eleven / messenger Public

web: text size — iMessage-sized default, settings slider, Dynamic Type on touch (#414)

* web: text size — iMessage-sized default, theme-sheet slider, Dynamic Type on touch

Introduce --msg-font-size as the one text-size primitive for message
bubbles + the composer. Desktop defaults to 13px (Mac iMessage's default,
down from the inherited 16px browser default) with a seven-stop A…A
slider in the theme sheet (lchat_text_size, local-only like the theme).
Touch keeps 17px but bubbles switch to font: -apple-system-body, so
iPhone/iPad honour the system Text Size (Dynamic Type); Android falls
back to the 17px variable. Reply quotes track two notches under the
bubble size; the composer line grows with the font past 16px.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* web: changelog — scope the iPhone/iPad claim to the web app until app builds ship

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* web: default text size 13 → 14 — the slider's middle stop, matching Messages.app

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* web: text-size ladder tops out at 16 — default one from the end (9…14, 16)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* web: 15px default — ladder 10…16, default second from top

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Paul Campbell 4 months ago acc188ad32955954f5d606195a69e54210863fd1 parent 20201ce

5 files changed, +129 −5

changelog/2026-07-08-text-size.md +6 −0
test/ui.test.mjs +23 −0
web/static/shell.js +54 −0
web/static/style.css +28 −5
web/static/ui.js +18 −0

diff --git a/changelog/2026-07-08-text-size.md b/changelog/2026-07-08-text-size.md

new file mode 100644

index 0000000..9f3ba98

--- /dev/null

+++ b/changelog/2026-07-08-text-size.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@

+🤖 You can now choose your message text size. On a computer, open the menu →

+Theme and drag the new **Text size** slider — the default is now the same

+comfortable size iMessage uses on the Mac. Using the web app on an iPhone or

+iPad? Messages now follow your system Text Size setting (Settings → Display &

+Brightness → Text Size), so if you use larger type, your chats do too. The

+iPhone and Mac apps pick this up in their next update.

diff --git a/test/ui.test.mjs b/test/ui.test.mjs

index 5bdd2a6..ec0b418 100644

--- a/test/ui.test.mjs

+++ b/test/ui.test.mjs

@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ import {

DEFAULT_THEME,

DEFAULT_APPEARANCE,

sanitizeActions,

+ normalizeTextSize,

+ TEXT_SIZES,

+ DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE,

} from "../web/static/ui.js";

let failures = 0;

@@ -107,6 +110,26 @@ await test("colorScheme: system maps to 'light dark' so light-dark() follows the

assert.equal(colorScheme("anything-else"), "light dark");

});

+await test("normalizeTextSize: valid stops pass through (stored strings too), junk falls back", () => {

+ for (const ok of TEXT_SIZES) {

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(ok), ok);

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(String(ok)), ok); // localStorage returns strings

+ }

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(15), DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE); // not a slider stop

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize("huge"), DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE);

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(null), DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE);

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(undefined), DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE);

+ assert.equal(normalizeTextSize(""), DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE);

+});

+await test("text size default sits one from the top of the ladder", () => {

+ assert.equal(DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE, 15);

+ // one stop above the default and no more — bigger sizes read as shouting

+ assert.equal(TEXT_SIZES[TEXT_SIZES.length - 2], DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE);

+ // strictly increasing — the slider steps through them by index

+ for (let i = 1; i < TEXT_SIZES.length; i++) assert.ok(TEXT_SIZES[i] > TEXT_SIZES[i - 1]);

+});

await test("composerToken: detects an emoji shortcode in progress", () => {

const t = composerToken("hey :tad", 8);

assert.equal(t?.kind, "emoji");

diff --git a/web/static/shell.js b/web/static/shell.js

index aa3ab6e..6f6d480 100644

--- a/web/static/shell.js

+++ b/web/static/shell.js

@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import {

normalizeTheme,

normalizeAppearance,

colorScheme,

+ normalizeTextSize,

+ TEXT_SIZES,

+ DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE,

composerToken,

pinnedFirst,

ownMessage,

@@ -176,6 +179,27 @@ matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: dark)").addEventListener("change", () => {

});

applyTheme(currentTheme(), currentAppearance());

+// ---- text size ------------------------------------------------------------

+// Desktop-only, like the Mac iMessage slider: the picked size drives the

+// --msg-font-size variable (bubbles + composer). Touch devices skip all of

+// this — they follow the system text size via -apple-system-body in style.css.

