Windows 10 supports TrueType (.ttf) and OpenType (.otf) font files natively, so installing new fonts takes only a few clicks once you have downloaded the file. Whether you are pulling fonts from Google Fonts for design work, downloading purchased typefaces, or installing a free font from a font repository, the process is the same.
This guide covers every method for installing fonts on Windows 10, from the fastest right-click install to the Microsoft Store, plus how to verify that a font installed correctly and troubleshoot when it does not appear in your apps.
Quick Answer
Right-click the .ttf or .otf font file and select Install (or Install for all users if you want it available to every account). The font appears in your apps immediately without needing to restart. To install multiple fonts at once, select them all, right-click, and choose Install.
Find and Download Fonts
Before you can install a font, you need the font file. Three reliable sources for free, high-quality fonts are Google Fonts (fonts.google.com), Font Squirrel (fontsquirrel.com), and DaFont (dafont.com). Google Fonts has the largest collection of web-optimized typefaces and is the go-to source for professional design work. Font Squirrel is stricter about licensing and only hosts fonts cleared for commercial use. DaFont has a larger variety of decorative and display fonts but includes personal-use-only fonts in the same listings, so check the license before using one commercially.
Download the font file to any folder on your PC. Fonts usually come as .ttf or .otf files, sometimes packaged inside a .zip archive. If you get a zip file, extract it first before trying to install.
Install via Right-Click
This is the fastest method for installing one or more fonts directly from downloaded files.
- Navigate to the downloaded font file in File Explorer.
- Right-click the file and select Install.
The font installs immediately to your user account. To install it for all accounts on the PC (useful on shared machines or if you run apps as administrator), select Install for all users instead. This requires administrator permission.
To install several fonts at once, hold Ctrl and click each file to select them, then right-click any one of the selected files and choose Install.
Install via Drag and Drop
If you prefer to work directly in the Fonts control panel, you can drag font files into it to install them.
- Press Win + I to open Settings, then go to Personalization > Fonts.
- Open File Explorer in a separate window and navigate to the font file you want to install.
- Drag the font file into the drag and drop area at the top of the Fonts settings page.
The font installs and appears in the fonts list below. You can drag multiple files at once. This method is equivalent to using right-click Install, so either approach works.
Install from Microsoft Store
The Microsoft Store has a growing collection of fonts, including both free and paid options. This is a convenient method if you want fonts that update automatically and install cleanly without downloading zip files manually.
- Open Settings and go to Personalization > Fonts.
- Click Get more fonts in Microsoft Store at the top of the page.
- Browse or search the store, then click Get to install any font. It installs automatically and appears in your apps right away.
Fonts installed from the Microsoft Store are tied to your Microsoft account, so they can be reinstalled easily on a new device by signing in to the same account.
Verify Installation and Troubleshoot
After installing a font, go to Settings > Personalization > Fonts and search for the font name. If it appears there, it installed correctly. Open any app that uses fonts, like Microsoft Word or Paint, and check the font list to confirm you can select it.
If a font is visible in Settings but not appearing in an app, the app may need to be restarted to pick up the newly installed font. Close the app completely and reopen it. Some older applications cache the font list at launch and do not detect fonts installed while they are running.
If the font still does not appear after reinstalling, check whether you used Install (user account only) or Install for all users (system-wide). If the app runs as administrator and you only installed the font for your user account, the app will not see it. Reinstall using Install for all users to place it in the system Fonts folder at C:/Windows/Fonts where all processes can access it.