# How to change the default font in Word on Mac: steps for Microsoft 365 and 2024

> Learn how to change the default font in Word on Mac: open Format > Font, click Default, then Yes and OK. Steps for Microsoft 365 and Word 2024.

URL: https://www.lazur.app/how-to/change-the-default-font-in-word
Updated: 2026-11-07

To change the default font in Word on Mac, open Format > Font, pick a font and size, click Default, then click Yes and OK. New documents then open in the font you picked, and existing documents keep theirs.

## Quick answer

- Open Format > Font, pick the font and size, then click Default.
- Click Yes to confirm. The change saves to the Normal template and updates the Normal style.
- New documents pick up the change. Documents you already have keep their fonts.
- Test in a new blank document, not an old one.
- If the default breaks, back up Normal.dotm, then move it. Word recreates it on next launch.

Applies to: Word for Mac: Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021. Time: 3 min. Difficulty: Easy.

## What you need

- Word for Mac from Microsoft 365, Word 2024 or Word 2021
- A blank document or any document open in Word
- A backup copy of Normal.dotm, only if you plan to reset it

## How to Change the default font for new documents in Word on Mac in Word on a Mac

1. **Open a document or blank page.** Open Word and start a blank document, or open any document you want to use as the base. Microsoft's Mac page says to open the template or a document based on it. A blank page is the cleanest choice.
2. **Open the Font dialog box.** (Format > Font) Shortcut: ⌘D. Choose Format > Font from the menu bar. You can also hold Command and press D. Both open the same Font dialog box. Tip: If nothing happens, click inside the document first, then press ⌘D again.
3. **Stay on the Font tab.** Check that the Font tab is selected at the top of the dialog. It holds the font list and the size box. Microsoft's steps make every change on this tab. Tip: If the dialog opens on another tab, click Font first.
4. **Choose the font and size.** Pick the font from the list, for example Aptos or Calibri. Then set the size. Whatever you set here becomes the default for new documents. Tip: Aptos is the current default in recent releases. Calibri is the older default you may remember.
5. **Click Default.** Click the Default button in the Font dialog. Word then asks you to confirm the change. Tip: Do not click OK yet. OK closes the dialog without saving the default.
6. **Click Yes to confirm.** Click Yes when Word asks you to confirm. The font and size save to the Normal template, and the Normal style updates with them.
7. **Click OK.** Click OK to close the Font dialog. Your default is now set for new documents.
8. **Test with a new document.** (File > New Blank Document) Shortcut: ⌘D. Choose File > New Blank Document. Type a sentence, then press ⌘D to check the font and size. They should match your choice. Tip: Existing documents keep their old fonts, so test in a new one.

![Person at a laptop on a desk, working on a Word document and changing the default font](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/change-the-default-font-in-word/how-to-change-the-default-font-in-1-7bd97d.jpg)

Word for Mac starts each new document from the Normal template. That file holds the default font, the default size and the spacing for body text. Recent versions use Aptos. Some people want Calibri back. Others need a specific font that their office or school asks for. The change takes a few clicks. The rest of this page covers those clicks, what the change touches, and what to do when it does not stick.

## Which Word versions these steps cover

Microsoft's Mac help page covers Word for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Word 2024 for Mac and Word 2021 for Mac. The steps are the same in all three. The help page has no publication date, so check your version before you trust a detail that looks off. The most recent Mac release I found in Microsoft's release notes is 16.114.3, dated October 27, 2026.

The three newest Word entries, 16.114.1 through 16.114.3, list only quality and performance improvements. None of them mention the Font menu or default settings. That gives you a reason to expect the same menu path on current builds.

## Change the default font, step by step

The numbered steps follow Microsoft's order: choose the font and size, click Default, click Yes, then click OK. The table below explains what each control does, so the order makes sense.

| Control | What it does | What to check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Font | Sets the typeface, such as Aptos or Calibri | Pick the font you want new documents to use |
| Size | Sets the text size | Set it before you click Default |
| Default | Saves the font and size to the Normal template | Click it after the font and size are set |
| Yes | Confirms the change when Word asks | Click it when the prompt appears |
| OK | Closes the Font dialog | Click it last, after Default and Yes |

_The Font dialog controls, in the order you use them_

A common slip is clicking OK too early. OK closes the dialog. It does not set the default. If you do that, the next new document looks the same as before, and it seems like the steps failed.

