turn off automatic reader view safari

Turning Off Reader View in Safari on Mac: A Step-by-Step Guide

Turning off Reader View in Safari on your Mac is straightforward. It’s just a matter of a few clicks, and you’ll be back to viewing websites in their original format. Don’t worry, it’s a piece of cake, and you’ll have it done in no time.

Step by Step Tutorial on Turning Off Reader View in Safari on Mac

Before we dive into the steps, let’s understand what we’re aiming for. Reader View is a feature in Safari that simplifies the webpage, stripping away ads and other distractions for a clean reading experience. However, there are times when you want to see the full page. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Open Safari on your Mac

Open the Safari web browser on your Mac by clicking on its icon in the dock or finding it in your Applications folder.

When you open Safari, it should take you to your homepage or the last page you visited. If you’re not already on a webpage, go ahead and navigate to one.

Step 2: Check if Reader View is Enabled

Look at the left side of the address bar for the Reader View icon, which looks like a small piece of paper or lines of text.

If the icon is highlighted (usually in blue or purple), it means Reader View is enabled on the webpage you’re viewing. If it’s not highlighted, Reader View is not active.

Step 3: Click on the Reader View Icon

Simply click on the Reader View icon to toggle it off.

Once you click on it, the page should refresh automatically, and you’ll see the website in its standard, non-reader view. The icon will no longer be highlighted, indicating that the reader view is turned off.

After completing these steps, the webpage will be returned to its original layout, showing all the images, ads, and design elements that were previously hidden by Reader View.

Tips for Turning Off Reader View in Safari on Mac

If you don’t see the Reader View icon, it means that the website you’re on doesn’t support Reader View.
You can also use the shortcut Shift+Command+R to toggle Reader View on and off.
Remember that not all websites support Reader View, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see the option on some sites.
If you find yourself frequently toggling Reader View, consider adjusting your web browsing habits or using a different browser that doesn’t have this feature.
If you’re having trouble with Reader View, ensure that Safari is updated to the latest version for the best experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i disable reader view permanently.

No, you cannot disable Reader View permanently, but you can easily turn it off each time it activates.

Can Reader View be set to activate automatically?

Yes, you can set Reader View to activate automatically on certain websites by clicking and holding the Reader View icon and selecting ‘Use on All Websites.’

Why doesn’t the Reader View icon appear on some websites?

Reader View is not compatible with all websites. If the website doesn’t have a clear article structure, the icon might not appear.

Is Reader View available on all devices that run Safari?

Reader View is available on Macs, iPhones, and iPads that run Safari.

Can I customize the look of Reader View?

Yes, you can customize the font, background color, and font size when in Reader View by clicking on the ‘Aa’ icon on the right side of the address bar.

Open Safari on your Mac.
Check if Reader View is enabled by looking for the highlighted icon.
Click on the Reader View icon to turn it off.

Turning off Reader View in Safari on a Mac is a breeze once you know where to look. The feature is designed to help you focus on reading by eliminating distractions, but sometimes you need to see the full website with all its bells and whistles. By following the simple steps outlined above, you can toggle Reader View on and off as needed. Keep the tips and FAQs in mind for a smoother browsing experience. And remember, the internet is vast and full of wonders—don’t let a feature like Reader View stop you from experiencing it in full color. Keep exploring and happy browsing!

Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.

He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.

Read his full bio here .

Enable or Disable Reader Mode in Safari for iPhone and iPad for the Ultimate Book-Like Reading Experience on Any Website

Enable and use Safari Reader Mode on iPhone and iPad

You can enable Reader mode in website for ad-free and book-like reading in Safari for both iPhone and iPad. Here's how it works.

Turn Any Website into a Book with Reader Mode for iPhone and iPad in Safari

Safari features a built-in 'Reader' mode which takes away all the distractions from a website to give you a clean, book-like reading experience with key images and text only. You even have the option to adjust the color of the background to something soothing for the eyes and adjust font to your liking too. It's an amazing way to get a book-like reading experience without the need to fight with the website you're doing the reading on.

Related Story USB4 2.0 Cables Now Available: Up To 80 Gbps & 240W Power Delivery Certified

If you're new to the iPhone or iPad and want to experience how Reader mode works in Safari, then we will help you get to grips with it. Just pick up your iPhone or iPad now and here's what you need to do.

Step 1. First of all, open the website or article which you want to view in Reader mode. For the sake of this tutorial I'll be using one of the articles we've posted here on the website.

