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If your Mac runs macOS Big Sur, you may have noticed that the text is blurry. This could be because since the Big Sur Change or Remove Font Smoothing on Mac has been turned on by default. Apple says that Font Smoothing (also called “antialiasing”) makes some fonts’ edges less jagged.
It says it will make reading easier on the eyes. But I don’t really like it. Also, you can’t remove or change this because Apple took away the toggle. If you want to change or turn off Font Smoothing on a Mac like I do, scroll down. First, though, let’s go over the basics.
There was a setting in System Preferences called “Use Font Smoothing when available” that was in the General section. If you used this setting and now can’t find it, it’s because Apple took it away for some reason. When font smoothing is turned off, you may also see blurry text when using macOS Monterey or macOS Big Sur on a regular display that isn’t a retina display.
How to Change or Remove Font Smoothing on Mac
- Click on the Finder icon located in your Mac’s Dock.
- This will open the Finder window on your screen. Now, click on “Applications” from the left pane and go to the “Utilities” folder to continue.
- In the Utilities folder, you’ll find the “Terminal” app. Click on it to launch Terminal on your Mac. Alternatively, you can open Terminal using Spotlight search by pressing Command + Space bar.
- Now, type in the following command and press Return or Enter:
- Exit Terminal and click on the Apple logo at the top-left corner of your screen. Choose “Restart” from the dropdown menu and reboot your Mac.
What is Font Smoothing on Mac?
Font Smoothing is a feature in macOS Monterey that makes fonts look a little bit more bold. It helps you understand what you’re reading and hopes to improve the way you read. But a lot of people have said that Font Smoothing messes up the styles of some fonts and makes the text look blurrier, making it harder to read.
FAQs
To smooth the fonts on your screen: Open System Preferences and click Appearance. To turn on font smoothing in Mac OS X v10. 6 or later, select “Use LCD font smoothing when available.”
Restoring the standard fonts moves any fonts you’ve installed into a separate folder, which makes them unavailable to use in apps. In the Font Book app on your Mac, choose Font Book > Settings. Click Advanced, then click Reset Fonts. Click Proceed to confirm, and enter your password if asked (or use Touch ID).
In an app on your Mac, choose Format > Show Fonts or Format > Font > Show Fonts. In the Fonts window, click the Action pop-up menu , choose Edit Sizes, then do any of the following: Add a font size: Type a new size, then click the Add button . Change the values on the slider: Type new values in the Max.