## What the change touches, and what it leaves alone

The default font lives in the Normal template, a file named Normal.dotm. When you click Default, Word writes your choice into that template. Word also updates the Normal style. That is the style body text uses in most documents.

- New blank documents open in the new font and size.
- Existing documents keep the fonts they were saved with.
- Other styles built on Normal change too, including any heading style based on it.
- Text you formatted by hand, such as a bold red word, stays as it is.

Because of that last point about styles, check your headings after the change. If a heading looks different, open the Styles pane and look at what that style is based on. Then adjust the style itself, not each heading by hand.

## Why new documents still open in the old font

One Microsoft Q&A thread describes a Word 365 for Mac user on macOS 12.1. That user saved a .dotx template in Library/Application Support/Microsoft. New documents still opened in Calibri 12. The accepted answer skipped the template and used the Font dialog instead.

Saving a template in another folder does not change Normal.dotm. Microsoft Q&A moderators warn against creating a new Normal template by saving a document as a template and swapping it in. They say only Word can generate a fully working Normal template.

So go back to Format > Font, set the font and size, click Default, then click Yes. Close the old document, open a blank one, and check again. If the font is still wrong, the troubleshooting list below covers the next checks.

![Man working on a Mac laptop with a text document open on screen](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/change-the-default-font-in-word/how-to-change-the-default-font-in-2-db7a51.jpg)

## Which default font Word uses now, and how to go back

Aptos is the default now. Microsoft announced it in July 2023. It replaced Calibri as the default across Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel. Aptos was formerly called Bierstadt, and Microsoft picked it from five fonts it tested.

If you want Calibri back, the steps do not change. Choose Calibri in the Font list, then click Default and Yes. I could not find an official Microsoft page for switching back to Calibri on a Mac, so the Font dialog route is the one I can point to.

## Reset the default when Word misbehaves

Sometimes a bad change or a damaged template leaves the default in a strange state. Microsoft's Mac page says you can delete, rename or move the Normal template to undo accidental changes. Word recreates the file the next time you open Word. Back up Normal.dotm first, so you can put it back if the reset goes wrong.

A Microsoft Q&A answer gives this folder for Normal.dotm: ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates. Another user looked in the older Application Support folder and did not find the file there. Start with the folder above.

Open Normal.dotm from inside Word, not by double-clicking it in Finder. Finder creates a new blank document instead. Bob Jones, a Microsoft Q&A moderator, says there is no need to open Normal.dotm directly. Set the defaults from Format > Font > Default instead.

Do not replace Normal.dotm with a file you saved yourself. Only Word can build a working Normal template. A hand-made copy can cause odd behavior in new documents, so keep Word's own file in place.

## Word for the web and the default font

The steps above apply to the Mac app. Word for the web works differently. A Microsoft Q&A answer dated March 7, 2024, says there is no straightforward way to change the default font there. It says the web version allows only basic customization.

That answer may be out of date. I did not find a newer Microsoft statement that contradicts it. The same thread suggests two workarounds. You can change the Normal style in a sample document, then use Update Normal to Match Selection. You can also embed fonts in the desktop file.

## Common mistakes and how to avoid them

- Clicking OK instead of Default. OK closes the dialog without setting the default.
- Testing in an old document. Existing documents keep their fonts, so test in a blank one.
- Following the Windows steps. Windows uses Home > Font dialog launcher or CTRL+D, then Set As Default. Windows also offers a choice between this document only and all documents based on the Normal template. Microsoft's Mac steps do not show that choice.
- Swapping in a template you saved yourself. Only Word can generate a working Normal template.
- Blaming Word for a font that keeps reverting. Microsoft says company permission settings or add-ins can revert the default font. Its troubleshooting steps for that are labelled Windows only, and I could not confirm Mac equivalents.

On the Mac, Microsoft's help page does not show the prompt that asks about this document or all documents. I could not confirm its wording. If you see a choice like that, pick the option for all documents based on the Normal template, since that is the one that sets the default for new work.

![Laptop on an office desk showing a typed page, the kind of setup where you set a default font](https://images.lazur.app/content-images/howto/change-the-default-font-in-word/how-to-change-the-default-font-in-3-7df0aa.jpg)

## Quick checks after you finish

Choose File > New Blank Document. Type a sentence. Press ⌘D and confirm the font and size match your choice. If they match, the default is set. If they do not, go back and check that you clicked Default and then Yes.

