How do I increase the font size for the URL and favorites bars in Safari?

Does Apple think everyone is endowed with 20/20 vision?!

I just completed the update, and once again Apple has blundered in its fixed fonts - or more to the point not allowing users to set their own system wide font size and contrast level.

People complained that the system wide "font is too small and there is no way to enlarge" issue back during the transition to OS X. I thought Apple would have addressed in an update as sweeping and important (visually speaking) as Yosemite as it represented a major departure from Aqua and skeumorphism. This has apparently fallen on deaf ears in Cupertino.

This is pretty unacceptable. My Windows system allows me to scale the system fonts. I am on a 15" non-Retina MBP and have good vision (mild case of nearsightedness; only need to wear glasses sometimes when trying to read a white board from the back of the lecture hall).

My glasses case often has a thin layer of dust on it, I wear them so infrequently.

Well, that won't be for long. I'm sitting maybe 24" from my screen and after this update, I keep finding myself squinting to read the typeface in the URL bar, browser tabs, and bookmarks. The contrast on inactive tabs is poor (thin dark charcoal letters on a light charcoal background? Who thought this was good for legibility?).

I haven't fully combed through the O/S yet but I presume this problem carries on throughout Yosemite. I bought my parents a MacMini this summer and jumped on the phone them not to update! Their vision is considerably poorer and I know they would struggle with this version of OS X even though I have hooked up to a 21" HD display.

I hope there's a 3rd party fix or update soon.

* Apple if you're reading this - c'mon already! You learned in iOS7 that a number of people had trouble with the thin, fixed fonts and low contrast and offered a more scalable, thicker font option with a higher contrast color (deeper blue) option in one of the 7.X updates. Is it asking much to have the same options and flexibility in OS X?

Thanks EjayW for the suggestion. I still want to use my full resolution so I have more desktop. I paid good $ for a higher res monitor, and want to keep using all of it.

Just for info purposes, I did go to Apple support at http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html as was suggested before and made request for changes, and so far 4 days later have heard nothing back. Maybe if everyone who has posted here goes there and asks for scalable fonts and the Bold option, similar to iOS has for the iPhone, we might eventually get a fix for this. I am just barely making do with the adjustments at my monitors full resolution.

Hi Christopher ...

Unfortunatley, there is no way to increase the size of the font in the Safari address (url) bar or Favorites.

There's a difference in design but I have two Macs side by side. One running Yosemite, the other Mavericks.

I don't see any difference in the font size.

I think you find it easier to use Favorites and the address bar using the Chrome browser.

I missed Mavericks, so am coming from Mountain Lion.

I link my computer to my TV and use it with a wireless keyboard. The new text -- not just in Safari -- is dreadfully small, and there are no good options for resetting the display. I've tweaked Chrome so I can read the pages, but everything else on my screen is tiny!

Seriously, Apple, not all of us have perfect vision, and even with my glasses, it's a real struggle to use my computer now. I hope you address this soon.

This is a shocking miss by Apple. The need to increase the font size is a serious and significant accessibility issue. It's an absolute necessity for the low vision crowd. And I have it on good authority that I am not the only person in the low vision crowd. This is not just a picky little personal preference issue. WE CAN'T SEE! The problem extends beyond Safari. Try Messages, Calendar, Email, Contacts, Notes, you name it...all tiny fixed fonts. My Mac is pretty useless to me in this Yosemite condition of tiny fixed fonts. Would really appreciate a fix to the fixed fonts. And font color options, please.

Ejayw, I've found that doing any of combination of the following helps a fractional amount with legibility.

System Preferences > General:

- Turn on "Use Dark Menu Bar and Dock"

- Turn off "Use LCD font smoothing"

---------------------------------------------------------

System Preferences > Accessibility:

- Turn on "Reduce Transparency"

or

- Turn on "Increase Contrast" which not only turn on Reduce Transparency but adds a few other things to help improve definition between lines / fonts.

It goes without saying none of this addresses the lack of scalability in the fonts, and its far from anything approaching a solution but I did find that it helped take some of the migraine inducing edge off Yosemite.

Thanks Shadowdancer, that does help a lot.

Unfortunately Dark Menu Bar hides some of my App's dock icons, so can't use it.

I used instead:

System Preferences > General> Appearance

- Select Graphite for Buttons, Menus etc

- Select Graphite as Highlight color

- Turn off "Use LCD font smoothing" > the last item at the bottom of General

The Increase Contrast Button worked best for me, it draws a box around most buttons and seems to make them darker.

---------------------------------------------------------

System Preferences > Accessibility:

- Turn on "Increase Contrast" which not only turn on Reduce Transparency but adds a few other things to help improve definition between lines / fonts.

Thank you shadowdancer1000 for your suggestions. I gave them a try and a few really helped, but I still needed more.

Here is my latest workaround. See (ha ha) if it helps anyone else.

Systems Preferences > Displays

Select Scaled

Selected 1280 x 720 (that resolution worked best for me)

Then I increased the contrast in Accessibility. That combination gives me the best system font increase and visibility yet. It sure ain't pretty and it could be oh so much better on so many levels, but I can see my system fonts now and I might be able to be productive at work again. I'm giving this a whirl at my desk today to see how this plays out across the board. I'll report back later to say whether or not this was a workable work day solution. I'm trying to work here!!! All together now - GEEEEEZE!

In Mavericks, I was able to change the font style, colour and size. In Yosemite, Apple has removed all these options and it is so annoying!! What was the point of removing these features!? (In iMessage)

There is but ONE solution. Use FIREFOX browser, with an add-on called Theme Font & Size Changer and you can change the bookmarks and tabs font size and color. This is actually an only solution on a Mac -- dump the other browsers. If you have a Chrome OS, you have tiny fonts. Another way to improve, but not a total cure, on Chrome browser on a Apple device is the use A L L C A P S with the spacing between each character. May help on Safari. My theory is that programmers, now-a-days all used a smartphone when young, and are nearsighted 😮

Send your concerns to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html. The more reports the more likely they'll thing about changing readability.

Apple does not read these forums. You should provide feedback to the correct channel so that your concerns are heard..

http://apple.com/feedback

I found something that may help you in Safari.

Open System Preferences > Accessibility then select Display on the left.

Try: Increase contrast