go to “Edit > Font” menu.

• This will open the Settings page where you can change the “App theme” and “Font”. Click on “Font” section to expand and view the available options.
• Select the Family, Style and Size from the list. Not all font families support bold and italic styles, when you select the item from the “Family” dropdown, the available options in “Style” dropdown will automatically change. For the size, you can either select from one of the available sizes from 8 to 72 pixels or enter a custom value like 13.
• Check the live preview below the font setting section and click on the back arrow showing on top left corner of the app.

• Now, you can see the font is changed as per your selection and the app will use the set font when you launch hereafter.

Resetting to Default Notepad Font in Windows 11

As mentioned, Notepad uses Lucida Console / Regular / 10px as the default font setup. If you are playing around changing these values in app’s settings, there are no easy option within the app to revert back to default font. You have to manually change the assigned values or reset Notepad app as explained below.

• Right-click on Start menu icon and select “Settings” option. Alternatively, press “Windows + I” shortcut keys to open Settings app.
• Navigate to “Apps” section from the sidebar and click “Installed apps” from the right pane.

• On the next page, search and filter Notepad app. Click the three dots icon and select “Advanced options” from the menu list.

• Scroll down on the next page and click “Reset” button showing under “Reset” section.

• You will see a pop-up asking you to confirm resetting the app. Resetting will delete the app settings like your custom font and theme setup. Confirm the action by clicking on “Reset” button.

• This will take few seconds and you will see a status bar showing the progress.

• After the resetting finished successfully, you will see a tick mark next to “Reset” button.

Now, open Notepad and check the font settings should go back to its default setup.

Change Notepad Font in Windows 10

If you are using Windows 10, then the app interface will be different than Windows 11.

• Open Notepad and click “Format” menu.
• Select “Fonts…” option to open the typical font dialog box.
• Click the family, style and size from the corresponding list boxes.

Reset Notepad Font to Default in Windows 10

After changing the Notepad font in Windows 10, there are no options in the app to reset to default setup. Either you need to manually select again or you can delete the registry entry for this purpose. Though deleting registry entry is easier, make sure to setup a system restore point or take a backup of your registry. You can restore the system or registry in case of any problems.

• Press “Windows + R” keys to open Run prompt.
• Type regedit and press “OK” button to open Registry Editor app.
• Copy paste the following path in the Registry Editor’s address bar and press enter key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Notepad

• Select “Notepad” folder from the right sidebar and press the delete key (or right-click and select “Delete” option).
• You will see a pop-up asking you “Are you sure to permanently delete this key and all of its subkeys?”. Click “Yes” to confirm deleting the Notepad folder.
• Do not worry and the app will create the registry folder again when you open.

Now, launch Notepad app and see the font is changed to default setting. Remember, this option works only in Windows 10 and Windows 11 will not have any registry entry.