Summary

Reading Mode (also called Reader View or Immersive Reader) strips away ads, sidebars, and visual clutter from web pages — leaving only the article text and images in a clean, readable layout. This article shows how to enable and customise Reading Mode in the most common browsers.

Before You Start

• Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox (latest version).
• No admin rights required.

Instructions

1. Enable Immersive Reader in Microsoft Edge

Use Edge's built-in distraction-free reader.

1. Navigate to an article or web page you want to read.
2. Look for the book icon (Immersive Reader) in the address bar on the right side.
3. Click the icon to enter Immersive Reader mode.
4. The page reloads in a clean format showing only the article text and inline images.
5. To exit, click the book icon again or press F9.

Keyboard shortcut: Press F9 to toggle Immersive Reader on and off.

Tip: Immersive Reader is also the fastest way to get a clean printout. Press F9, then Ctrl + P — the preview shows the article without the site navigation, ads, or comment thread, which typically halves the sheet count. See How to Print a Web Page Without the Clutter.

2. Customise Reading Preferences in Edge

Adjust the reading experience to your needs.

1. While in Immersive Reader, use the toolbar at the top to configure:
   • Text preferences — Change font size, spacing, and font family.
   • Theme — Choose from Light, Dark, Sepia, or custom background colours.
   • Read aloud — Click the speaker icon to have the article read to you aloud.
   • Grammar tools — Enable syllable highlighting and parts-of-speech colouring.
   • Line focus — Highlight one, three, or five lines at a time to reduce distraction.

Note: Reading Mode does not translate. If the article is in another language, translate the page first and then press F9 — Immersive Reader picks up the translated text. See How to Translate a Web Page in Your Browser.

3. Enable Reader View in Mozilla Firefox

Use Firefox's built-in reading mode.

1. Navigate to an article or web page.
2. Look for the page icon in the address bar (appears when Reader View is available).
3. Click the icon to enter Reader View.
4. Use the sidebar controls to adjust:
   • Font type — Sans-serif or Serif.
   • Font size — Increase or decrease text size.
   • Content width — Narrow, medium, or wide layout.
   • Theme — Light, Dark, Sepia, or Auto.
5. To exit, click the page icon again.

Keyboard shortcut: Press F9 to toggle Reader View in Firefox.

4. Enable Reader Mode in Google Chrome

Access reading mode in Chrome (may require a flag).

1. Navigate to an article or web page.
2. Click the side panel icon in the browser toolbar (or press Ctrl + Shift + Y).
3. Select Reading mode from the side panel options.
4. The article content displays in a clean format in the side panel.
5. Adjust font size and theme using the controls in the panel header.

Troubleshooting

INFO

Reading Mode relies on the browser detecting article content on the page. It may not be available on pages that do not have a recognisable article structure (e.g., dashboards, search results, or heavily dynamic pages).

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
Reading mode icon is not visible	Page does not contain article content	Reading Mode only appears on pages with detectable article content. Try a different page.
Some content is missing in reading mode	Content is loaded dynamically (JavaScript)	Exit reading mode, scroll to load all content, then re-enter reading mode.
Read aloud feature is not working	Volume is muted or incorrect voice selected	Check your system volume and go to Edge Settings > Read aloud to select a voice.

Related Articles

• How to Print a Web Page Without the Clutter
• How to Translate a Web Page in Your Browser
• How to Clear Browser Cache
• How to Manage Browser Extensions
• How to Adjust Text Size on Windows
• Understanding Microsoft Edge vs. Google Chrome — A Side-by-Side Comparison

Did this solve your problem?