How to find the reading mode built into your browser

I have a pile of web articles bookmarked, favorited, and saved for later that I will read one day… but I haven’t. I think part of what stops me from working on this list is that reading the internet, especially longer articles, can be hard work. On most websites, in addition to the important text and images, you have to deal with a constant barrage of ads, pop-ups, panels and media.

You can avoid this problem by using a bookmarking app like Pocket, which offers an easier way to save and read longer content, or you can buy a separate reading device like a Kindle. However, if you don’t want to deal with another app or device, there is another way. Most popular browsers now come with some kind of built-in reading mode. The idea is to get something closer to the Kindle or Kobo experience: easy on the eyes, free from distractions, and focused on what you’re really interested in reading.

Here’s how to access desktop reading modes in Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. I’ve also included reading modes for iPhones and Android phones.

Chrome can be the most popular browser on the desktop by some distance, but it still lags behind its competitors in some aspects. To give you an example: it doesn’t have a reading mode that’s as easy to use or as well designed as the other browsers we’ve included on this list. Reading mode is only available in a side panel squeezed against the edge of the navigation window, although you can enlarge it to a reasonable size.

To launch Chrome’s reading mode:

• Click on the three dots (top right corner of any browser tab).
• Open the More tools menu.
• Select Reading mode.
• Use the toolbar to change the appearance of the text.
• Click and drag on the left edge of the side panel to enlarge it.

Reading mode itself works well, with a selection of fonts and colors to choose from, but it feels a little complicated.

Android also supports a reading mode. The good part is that it works on all Android, not just Chrome, so you can use it wherever you want. The bad part is that you need to install a separate app to enable it (Reading mode from Google), then the process is more complicated than it should be.

• Launch the app and follow the instructions to set it up.
• During setup, you can choose how to launch reading mode: from a tile in Quick Settings, from a floating button, or by pressing both volume keys together.
• With a page open in Chrome, use the chosen shortcut to launch reading mode. At the bottom of the screen, you can adjust the color or size of the text, or enable voice reading.
• Once installed, you can enable or disable reading mode by going to Settings > Accessibility > Reading mode.

One more thing: only certain types of screens can be simplified, especially simple articles with text and images. But it makes reading the contents of your phone much easier.

Safari places the reading mode (also called reading view) icon directly on the toolbar. Safari’s Reading Mode appearance is particularly sparse, and while there are some font and color options, you don’t have many.

To turn on Reading View in Apple Safari:

• Click the reading view page icon to the left of the address bar.
• Select the Oh icon to the right of the address bar to change fonts and colors.

There’s not quite the same level of functionality that you get with Edge, Firefox or even Chrome – separately, Safari can read web pages (Edit > Speech) and save them for later (Favorites > Add to reading list), but this functionality is not built into this reader mode.

If you want to get the same hassle-free experience on your iPhone, Safari for iOS has the same features as Safari for macOS, although it’s not in exactly the same place.

• Tap AA button (or document icon) to the left of the address bar.
• To choose Show reader.
• Tap AA button (or the document icon) again to change the font and colors or have the page read aloud.

You can also choose to automatically use reading mode on pages that support it. In iOS settings, tap Applications > Safari > Reader and enable All websites.

Edge is built on the same Chromium code as Chrome, but it has a better reading mode, which is actually called Immersive Reader. It takes up the entire screen, is easy to turn on and off, and the button to enable it is always available in the browser interface (instead of being hidden in a menu). There are also several ways to customize it.

To launch Reading Mode in Edge:

• Click the book icon to the right of the URL address bar.
• To choose Read aloud for the page to be read.
• Open Text Preferences to change the appearance of the text. The Text Preferences pop-up menu lets you have full control over the appearance of Reading Mode: you can change the line spacing, the page color scheme, the default font used, and the column width of the page.
• Click Reading preferences to access translation options and highlight individual lines of text as you read them.

In Firefox, reading mode is very similar to that in Microsoft Edge, in the way that it is enabled by clicking an icon in the address bar (the icon that looks like a page of text). Again, it takes up the entire screen, replacing the article you are reading.

To activate reading mode in Mozilla Firefox:

• Click the reading mode page icon in the address bar.
• Select the Oh icon to change text design.
• Click the headphones icon to have the page read aloud.
• Choose the Pocket icon (bookmark) to save the page to the Pocket read-it-later service built into Firefox.

There aren’t as many options here as in Edge for font style and color, but the options available look good.

If you’re not satisfied with any of them, there are several third-party add-ons available to do the same job. Both fire Fox It is chrome has Tranquility Reader, which lets you save pages for offline reading and adds more flexibility with fonts and colors. An impressive third-party option for Chrome is Reader viewwhich looks like an electronic reader and allows you to adjust colors, fonts and spacing.