Reclaiming Your Bookmarks Bar
Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world, largely because of its clean, minimalist design that prioritises the website you are viewing over a cluttered interface. However, in recent years, Google has added several persistent buttons to the browser toolbar. One of the most controversial additions is the “Reading List” button, which now permanently resides on the far right side of your bookmarks bar.
The Reading List was designed as a convenient place to save articles you want to read later, syncing them across your computer and your smartphone. While some users love having a dedicated “read-it-later” queue directly built into the browser, many others prefer to use third-party apps like Pocket, or simply use traditional bookmarks. For these users, the Reading List button is nothing more than wasted screen space that pushes their actual bookmarks out of view.
Fortunately, if you never use the Reading List feature, you do not have to stare at the button forever. Google allows you to disable the feature and hide the button, instantly reclaiming valuable space on your bookmarks bar.
Method 1: Hiding the Button via the Bookmarks Bar
On newer versions of Google Chrome, hiding the Reading List is incredibly straightforward and takes less than five seconds. This method removes the button from sight, though it leaves the feature technically active in the background if you ever want to access it from the Chrome sidebar.
- Open the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
- Ensure your Bookmarks Bar is visible. If it is hidden, press Ctrl + Shift + B (on Windows) or Cmd + Shift + B (on Mac) to reveal it.
- Look for the Reading list button on the far right edge of the Bookmarks Bar.
- Right-click directly on the “Reading list” text.
- A drop-down menu will appear. Near the bottom of this menu, you will see an option labelled Show reading list with a checkmark next to it.
- Click on Show reading list to remove the checkmark.
The button will instantly vanish from your Bookmarks Bar, giving you more room for your standard website shortcuts.
Method 2: Accessing the Reading List via the Side Panel
If you used the method above to hide the button but suddenly find an article you desperately want to save for later, you can still access the Reading List without putting the permanent button back on your toolbar. Chrome has moved the primary interface for this feature into the Side Panel.
- Look at the top right corner of the Chrome window, just to the right of your profile picture.
- Click the Side Panel icon (it looks like a square divided into two uneven columns).
- A panel will slide out on the right side of your screen. Look at the drop-down menu at the very top of this panel.
- Click the drop-down menu and select Reading list.
From here, you can click the “Add current tab” button to save the article you are reading, or click on any previously saved articles to open them. When you are finished, simply click the Side Panel icon again to close it, leaving your browser clean and clutter-free once more.
What About Mobile Devices?
If you use Google Chrome on an iPhone or Android device, the Reading List feature is permanently built into the browser’s menu system. Unlike the desktop version, there is currently no way to disable or hide the Reading List option on the mobile apps. However, because it is tucked away inside the main settings menu (accessed by tapping the three dots), it does not take up any screen space while you are actively browsing a website.
