Reader mode removes much of the page clutter around an article, leaving the main text and images in a simpler layout. It is useful when ads, popups, sidebars, comments, or navigation make a page hard to read.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on Windows or Mac, plus Safari on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Reader mode appears only on pages the browser recognizes as article-style content.
Turn on Reader View in Edge and Firefox
Both browsers show a button in the address bar when the page qualifies.
- Edge: Open the article and look for an open-book icon on the right side of the address bar. Click it, or press F9. On some Mac keyboards, press Fn+F9. Edge opens Immersive Reader, where you can adjust text size, font, background color, and read-aloud options.
- Firefox: Open the article and look for the Reader View icon at the right side of the address bar. Click it, or press Ctrl+Alt+R on Windows or Cmd+Alt+R on Mac. Use the Aa button in the reader toolbar to change font, size, spacing, and theme.
Turn on Reader Mode in Chrome
Chrome reader mode has appeared gradually, so the option may vary by version and region.
- Open the article in Chrome.
- Look near the right side of the address bar for a reader mode icon that resembles a small page with lines.
- Click the icon if it appears.
- If it does not appear, open the three-dot menu and look near the bottom for Reader mode or Simplify page.
- If neither option exists, open chrome://flags, search for reader mode, enable the flag, and relaunch Chrome when prompted.
More control
Safari has its own Reader behavior
Safari Reader includes font, theme, and automatic reader options on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. If Safari is your main browser, use the dedicated Safari Reader Mode walkthrough for the full set of controls.
Reader mode needs a clear article body
Browsers usually offer reader view for news stories, blog posts, recipes, and other pages with a single main article. Homepages, search results, shopping grids, dashboards, social feeds, and email-style web apps usually do not qualify.
It is not an ad blocker
Reader mode changes the view of the current page in your browser. It does not block ads or trackers across other tabs and does not change the website for anyone else.
Try read aloud for long pages
Edge Immersive Reader and Safari Reader include read-aloud controls, which can be useful for long articles you would rather listen to.
Sources
- Google Chrome Help – Read articles more easily (2025)
- Microsoft Support – Use Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge (2025)
- Mozilla Support – Use Firefox Reader View to simplify web pages (2025)
- Apple Support – Use Reader in Safari on Mac (2025)