+// Local preference only, same as the theme. The native Mac app sets the same

+// variable from its own View-menu / Settings pref instead of this key.

+const TEXT_SIZE_KEY = "lchat_text_size";

+const currentTextSize = () => normalizeTextSize(localStorage.getItem(TEXT_SIZE_KEY));

+function applyTextSize(px) {

+ if (isCoarse) return;

+ // At the default, clear the override so the stylesheet's value (and any

+ // future retune of it) rules; only a deliberate choice pins an inline size.

+ if (px === DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE) document.documentElement.style.removeProperty("--msg-font-size");

+ else document.documentElement.style.setProperty("--msg-font-size", px + "px");

+function setTextSize(px) {

+ localStorage.setItem(TEXT_SIZE_KEY, String(px));

+ applyTextSize(px);

+applyTextSize(currentTextSize());

// ---- action chips ---------------------------------------------------------

// One-tap buttons a helper attaches to its reply ("Switch to dark" etc.).

// Consent-based by design: nothing runs until the member taps — payloads

@@ -291,6 +315,36 @@ function showThemePicker() {

}

card.appendChild(grid);

+ // Text size (desktop only — touch follows the system setting): the iMessage

+ // slider, A…A over the sizes in ui.js. Applies live so the feed behind the

+ // sheet previews the choice.

+ if (!isCoarse) {

+ const tsLabel = document.createElement("label");

+ tsLabel.className = "field-label";

+ tsLabel.textContent = "Text size";

+ tsLabel.style.marginTop = "14px";

+ card.appendChild(tsLabel);

+ const row = document.createElement("div");

+ row.className = "text-size-row";

+ const small = document.createElement("span");

+ small.className = "text-size-a small";

+ small.textContent = "A";

+ const slider = document.createElement("input");

+ slider.type = "range";

+ slider.min = "0";

+ slider.max = String(TEXT_SIZES.length - 1);

+ slider.step = "1";

+ slider.value = String(TEXT_SIZES.indexOf(currentTextSize()));

+ slider.setAttribute("aria-label", "Text size");

+ slider.oninput = () => setTextSize(TEXT_SIZES[+slider.value]);

+ const big = document.createElement("span");

+ big.className = "text-size-a big";

+ big.textContent = "A";

+ row.append(small, slider, big);

+ card.appendChild(row);

+ }

const foot = document.createElement("div");

foot.className = "sheet-foot";

const done = document.createElement("button");

diff --git a/web/static/style.css b/web/static/style.css

index f9f00d8..c9786f8 100644

--- a/web/static/style.css

+++ b/web/static/style.css

@@ -10,6 +10,13 @@

:root,

[data-theme="litroom"] {

--radius: 18px;

+ /* Message + composer text size. The desktop default is a touch over Mac

+ iMessage's (we used to inherit the browser's 16px); the coarse-pointer

+ block further down bumps it for touch and layers Dynamic Type on top. A

+ member's picked size (theme sheet slider, lchat_text_size) is applied by

+ shell.js as an inline override on <html> — desktop only; touch follows

+ the system. */

+ --msg-font-size: 15px;

--font-display: ui-rounded, "SF Pro Rounded", "Avenir Next", -apple-system, system-ui, sans-serif;

/* depth + status colours are theme-agnostic */

--shadow: light-dark(rgba(20, 30, 80, 0.10), rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.55));

@@ -429,6 +436,7 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); border-color: tr

padding: 9px 13px;

border-radius: var(--radius);

background: var(--bubble-them);

+ font-size: var(--msg-font-size);

line-height: 1.35;

white-space: pre-wrap;

/* break long unbroken strings (e.g. a giant URL) instead of overflowing */

@@ -1094,7 +1102,8 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); border-color: tr

.msg.me .reply-quote { text-align: right; }

.reply-quote-name { font-size: 11px; color: var(--muted); margin-bottom: 1px; }

.reply-quote-text {

- font-size: 13px;

