Modern websites are frequently cluttered with sidebars, autoplaying video advertisements, newsletter pop-ups, and confusing navigation menus. This visual noise makes reading long-form articles incredibly distracting. To combat this, Google Chrome includes a built-in feature called Reading Mode.
Unlike reading views in other browsers (such as Safari) which replace the entire webpage, Chrome’s Reading Mode opens in the Side Panel. This allows you to view a clean, ad-free, highly legible text version of the article on one side of your screen, while the original webpage remains visible and active on the other.
How to Enable Reading Mode
Reading Mode is built into the Chrome browser by default, but it is tucked away in the Side Panel.
- Open Google Chrome and navigate to an article or blog post you wish to read.
- Look at the top right of your browser window, just to the right of the address bar and your extension icons. Click the Side Panel icon (it looks like a square split into two halves, one dark and one light).
- A panel will slide open on the right side of the screen. (By default, this panel usually opens to your Bookmarks).
- Click the Dropdown arrow at the top of the side panel.
- Select Reading Mode from the list.
Instantly, Chrome will extract the main text of the article you are viewing and display it cleanly within the side panel, stripping away all images, advertisements, and formatting clutter.
Customising the Reading Experience
The true power of Chrome’s Reading Mode lies in its customisation options. At the top of the Reading Mode panel, you will find a toolbar that allows you to tailor the text to your exact visual preferences. This is exceptionally useful for individuals with dyslexia or visual impairments.
- Font: Click the “A” icon to change the typeface. You can switch from standard web fonts to highly legible options like Comic Sans or standard serif fonts.
- Font Size: Click the plus (+) or minus (-) icons to dramatically increase or decrease the size of the text without zooming in on the actual webpage.
- Theme (Background Colour): Click the paint palette icon. You can switch from the default white background to a dark mode (black), a sepia tone (yellowish), or a high-contrast blue/yellow theme to reduce eye strain.
- Line Height: Click the icon with the horizontal lines to increase the spacing between lines of text.
- Letter Spacing: Click the icon showing two letters spreading apart to increase the tracking (the space between individual characters).
How to Quickly Access Reading Mode
If you find yourself using Reading Mode frequently, opening the side panel and using the dropdown menu every time can be tedious. You can access it much faster by right-clicking.
- Highlight a sentence or paragraph on any webpage.
- Right-click the highlighted text.
- Select Open in Reading Mode from the context menu.
The side panel will instantly fly open, already formatted and scrolled to the exact paragraph you highlighted, allowing you to seamlessly continue reading in a distraction-free environment.