How to set a system wide default larger font on macOS Monterey?

Not Possible in macOS - period.

You can experiment in System Preferences >> Accessibilities >> Display and Zoom but System Wide Font - no.

Unlike in MS Windows where you can Scale Up or Down to effect the System Wide Appearances - macOS does not allow this.

PS - User profile is showing MacBook Air 13 " , macOS 12.5

There was a Monterey 12.5.1 released Aug 17, 2022 and worth updating for Security Updates

Product Feedback - Apple

Depends on what you're trying to change. For the menu bar, open System Preferences > Accessibility. Click on Display in the left column. Choose Large in the drop down menu.

Close the System Preferences. You will be prompted to log out of the account in order for the change to take effect.

For the Finder windows, open any existing folder, or create a new one. Doesn't matter which way you do it. Make sure the folder is the foreground item and press Command+J to open View Options.

The default font size is 13 points. Press Command+1 for icon view. Change the point size to what you prefer. 16 points is the max. Press Command+2 and set the point size. Then press Command+3 and repeat the size you want one more time. Now the important part. Click the Use as Defaults button at the bottom of the View Options palette. Close the palette.

Example, 13 point vs. 16 point:

The text of all folders systemwide will take on the new size, as will all new folders you create.

Other than changing the size of everything by altering the display resolution, this is as much control as Apple gives the user over the UI, as far as size goes.

Kurt Lang wrote:

Depends on what you're trying to change. For the menu bar, open System Preferences > Accessibility. Click on Display in the left column. Choose Large in the drop down menu.

Speaking of… 😵‍💫

I have most of my Macs set to Large but there is a very slight difference.

I haven't ever looked to see what the difference is, I just knew the option is there. Sorry to hear it isn't much. That's a real pain for folks who want to use the entire 4K or 5K resolution of their monitor, but not have to look at teeny tiny text at the same time. Apple really needs to be more flexible with the UI. Why they still refuse to go to an active/scalable (resolution independent) desktop as Windows did all the way back in Win '95 is puzzling.

I did try that once with a 27" 4K monitor. Set macOS to the native resolution of that test monitor, and you almost need a magnifying glass to read things. Windows handles that same use much better. Rather than everything just following a 4K resolution, it automatically chooses a text size for the UI that is relative to the screen size and resolution. It looked the same at 4K in Windows 10 as my 27", 2560 x 1440 res monitor looks at its native res in macOS.

I do know it would require a massive change to how the OS works to do that. Probably why Apple resists.

You can't, all you can do is change the resolution.

System Preferences>Displays>Scaled...

XwczD.png (1280×894) (imgur.com)

The only way to enlarge fonts system wide is to change the resolution of the display in System Preferences > Displays. Click on "Scaled" and choose one.

" magnifying glass to read things " even Trifocal are hard pressed to see anything

I couldn't work on my 5K iMacs or iMac Pro @ 5120 x 2880. Maybe with binoculars. 😳

Did you mean an electron microscope? 😃

Don't worry, one of the rumors about the release of Tiger was variable System Wide Fonts.

Oh yeah! Forgot about that. Apple must have changed their minds on that one.

😎

To be fair, even set to the default 2560 x 1440, I can still watch movies in 4K.