What is the default text size on Android?

Solution 1:

In general:

Three "default" textSize values:

 - 14sp
 - 18sp
 - 22sp

These values are defined within the following TextAppearances:

 - TextAppearance.Small
 - TextAppearance.Medium
 - TextAppearance.Large

More information about Typography can be found in the design guidelines

Related to your question:

If you don't set a custom textSize or textAppearance, TextAppearance.Small will be used.


Update: Material design:

New guidelines related to font and typefaces. The standard rule of 14sp remains (body).

Examples how to set textappearances

AppCompat version:

android:textAppearance="@style/TextAppearance.AppCompat.Body"

Lollipop and up version:

android:textAppearance="@android:style/TextAppearance.Material.Body"

Solution 2:

Looks like someone else found it: What are the default font characteristics in Android ?

There someone discovered the default text size, for TextViews (which use TextAppearance.Small) it's 14sp.

Solution 3:

This will return default size of text on button in pixels.


Kotlin

val size = Button(this).textSize


Java

float size = new Button(this).getTextSize();

Solution 4:

Default values in appcompat-v7

<dimen name="abc_text_size_body_1_material">14sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_body_2_material">14sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_button_material">14sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_caption_material">12sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_display_1_material">34sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_display_2_material">45sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_display_3_material">56sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_display_4_material">112sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_headline_material">24sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_large_material">22sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_medium_material">18sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_menu_material">16sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_small_material">14sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_subhead_material">16sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_subtitle_material_toolbar">16dp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_title_material">20sp</dimen>
<dimen name="abc_text_size_title_material_toolbar">20dp</dimen>

Solution 5:

http://petrnohejl.github.io/Android-Cheatsheet-For-Graphic-Designers/

Text size

Type    Dimension
Micro   12 sp
Small   14 sp
Medium  18 sp
Large   22 sp