After that, check the parts of your document that rely on styles. Tables of contents depend on heading styles, so a changed heading style changes them too. Check headers and page numbers as well. These guides walk through each one: [how to add a header in Word on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-a-header-in-word), [how to add page numbers in Word on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/add-page-numbers-in-word), and [how to insert a table of contents in Word on Mac](https://www.lazur.app/how-to/insert-a-table-of-contents-in-word).

## Shortcuts

- Open the Font dialog box: ⌘D

## If it does not work

- **New documents still open in the old font** Open Format > Font again, pick the font and size, click Default, then click Yes. Saving a template in another folder does not change the default. Only Word can build a working Normal template.
- **Headings or other styles changed too** This is expected, because other styles built on Normal change with it. Open each affected style, adjust it, and leave the Normal style as you set it.
- **Word for the web still uses the old font** Microsoft's March 2024 Q&A answer says the web version has no straightforward setting. Change the Normal style in a sample document, then use Update Normal to Match Selection.
- **The default is broken or Word looks wrong** Back up Normal.dotm, then move or rename it. The file is usually in ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/User Content/Templates. Word recreates it on next launch, so set your font again.
- **Double-clicking Normal.dotm opens a blank document** Open Normal.dotm from inside Word instead. Finder creates a new blank document rather than opening the template.
- **A company setting keeps reverting the font** Microsoft says company permission settings or add-ins can revert the default font. Its checks for that are Windows steps, and I could not confirm Mac equivalents. Ask whoever manages your Office setup.

## With Lazur

Lazur is a voice assistant for the Mac that lives in the notch. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask; it sees your screen, answers out loud, points at buttons and walks you through apps. Hold fn to dictate. Free for 3 days, then $18/month: https://www.lazur.app/download

- “Where is the Default button in this Font dialog?”: Lazur circles the Default button and labels it on screen. You still click it yourself. (Points at it)

## FAQ

### Will changing the default font update my existing documents?

No. The new default applies to new documents. Documents you already have keep the fonts they were saved with. To change an old document, select its text and pick the font you want.

### Why did my headings change after I changed the default font?

The Normal style changed, and Word updates other styles built on Normal as well. Open your heading styles, check what they are based on, and adjust them if they no longer look right.

### Where does Word store the default font on a Mac?

In the Normal template, a file named Normal.dotm. Microsoft advises setting the default from inside Word with Format > Font, not by editing that file by hand.

### Are the Mac and Windows steps the same?

No. On Windows you use Home > Font dialog launcher or CTRL+D, then Set As Default, and Windows offers a choice between this document only and all documents based on the Normal template. Microsoft's Mac steps do not show that choice.

### Can I change the default font in Word for the web?

Microsoft's Q&A answer dated March 7, 2024 says there is no straightforward way. That answer may be out of date, so check Microsoft's current help pages before you rely on it.

### What is the default font in Word for Mac now?

Aptos. Microsoft announced it in July 2023 as the default across Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel. You can switch back to Calibri or any installed font with the same Font dialog steps.

### How do I undo a default font change in Word on Mac?

Back up Normal.dotm, then delete, rename or move it. Word recreates the file the next time you open Word. Then set your font again and click Default.

## Sources

1. [Change the default settings in Word for Mac](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/change-the-default-settings-for-new-documents), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
2. [Change the default font in Word](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/change-the-default-font-in-word), Microsoft Support, checked 2026-11-07
3. [Release notes for Office for Mac](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/officeupdates/release-notes-office-for-mac), Microsoft Learn, checked 2026-11-07
4. [Change default font and font size - Word 365 for Mac](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5136587/change-default-font-and-font-size-word-365-for-mac), Microsoft Q&A, checked 2026-11-07
5. [Is it possible to modify the Normal template on Word for Mac?](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5421490/is-it-possible-to-modify-the-normal-template-on-wo), Microsoft Q&A, checked 2026-11-07
6. [Does the default font transfer to web version?](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5279440/does-the-default-font-transfer-to-web-version), Microsoft Q&A, checked 2026-11-07
7. [The Register: Microsoft Aptos default font](https://www.theregister.com/2023/07/14/font/), The Register, checked 2026-11-07