How to Use Chrome's Reading Mode to Read Articles Without Ads

When ads and pop-ups make an article hard to read, reading mode strips everything away except the text you actually came for.

  1. Open the article or blog page you want to read

    Open an article or blog post that is cluttered with ads and banners, making it uncomfortable to read.

  2. Click the reading mode icon near the address bar (or open the side panel)

    On a supported page, a book-shaped reading mode icon appears in the address bar or side panel.

  3. View just the clean article text, with no ads

    Turning on reading mode strips out ads, sidebars, and banners, leaving only the body text and images displayed cleanly.

  4. Adjust the font size and background theme

    From the reading mode panel, you can adjust font size, line spacing, and switch between a light or dark background to suit your preference.

  5. Why it is worth using

    When an article is cluttered with ads and pop-ups, stripping away everything but the body text lets you focus entirely on reading, far more comfortably.

Works best on article-style pages, not every website

Reading mode is designed for pages with a clear article structure -- news pieces and blog posts -- so it may not appear at all on pages like online stores or app-like sites with no single block of body text.

Some versions can read the text aloud, too

Certain versions of reading mode include a playback button that reads the article aloud using text-to-speech, which is useful when your hands or eyes are busy with something else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does reading mode work on every website?

No -- it is only available on pages with a clear article structure, like news sites and blogs. On pages like online stores or app-like sites, the icon may not appear at all.

Can reading mode read the article out loud?

Yes -- some versions of reading mode include a playback button that reads the text aloud using text-to-speech, so you can listen even when you cannot look at the screen.