Step 2. In the address bar tap on aA button. Check out the screenshot below for more details.

Note: On the iPad, the address bar is at the top in Safari.

Step 3. Tap on Show Reader . The website will instantly transform into a book-like page.

Step 4. Tap on the aA button again if you want to change the color of the page or adjust font size or even change the font itself. You even have the option to enable dark mode while reading, which is perfect for times when you're in bed and about to go to sleep but have to get those last words in without putting strain on your eyes.

Step 5. In order to turn off Reader mode, tap on the aA button again and then tap on Hide Reader .

Features like these can really make browsing experience that much better. There are similar features in pretty much every web browser out there, but if you're the one who wants to stick with Safari in the coming months or years, then it is a great idea to know how Reader mode works, making your reading experience way better than how it is reading directly off any website.

For more helpful guides and tutorials, head over to this section .

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How to Enable/Disable Reader Mode on Safari Mac and iPhone

Nowadays, Start Reading with Reading mode on Safari iPhone and Mac. Also, Know the fixes for Reader Reader View Not Available. reading an article without distractions is impossible; either the ads or prompts asking you to submit an Email for a Newsletter could annoy you. To overcome this, Apple has introduced Reader Mode for Safari on Mac and iPhone. Reader Mode disables all unnecessary posters, navigations, Javascript, ads, and other elements but will show only the text and added images or videos in the full-screen mode. It is available on both Mac and iPhone, so you can read without getting diverted by the things that you don’t want to distract with.

Furthermore, your iPhone has a one-click setting to enable Reader Mode for all the websites in one go without following the same procedure for each website. Let’s take a look at how to turn on reader mode in the Safari App on Mac and iPhone iOS 15 and macOS Monterey.

IN THIS ARTICLE

Disadvantages of Reader mode on Safari:

Beautiful webpage design page convert into simple text format
Your Page will no longer be functional because it removed Javascript loaded on the page.
You will not get New Promotional Offers on this page, So you won’t be aware of money-saving tips and deals.
Might be Image won’t load on Safari .

Advantages of Reader Mode on Safari

Reader mode helps to read the content easily.
Web URLs load faster in reading mode compared to normal – Not a big change in speed nowadays. Tips to fix Safari Slow on Mac
Reading mode is really useful for Education and learning use, for your Children.

How to Use Reader Mode on Safari Mac and iPhone

Ever it happens to you that while preparing for exams on Safari, the ads prompt up Games, Laptop Deals, or anything that is of interest, and you go visit the ads and start exploring the web while the preparation goes in vain? Well, the reader mode is here; here’s how to use Reader Mode in iOS 15.

Enable or Disable Reader Mode in Safari App iPhone

Step 1: Launch the Safari app on your iPhone > Visit any website, blog, an article that you wish to read > In the address bar, Tap on the Three dots next to the address bar > Tap on the Reader Mode.

Turn On Reader Mode for All Websites on Safari iPhone

If you wish to use Reader Mode for all the websites in Safari iPhone, then here’s a one-step setting that you should be changing.

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on your iPhone > Swipe Down to Select Safari > Under SETTINGS FOR WEBSITES, Tap on Reader .

Step 2: Tap on the Edit button from the top right corner > Select Clear All settings > From the Pop-up, Tap on Clear All Settings.

clear-reader-safari-settings-from-iphone

Enable or Disable Reader Mode on Safari Mac

Refer to the below-listed steps to turn on and off reader mode in Safari Mac.

Step 1: Launch the Safari App on your Mac > Visit any website that you want to read in Reader Mode > Click on the View in the Top Menu bar > Choose Show Reader .

Step 2: Alternatively, Use the Keyboard Shortcut, Shift+Command+R , to Enable or Disable the Reader Mode.

webpage-is-converted-in-reader-mode-on-safari-on-mac

That’s it.

Mac Safari Reader mode settings

Manage all Web URLs that you used as a Reading mode from Mac Safari Browser settings. We can turn off Reading mode for all websites and Enable Permenentely for Selected websites from Safari Preferences settings. Follow the below steps to Manage Safari Reader mode on Mac.

Step 1: Launch Safari on your Mac > Click on Safari from the Top Menu > Select Preferences.

Step 2: Click on Websites Tab > Select Reader from the sidebar > Select Website to Turn off Reader mode for the Web address > Tap on Remove.

Why is Reader View Not Available

Tips:- Google AMP Webpage does not support Apple’s Safari Reading mode. So, try to Convert the Non-AMP Webpage into Reader mode.

