How to make Windows icons larger

Updated: 02/07/2022 by Computer Hope

Microsoft Windows users can make program icons smaller or larger by changing the scale of the icon size. To do this, select your version of Windows below and follow the instructions.

Windows 11

Tip

On the Windows desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up and down with the mouse wheel to increase and decrease the icon size.

  1. Using your mouse, right-click an empty area of the Windows desktop.
  2. In the pop-up menu, select the Display settings option.
  3. On the Display settings window, in the Scale & layout section, select 125%, 150%, or 175% in the Scale drop-down list.

Windows 11 icon scale option

To select a higher scaling percentage, click the Scale option instead of the drop-down list.

Windows 11 icon scaling percentage list

  1. On the Custom scaling window, enter a percentage between 100 and 500 in the text box (A), then click the checkmark button (B).

Windows 11 icon custom scaling

Note

As shown above, Windows 11 warns you that selecting a custom percentage for text and icon scaling could result in display issues in other applications that use those same scaling settings.

Windows 10

Tip

On the Windows desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up and down with the mouse wheel to increase and decrease the icon size.

  1. Using your mouse, right-click an empty area of the Windows desktop.
  2. In the pop-up menu, select the Display settings option.
  3. On the Display settings window, under Scale and layout, select 125%, 150%, or 175% in the Change the size of text, apps, and other items drop-down list.

    To select a higher percentage, click the Advanced scaling settings link below the drop-down list.
  4. Under Custom scaling, enter a percentage between 100 and 500 in the text box on the Advanced scaling settings window, then click the Apply button.
Note

Selecting a custom percentage for text and icon scaling could result in display issues in other applications that use those scaling settings.

Windows Vista, 7, and 8

Tip

On the Windows desktop, hold down the Ctrl key and scroll up and down with the mouse wheel to increase and decrease the icon size.

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. In the Control Panel, click Appearance and Personalization (must be using the Category view option).
  3. In the Appearance and Personalization window, under the Display section, click the Make text and other items larger or smaller option.
  4. In the Change the size of all items section, drag the bar towards Larger to make text and icons larger.

If you do not want everything larger, in the Change only the text size section, select Icons in the first drop-down list, then increase the font size or make the text bold for easier reading.

Windows appearance and personalization display

Windows XP

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. In the Control Panel, double-click Display.
  3. In the Display window, click the Appearance tab.
  4. On the Appearance tab, click the Effects button.
  5. In Effects, check the "Use large icons" option and click OK.

Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, and 2000

  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. In the Control Panel, double-click Display.
  3. In the Display window, click the Effects tab.
  4. On the Effects tab, check the "Use large icons" option and click OK.