Installing a font takes seconds. Most problems come after the install, when an app has not refreshed its font menu.
Windows 10 and 11
Unzip the download first - Windows can preview a font inside a zip but will not install it from there. Then right-click the .ttf or .otf file and choose Install, or Install for all users if other accounts need it. You can also open Settings, go to Personalisation then Fonts, and drag the files onto the drop area. Variable fonts install the same way and appear as one family with a weight slider in apps that support it.
macOS
Double-click the font file and press Install Font in Font Book. To install for every user, drag the file into the Computer collection instead of User. Font Book also flags duplicates and broken files - worth checking if a family behaves strangely.
Android
Android does not allow system-wide font installation without root. What works is installing fonts inside apps that support them, such as design apps and video editors, or using a launcher or manufacturer theme store. For design work, add the font inside the app that will use it.
iPhone and iPad
iOS needs a font-installer app that provides a configuration profile, or a design app with its own font import. After installing a profile, approve it in Settings, then the font appears in apps that read the system font list, such as Pages and Keynote.
Google Docs, Canva and web apps
These do not read fonts installed on your computer. Google Docs uses its own library through Extensions or the font menu's More fonts option. Canva and similar tools have a brand-kit or upload feature on paid plans. For a website, you need a webfont licence and CSS, not a local install.
The font is installed but not showing
- Quit and reopen the application. Most apps read the font list only at launch.
- Check the font's actual family name - many downloads use a different name from the file.
- Look under the family, not as a separate entry. Bold and italic often nest under the regular.
- Install the whole family, not one weight, if you need real bold and italic instead of a faked one.
- Adobe apps: activated Adobe Fonts appear separately from locally installed files.
Before you use it commercially
Check the licence in the download folder. Free for personal use means client work is not covered, and webfont embedding is often licensed separately. Our font licensing guide breaks down each type.