Some Websites don’t allow the use of or convert webpages into Reading mode because of the design structure. Some Apple website pages are converting into Reading mode. So, you have to go without putting it in reader mode. As well, you will get the suggestion when you open the Web URL on Safari Browser [Reader mode is available]. Follow the above steps to open the webpage in reading mode on iPhone or Mac Safari.

If the Reader option is Greyed out or unable to be used, then Wait for a long until the full webpage is rendered in your Mobile or Mac Safari Browser.

Reset Reader mode settings on iPhone:

Launch the Settings app on your iPhone > Select Safari > Tap on Reader > Click on the Edit button from the top right corner > Tap on Clear all settings > From the Pop-up Menu, Click on Clear All Settings.

Force close Safari Browser and Try again.

Also Helpful: Private Browsing not showing or Greyed out

Conclusion:-

We can use Reading View on Safari for Temporary use. Because, In Reading mode, the user might not get the important Dynamic Data that Load on Safari Scroll like Images and videos [iframe] called lazy load contents. so I recommend Remove Reader mode once you use for temporarily.

iPhone User Guide

iPhone models compatible with iOS 18
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S Max' class='toc-item' data-ss-analytics-link-url='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' data-ajax-endpoint='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' data-ss-analytics-event="acs.link_click" href='https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-xs-max-iphcd2066870/ios' id='toc-item-IPHCD2066870' data-tocid='IPHCD2066870' > iPhone X S Max
iPhone 11 Pro
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Hide distractions when reading articles in Safari on iPhone

Use Reader to hide navigation menus and other distracting items. Longer pages include a summary and table of contents.

The Safari Reader showing a summary and Table of Contents f

Show Reader

Reader formats a webpage to show just the relevant text and images.

Automatically use Reader for a website

Turn on Use Reader Automatically.

What Is the Reader View in Safari and How Do You Use It?

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Our Apple devices are a pot of gold when it comes to convenient features we may be unaware of. One cool feature on Safari that you may have skipped over is Reader Mode.

Reader View, often referred to as Reading Mode, appears as an icon in the top-left corner of your Safari search bar, and it reworks your webpage into a perfectly organized, ad-free layout to help you focus better on reading the content. You can even make some quick edits to a webpage through this feature.

Want to read a novel or an article without interruption? Reader View is for you. Let's take a look at what it can do and how you can enable it on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

How to Turn on Reader View

Turning on Reader View is extremely easy and only takes a couple of taps. Before you begin, make sure Safari is updated on your device.

Read More: How to Update Safari on a Mac

Then follow these steps to enable the Reader View on an iPhone or iPad:

After you open the webpage you'd like to read on Safari, tap on the Reader View icon in the top-left corner of the Search Bar.
From the dropdown menu, select Show Reader View . Your webpage will appear ad-free and organized automatically.

If you want to enable Reader View on a Mac, here's how you do it:

Load a website in the Safari.
Use Command+Shift+R to turn on Reader Mode.
Another option would be to click the same icon at the left end of the Smart Search field.

If you don't see the button, it means that webpage doesn't have any articles that can be viewed in Reader View. To stop using Reader View across all devices, just hit the button again. You can also use the Esc key on your Mac to disable Reader View.

How to Make Edits in Reader View

You can also customize a page to your liking. Reader View allows you to choose from nine font styles, four background colors, and various font sizes. Here's how you can make these edits on an iPhone, iPad, and Mac:

Tap the Reader View icon again.
You should see options for font style in the dropdown menu with the font sizes above it and the background colors below it. Choose whatever you like.

The options to edit a webpage are pretty minimal, but Apple will hopefully expand to a broader range in the future.

A distinct advantage of Reader View is the fact that you can save your webpages as PDFs on iPhone and iPad straight into your Books app using this feature.

How to Make Reader View the Default

Happen to love Reader Mode? There's an option that automatically switches a URL to Reader View every time you open it. It saves up a lot of time and is efficient. Follow these steps to enable this feature on an iPhone or iPad:

Tap the Reader View icon in the top left of Safari.
Select Website Settings from the dropdown menu.
Turn on the toggle for Use Reader Automatically and press Done . The webpage will now automatically switch to Reader View every time you open it.

To do this on a Mac, all you have to do is Control-click on the Reader View icon and select Use Reader View Automatically on [Site Name] .

