Google Chrome is a powerful web browser that offers a number of features not available in other browsers. One of these features is the hidden reader mode, which allows you to read web pages without having to leave the browser. To use the hidden reader mode, open Google Chrome and click on the three lines in the top right corner of the browser window. This will open a menu from which you can select “Settings.” In the “Settings” menu, click on “Advanced.” In the “Advanced” settings window, under “Privacy,” click on “Show advanced settings.” Under “Privacy settings,” click on “Hidden Reader.” Now, when you visit a web page that you want to read without leaving Google Chrome, simply click on the reader icon that appears next to the address bar. The page will now be displayed in hidden reader mode. You can continue reading as if you were visiting the page in normal browsing mode. ..
Most web browsers have a built-in “Reader Mode” that converts web pages into a more reader-friendly view. Strangely, Google Chrome does not have this feature—unless you know how to find it. We’ll show you where it is.
Google Chrome has included a hidden Reader Mode since all the way back to version 75. However, it’s never been upgraded to a stable, standard feature. Even Microsoft Edge—which is also based on Chromium—has a Reader Mode. So let’s enable it in Chrome.
RELATED: What Is the Chrome “Reading List,” and How Do You Use It?
First, we’ll need to enable a Chrome feature flag. Open the Chrome browser on your computer, type chrome://flags in the address bar, and hit Enter.
Search for “Reader Mode” in the text box at the top and enable the flag titled “Enable Reader Mode.”
After enabling the flag, click the “Relaunch” button at the bottom of the screen to apply the changes.
Now, when you visit a webpage that has a lot of text, you’ll see a little book icon on the right side of the address bar. Click it to switch to Reader Mode.
You can also click menu > Enter Reader Mode to activate it.
You’re now looking at a much simpler, less cluttered view of the webpage. Images still appear, but ads and some other items are removed. To adjust the view, click the “A” icon in the top right.
From here you can change the font, text size, and background color.
That’s all there is to it! You can now minimize distractions while reading long articles in Chrome. It’s strange that Google has kept this a hidden feature for years, but at least you know how to enable it yourself.
RELATED: How to Enable Google Chrome Flags to Test Beta Features
