How to Turn On Easy Mode and Larger Text on Android: Step-by-Step Guide

If your Android phone feels fiddly, with small text and crowded icons, you can change that in a few minutes. Most phones have settings that make the screen simpler to read and the buttons easier to tap. You don’t need to buy anything or be technical. For choosing the phone itself, see our guide to the best smartphone for seniors in Australia, and to make a bigger screen easier too, compare the best tablets for seniors in Australia.

There are two changes worth making. The first is Easy mode, which gives you a tidy home screen with big icons. The second is larger text, which works on any Android phone. We’ll walk through both. The exact wording differs a little between brands, and Samsung is the most common phone in Australia, so we’ll use that as the main example.

Turning on Easy mode (Samsung phones)

Easy mode is a Samsung feature. It enlarges the icons, simplifies the home screen and makes the keyboard buttons bigger. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, here’s how to switch it on.

1. Open Settings

Find the Settings app. It’s the icon that looks like a small cog or gear. Tap it once to open it.

2. Tap Display

Scroll down the list until you see Display, and tap it.

3. Turn on Easy mode

Look for Easy mode in the list and tap the switch beside it so it turns on. The screen changes straight away. Your apps are all still there, just laid out more simply with larger writing.

If you ever want the standard layout back, return to the same place and switch Easy mode off. Nothing is lost either way.

Not every Android phone has an Easy mode. Some Motorola and Oppo phones have a similar simple layout, often called Simple mode or a Simple launcher, in their Settings. If yours doesn’t have one at all, the larger text steps below still make a real difference on their own.

Making the text bigger (any Android phone)

1. Open Settings and find Display

Open Settings again. Tap Display. On some phones you’ll find these options under Accessibility instead, so try there if you can’t see them.

2. Tap Font size, or Font size and style

You’ll see a slider with a row of letters that get bigger from left to right. Drag the dot to the right to make the writing larger. A preview at the top shows how it will look, so you can find a size that feels comfortable.

3. Make everything bigger with Display size

Just below font size you’ll often find Screen zoom or Display size. This enlarges the icons and boxes as well as the words, not just the text. A small nudge here, plus a larger font, usually gives the clearest result.

Take your time trying different combinations. There’s no wrong answer. The right size is simply the one you can read without squinting or holding the phone at arm’s length.

When we set this up for a family member, the thing that helped most wasn’t the biggest font. It was Easy mode plus a modest font bump, so the home screen had a handful of large, clear buttons rather than a wall of tiny icons. If you’re still deciding whether the phone itself is the right one, our guide on how to choose a phone for an older parent is a good place to start.