How to change or remove font smoothing on Mac

If you’re running macOS Big Sur on your Mac, you may have noticed that the text is blurry. This may be due to the font smoothing feature that has been turned on by default since the Big Sur update. According to Apple, font smoothing (or “antialiasing”) reduces the jagged edges of some fonts. We promise to reduce the strain on your eyes while reading.

But I don’t like it very much. Also, Apple has removed the toggle, which cannot be removed or adjusted. If you’re like me and want to change or disable font smoothing on your Mac, scroll down. But first, let’s start with the basics.

What is Font Smoothing on Mac???

Font smoothing is a feature of macOS Monterey that makes fonts look a little thicker. It helps you read the text better and hopes to improve your reading experience. However, many users find that font smoothing spoils the style of some fonts, makes the text appear more blurry, and affects readability.

Read on to understand how to change these settings or disable the feature altogether!

How to change font smoothing level on Mac

If you want to adjust the intensity level, you need to use the terminal. Method is as follows.

1. Open Terminal.. Method is as follows.
   • Move to launch pad → Other → select Terminal..
   • Open Spotlight search And search Terminal..

     

2. Enter one of the following commands as needed:
   • If you want to reduce the smoothing of the text, type:
     defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 1

     

   • for Moderate level:
     defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 2 
   • lastly, strong Strength:
     defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 3 

After entering one of the above commands, make sure that: Restart your mac This is for the changes to take effect. But what if you want to revert to the default settings? The next part also has the answer.

Returns to the default smooth font value

Since you used the terminal to disable and adjust font smoothing, you may already be guessing what you need to use to revert to the default font smoothing settings. Yes, use the terminal for that.

1. Open Terminal Enter the following command:
   defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 2 

   

2. afterwards, Restart your mac Implement the changes.

This will return your Mac to the default font smoothing settings.

But what if you don’t want to change it and want to disable font smoothing? That will be explained in the next part.

How to turn off font smoothing on Mac

Apple has removed the option to turn off font smoothing on Macs after the Big Sur update, so there are two ways to enable or disable them. Depending on the version of macOS you are using (before or after updating), we’ve covered the following steps:

For macOS Catalina (10.15) or less

Prior to the Big Sure update, Apple allowed users to turn off font smoothing. If you are currently using macOS Catalina (10.15) or lower, you can remove text smoothing in the following ways:

1. Open System Preferences When exterior..
2. Clear the check box next to it “Use LCD font smoothing If available. “

If you’re running Mac OS X v10.5.7 or lower, you need to select the following options: Font smoothing style.. The procedure is different for macOS Big Sur and later versions. You can check the following steps.

For macOS Big Sur and above

Apple has disabled the option to turn off font smoothing after the Big Sur update, but the community has found a workaround that can disable or change the strength. To do that:

1. Open Terminal..
2. Paste or enter the following command:
   defaults -currentHost write -g AppleFontSmoothing -int 0

   
3. now, Reboot the device Therefore, the changes can take effect.

that’s it!

Even though Apple has disabled the option to change or remove font smoothing on the Mac, it provided a workaround that could do the same. I think Apple should have offered the option to adjust font smoothing as it did before the Big Sur update.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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