+ /* two notches under the bubble text at every size (15→13, touch 17→15) */

+ font-size: calc(var(--msg-font-size) - 2px);

color: var(--muted);

max-width: 220px;

overflow: hidden;

@@ -1320,11 +1329,16 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); border-color: tr

core reading + typing text up a notch so messages are comfortable. Desktop

(fine pointer) keeps its sizes. Composer stays ≥16px so iOS doesn't

auto-zoom the page when the field is focused. */

- .msg .bubble { font-size: 17px; }

+ :root { --msg-font-size: 17px; }

+ /* iOS/iPadOS honour the system Text Size (Dynamic Type): -apple-system-body

+ tracks it, so a member who's set large type gets large messages. Browsers

+ without the keyword (Android) drop the whole shorthand and keep the 17px

+ variable from the base rule; the two declarations after it restore what

+ the shorthand resets. Higher-specificity sizes (.jumbo-emoji) still win. */

+ .msg .bubble { font: -apple-system-body; font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.35; }

.composer textarea { font-size: 17px; }

.thread-row-name { font-size: 17px; }

.thread-row-preview { font-size: 14px; }

- .reply-quote-text { font-size: 15px; }

}

.composer-field {

position: relative;

@@ -1336,9 +1350,12 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); border-color: tr

resize: none;

max-height: 140px;

/* 8+8 padding + 22 line + 2 border = 40px at rest. Symmetric so the text is

- vertically centred in the box; right padding leaves room for the send button. */

+ vertically centred in the box; right padding leaves room for the send button.

+ Type at the reading size; past 16px the 22px line would get cramped, so the

+ line grows with the font from there (and the box grows with it). */

padding: 8px 46px 8px 14px;

- line-height: 22px;

+ font-size: var(--msg-font-size);

+ line-height: max(22px, 1.35em);

min-height: 40px;

border-radius: 20px;

font-family: inherit;

@@ -1854,6 +1871,12 @@ input:focus, textarea:focus { outline: 2px solid var(--accent); border-color: tr

.theme-swatch:hover { background: var(--bubble-them); }

.theme-swatch.active { border-color: var(--accent); box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px var(--accent); }

.theme-swatch .disc { width: 26px; height: 26px; border-radius: 50%; flex: none; box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.12); }

+/* "Text size" slider in the theme sheet (desktop only): A ——◦—— A */

+.text-size-row { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; }

+.text-size-row input[type="range"] { flex: 1; margin: 0; accent-color: var(--accent); }

+.text-size-a { color: var(--muted); font-weight: 600; line-height: 1; }

+.text-size-a.small { font-size: 12px; }

+.text-size-a.big { font-size: 20px; }

/* mobile: show one pane at a time, toggled by .show-thread */

@media (max-width: 720px) {

diff --git a/web/static/ui.js b/web/static/ui.js

index b6d726f..099d7b3 100644

--- a/web/static/ui.js

+++ b/web/static/ui.js

@@ -26,6 +26,24 @@ export function colorScheme(appearance) {

return "light dark";

}

+// ---- text size ------------------------------------------------------------

+// The desktop message text size, in px — the stops of the "Text size" slider

+// (theme sheet), same idea as Mac iMessage's seven-notch slider. The default

+// sits ONE FROM THE TOP: message text has a low ceiling (16 is the only

+// workable bigger size — beyond that bubbles read as shouting), while the

+// room to taste lies below. Touch devices aren't governed by this at all

+// (they follow the system text size via -apple-system-body in style.css).

+// A purely local preference, like the theme. Applied as --msg-font-size on

+// <html>; the native Mac app drives the same CSS variable from its own pref.

+export const TEXT_SIZES = [10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16];

+export const DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE = 15;

+// Coerce a stored (possibly stale/garbage) value to a valid size.

+export function normalizeTextSize(v) {

+ const n = Number(v);

+ return TEXT_SIZES.includes(n) ? n : DEFAULT_TEXT_SIZE;

// shouldSend decides whether a keydown in the composer should send the message.

// Desktop (precise pointer): Enter sends, Shift+Enter inserts a newline.