In iOS 27, Text Size, Bold Text, Display Zoom and the Liquid Glass control have left Display & Brightness. Open the Settings app and tap Appearance, which is where Apple’s iOS 27 iPhone User Guide now sends you for all four.
Display & Brightness is still there, just slimmer. Apple’s Settings table for iOS 27 gives it “Screen brightness, Night Shift, Auto-Lock, Raise to Wake,” while Appearance covers “Light or Dark Mode, text size, display appearance, and Liquid Glass settings.” In the iOS 26 edition of the guide, the steps for all four began with a tap on Display & Brightness.
Where each setting lives now
| Setting | iOS 26 | iOS 27 |
|---|---|---|
| Text Size | Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size | Settings > Appearance > Text Size |
| Bold Text | Settings > Display & Brightness > Bold Text | Settings > Appearance > Bold Text |
| Display Zoom | Settings > Display & Brightness > Display Zoom | Settings > Appearance > Display Zoom |
| Liquid Glass | Settings > Display & Brightness > Liquid Glass | Settings > Appearance > Liquid Glass |
Text Size, Bold Text and Display Zoom work as they did before. Liquid Glass is the one control that changed, from a two-way choice to a slider.
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Make text bigger or bolder
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Appearance, then tap Text Size.
- Drag the slider left or right to change the text size.
For heavier letters, go to Settings > Appearance and turn on Bold Text.
If the largest Text Size still isn’t enough, the next stop hasn’t moved: Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Apple says that’s where you can “increase text size further, bump up the contrast, or make additional adjustments” so the screen is easier to read.
Magnify everything with Display Zoom
Text Size changes the type. Display Zoom enlarges the whole screen, which helps when buttons and icons feel small too.
- Open Settings and tap Appearance.
- Tap Display Zoom, then tap Larger Text.
- Tap Done, then tap Use Zoomed.
Set Liquid Glass with the new slider
In iOS 26 you picked Clear or Tinted. iOS 27 replaces that choice with a slider that runs, in Apple’s words, “from ultraclear to fully tinted.”
- Open Settings, tap Appearance, then tap Liquid Glass.
- Drag the slider right for more tint, or left for a clearer look.
The slider only takes effect when Reduce Transparency and Increase Contrast are both off. If moving it changes nothing, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and turn off both switches.
For more on the look itself, see our guides on how to customize Liquid Glass in iOS 27 and whether you can turn Liquid Glass off.
Switch Dark Mode from Control Center
Apple’s guide names two different Settings screens for Dark Mode, so Control Center is the dependable route.
- Open Control Center. On an iPhone with Face ID, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom.
- Touch and hold the Brightness control.
- Tap the Appearance button to turn Dark Mode on or off.
To put Dark Mode on a schedule, turn on Automatic, tap Options, then choose Sunset to Sunrise or Custom Schedule. Look for Automatic under Appearance first, then under Display & Brightness.
What stayed in Display & Brightness
Along with the brightness slider, Night Shift, Auto-Lock and Raise to Wake, Apple’s guide still puts the True Tone switch in Display & Brightness. Auto-Brightness is under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.
If you’re setting up a new iPhone 18 Pro, which comes with iOS 27, the Appearance paths are the ones you’ll see from the start.
