Q: Mavericks Mail message list font size won't change

supposed setting for this: Mail > Prefernces > Fonts & Colors > Message List Font - however the problem I'm having is that it doesnt do anything. I can change to another font or size and no changes are reflected. The box showing the selected font changed but the actual displayed font in the message list doesnt.

These settings only work to change fonts if you use Mail > Preferences > Viewing > Use Classic Layout.

This is an issue that many people have mentioned, so maybe we'll see a change in a future iteration of OS X.

This is INFURIATING. There are so many horrible bugs in apple mail 7. The main reason I bought a macbook pro retina was the software because things used to just work. I'm going to return this beautiful piece of crap and learn how to use windows 8.

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

Try another mail program.

Some people have reported success with Airmail which is availble at the App Store.

Mail Alternatives – 9 Free Email Programs

Mail Alternatives Review

Mail Alternatives Review (2)

Also, I meant to add that when I right click a message and select "archive" it creates a new archive folder (one for each time I perform this action) but then just deletes the message (so you end up with 20 or so empty archive folders in the sidebar). I archived a bunch of messages that I most definitely did not want deleted before I realized what was going on, at which point I called Apple tech support and they simply told me that it was a known issue. Idiots.

In my case, I found I had to uncheck Use classic layout, then I could actually change the fonts. Then I could again check Use classic layout and it would use the fonts I had selected. I had created a signature and messages were using the font I had selected for the signature!

Had the same problem. Found that if I hold down the Alt key while selecting different font settings they are applied properly. That's all you have to do -- hold the alt key and select the font changes you need.

Thanks T Sheasby, can you explain exactly what you are doing to make this happen? No change for me when trying.

Cheers

These are the steps I followed:

In Mail preferences select "Fonts & Colors"

Click "Select…" button next to item you want to change

Hold down "Alt" key while clicking on selected font or font size in fonts panel

Funny thing is, since I clicked with the "Alt" key pressed the first time, now it changes every time without the "Alt" key-press. Seems like the one-time Alt click has unlocked the font panel and it now works as it should have all along. What's that all about? Anyway since I followed those steps it all works properly. Maybe try other key combinations while clicking to see if that gets it working properly.

We are experiencing the same issue. Apparently the font change works when you have mail in "classic view", but it doesn't work when you are in the newer Mavericks view. My guess is that some younger engineer at Apple never considered that older users might want to see what they are typing or want to see message information.

"Why have an option? I can see it perfectly"

LOL!

Let's hope some enterprising programmer will come up with a way to modify this without using the terminal.

Ted

I tried, Mail>View>customize toolbar

Then I dragged the Smaller /Bigger button up onto my toolbar.

Then I was able to enlarge the text in the e-mail.

hey thanks this worked for me helping my mum update to yosemite, and her mail message fonts were too small to read.

also switching to and from this setting seemed to unlock the ability to set font styles and sizes ok, (or as it they're intended to be set)

nice one guys.

Nope doesn't work for classic view either...

  Model Name: iMac

  Model Identifier: iMac9,1

  Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo

  Processor Speed: 2.93 GHz

  Number of Processors: 1

  Total Number of Cores: 2

  L2 Cache: 6 MB

  Memory: 8 GB

  Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz

  Boot ROM Version: IM91.008D.B08

  SMC Version (system): 1.37f3

  Serial Number (system): YM9090K50TL

  Hardware UUID: 6BCBA18D-9746-5859-8A9F-B1A8D7FEF0A2

MW

The way to fix this problem is to go to SETTINGS > DISPLAY > (RESOLUTION) change  from DEFAULT FOR DISPLAY to SCALED and select the zoom level you want i.e. Larger Text or Smaller Text.