How to Change Default Font in Windows Terminal

Learn how to change the default font in Windows Terminal with just a few clicks, customizing its look and feel.

On Windows 11, Windows Terminal is the default terminal application that hosts all the command-line tools and shells, including the Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (if you are using WSL). Compared to other built-in command-line tools, Windows Terminal has a lot of features, like tabs and rich text, to make it easier to use. Additionally, it is also highly customizable. For example, you can change its background, color schemes, cursor type, acrylic effects, text rendering, and anti-aliasing. One such personalization feature is the ability to use a custom font in Windows Terminal.

While the default Cascadia Code font is pretty good, you might prefer to use some other font. For example, I like to use JetBrains Mono as my default monospace font. Thankfully, on Windows Terminal, it is pretty easy to change the default font. All you have to do is select the font you want to use in the terminal settings tab, and you are good to go.

In this quick and easy guide, let me show you the steps to change the default font in Windows Terminal. Let’s get started.

Before You Start

• Before proceeding, please make sure the font you want to use in Windows Terminal is installed. Here are the instructions to install new fonts in Windows 11 (on Windows 10).

Steps to Change the Default Font in Windows Terminal

1. Open the Run dialog by pressing “Windows key + R”.
2. Type “wt” and click “OK“.
3. Click on the dropdown icon on the title bar.
4. Select “Settings“.
5. Select “Defaults” under “Profiles”.
6. Click the “Appearance” option.
7. Click the field next to “Font face” and select the font you want to use.
8. Click “Save“.
9. Reopen the terminal window.
10. With that, you’ve changed the default global font in Windows Terminal.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

To start off, we need to open the Terminal app. To do that, press “Windows key + R” to open the Run dialog, type “wt“, and click “OK“. Once the terminal app opens, click the “down arrow” icon on the title bar and select the “Settings” option.

The above action opens the settings tab in the Terminal window. In it, select the “Defaults” tab under the “Profiles” section on the sidebar. On the right panel, click the “Appearance” option.

Again, on the right panel, click the font field next to “Font face” and select the font you want to use. By default, it only displays the monospace fonts. If you want to use other kinds of fonts, select the “Show all fonts” option.

After selecting the font, click the “Save” button to save the change. That’s it. With that, you’ve changed the default global font in Windows Terminal.

Steps to Change the Default Font for a Specific Profile/Shell in Windows Terminal

Apart from changing the font globally, you can also set a specific font for a specific profile. For example, use Cascadia Code for PowerShell but JetBrains Mono for bash. Here is how.

1. Right-click the “Windows” icon on the taskbar.
2. Select the “Windows Terminal” option.
3. Click the “drop arrow” icon on the title bar.
4. Select “Settings” from the menu.
5. Select the shell of your choice on the sidebar.
6. Go to the “Appearance” tab.
7. Click the “Font face” field and select the font of your choice.
8. Click the “Save” button.
9. Close and reopen Windows Terminal.
10. With that, you’ve changed the default font face for a specific profile in Windows Terminal.

Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)

First, right-click the Start menu icon on the taskbar and select “Windows Terminal“. Alternatively, open the Start menu, search for “Windows Terminal” and click “Open”. After opening Windows Terminal, click the down arrow icon on the title bar and select the “Settings” option.

The above action will open the Settings tab in Windows Terminal. On the Settings page, select the shell/profile for which you want to change the font. For example, I want to change the default font for Windows PowerShell. So, I select it on the sidebar. Now, click the “Appearance” option on the right panel.

On the right panel, click the font field next to “Font face” and select the font you want to use. By default, it only displays the monospace fonts. If you want to use other kinds of fonts, select the “Show all fonts” option. Finally, click the “Save” button.

After that, restart Windows Terminal to apply the changes. Once restarted, you will see the new font face when you open that shell/profile.

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That is all. It is that simple to change the default font in Windows Terminal. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.