# Theme font size gets smaller due to hosted instance updates?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-font-size-gets-smaller-due-to-hosted-instance-updates/402055
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [May 2, 2026, 4:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-font-size-gets-smaller-due-to-hosted-instance-updates/402055 "2026-05-02T04:13:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![sk-or-v1-contents](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sk-or-v1-contents/32/547175_2.png) [@sk-or-v1-contents](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sk-or-v1-contents)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2026, 4:13am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-font-size-gets-smaller-due-to-hosted-instance-updates/402055/1 "2026-05-02T04:13:37Z")

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About a month ago I noticed the font of many Discourse sites got smaller on mobile. Haven’t had the time to write this until now. This meta site doesn’t have this problem, but it can be observed on [users.rust-lang.org](http://users.rust-lang.org) and [discuss.python.org](http://discuss.python.org). But [talk.commonmark.org](http://talk.commonmark.org) and OpenAI site ([community.openai.com](http://community.openai.com)) don’t have this problem. I guess the problem is because of a Discourse hosted instance update and the CommonMark forum didn’t update and OpenAI used a theme that doesn’t have the problem.

The navbar font got smaller on mobile vertical view, and I don’t have a picture to compare the horizontal view, but it seems to get smaller too?

The Suggested/Related text is smaller too, though I can’t find a screenshot before the change to compare it.

I like the old font sizes. I think current sizes are too small.

I’m not an admin/moderator of any of these sites.

Screenshots: First vertical, second horizontal, showing [users.rust-lang.org](http://users.rust-lang.org), [discuss.python.org](http://discuss.python.org), [talk.commonmark.org](http://talk.commonmark.org) navbar in order (my avatar censored out)

 ![Screenshot 1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/1/f/6/1f60fa377af166e12333272636ae0c356acc2c06.jpeg)

 ![Screenshot 2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/3/8/0/380ef2ef780b3824aebd559fe1f265bd51c9cb87.jpeg)

Screenshots: Side-by-side versions of the above

 ![Screenshot 1 side-by-side](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/0/f/4/0f42610a2c317ba69be9a230b576e95611ff9ee4.jpeg)

 ![Screenshot 2 side-by-side](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/5/e/9/5e9748c8c0c4827a16fd998c43728af9dcd1a50d.jpeg)

Screenshot: Another side-by-side comparison

 ![Another side-by-side comparison](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/6/0/2/60273ff39db1d21ea6c255e5713673cc3ff78d1d.jpeg)

Screenshot: The Suggested/Related text

 ![Suggested/Related text](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/5/7/5/575740d370995cd185b353e986223b706b09b27b.jpeg)

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### Author: ![Lilly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/lilly/32/575047_2.png) [@Lilly](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lilly)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-font-size-gets-smaller-due-to-hosted-instance-updates/402055/2 "2026-05-02T04:38:54Z")

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i suspect it is because of those sites have enabled the new modernized foundation theme:

> [@Modernizing the Foundation theme](https://meta.discourse.org/t/modernizing-the-foundation-theme/395331):
>
> The design team are in the process of making small but powerful changes/tweaks to the foundation theme to align a bit closer to modern web standards. To view these changes live on meta, join this group: [https://meta.discourse.org/g/modernized-foundation](https://meta.discourse.org/g/modernized-foundation) We will be making this change live through the new [Upcoming](https://meta.discourse.org/t/introducing-upcoming-changes-a-system-to-manage-new-features-and-changes-to-existing-functionality-in-your-community/392894)Changes feature available in Discourse. This will allow site o…

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![sk-or-v1-contents](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/sk-or-v1-contents/32/547175_2.png) [@sk-or-v1-contents](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sk-or-v1-contents)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2026, 8:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/theme-font-size-gets-smaller-due-to-hosted-instance-updates/402055/4 "2026-05-02T08:06:51Z")

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Indeed, can reproduce on Meta by joining the group.