You can even enable this feature for all websites that you open in Safari. Here are the steps to do so on an iPhone or iPad:

Go to Settings and open Safari .
Scroll down and select Reader under Settings for Websites .
Turn on the toggle for Other Websites .

Follow these steps to allow all websites to open with Reader View on your Mac:

Control-click the Reader View button and select Reader Website Preferences from the popup.
At the bottom of the popup panel, click the dropdown box for When visiting other websites and choose On.

Enjoy Clutter-Free Reading in Safari

Reader View in Safari is the perfect way to do some reading without any distractions. Only relevant text and images will remain on your screen, and all other ads will be removed.

You can adjust the font size, style, and background color with this feature, too. Even better, you can automatically open specific websites, or all of them, in Reader View when you want to.

Safari Browser

How to turn on Reader mode in Safari on an iPhone (iOS 18)

Updated on:

Safari’s Reader mode feature helps you hide ads and other distraction elements on a webpage so you can focus on the main content.
Open the Safari app and navigate to page, tap the page menu icon, and select “Show Reader” to enable Reader mode, or press and hold the page menu iconfor quick access.

Reader mode is a Safari feature that lets you read content on webpages without distractions. It does this by removing all unnecessary elements, such as ads and navigation bars, from webpages so you can focus on the main content on a page. You can even personalize your reading experience by customizing the text font and background color of the page.

Enabling and using the Reader mode in Safari is easy. Stick around, and we’ll explain how to do it.

How to turn on Safari Reader mode on an iPhone and iPad

How to automatically enable reader mode in safari on an iphone and ipad.

Safari allows you to turn on the Reader view on supported webpages. Here are the steps you need to follow to do this on your iPhone running iOS 18:

Go to Safari and open the article you want to read in Reader mode.
Tap the page settings button in the left corner of the address bar.
Tap the Show Reader button you see on the resulting menu.

That’s it. Once you’ve enabled the Reader mode, you can read the article in the default settings or customize the page settings per your preference.

Tap on your preferred color on the Reader mode overlay screen to set it as the page background.

Select colour and font from customization page in reader mode

When you want to exit the Reader mode, bring up the page settings and tap the Hide Reader button.

If you’re still on iOS 17, you can enable the Reader mode on your iPhone like this:

Open Safari .
Tap the Aa icon in the left corner of the address bar.

You can turn off Reader mode on iOS 17 by tapping Aa icon again and selecting Hide Reader on the resulting menu.

You may choose to turn on Reader mode for all sites or some specific sites you visit on Safari. While it’s possible to do this, keep in mind that some sites don’t support Reader view.

Automatically enable Reader mode on a specific site:

Go to Safari on your iPhone or iPad.
Tap the page settings icon on the left side of the address bar.

Open any site and toggle on Use Reader Automatically

Now, every time you open an article on that website, Safari will automatically open it in Reader view.

At any point, if you want to disable it, just follow the steps above and toggle off the Use Reader Automatically while on the website you’ve earlier enabled it for.

Automatically enable Reader mode on an all sites:

Go to the Settings app.
Scroll down to Apps and tap it, then select Safari .
Next, scroll down to the Settings for Websites section and tap on Reader .

Toggle on Other Websites from Reader in Safari settings on iPhone

Signing off…

We hope this guide helped you turn on and use Reader mode in Safari on your iPhone or iPad. With the feature enabled, you can enjoy a distraction-free experience while reading articles or journals online on your devices.

Still have doubts? Let us know in the comments below.

FAQ’s

The Reader mode will be grayed out on your iPhone if the website you’re on doesn’t support it.

If Safari Reader mode is not working on your iPhone or iPad, you should try using it on other websites, as some don’t support it. If the issue persists, then it’s recommended that you update iOS on your device or contact Apple Support .

No, the Safari Distraction Control feature is not the same as Reader mode. The Distraction Control feature only allows you to remove unwanted elements from a webpage, while Reader mode switches the webpage to a view to help you focus better on the text on a webpage.

How to Use Safari Reader Mode on iPhone & iPad

Safari Reader mode on iPhone and iPad allows you to read a web page without distractions so that only the text and photos are left. I personally find that this makes the article easier to focus on, and gentler on my eyes. We'll walk you through how to use Reader mode in Safari and turn it off when you're done.

Why You’ll Love This Tip:

Enjoy simpler reading without the clutter and distraction of ads and extra page features.
Print web articles or recipes without ads to save for later.

How to Enable Safari’s Reader Mode

System requirements.

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 16 or later, but the screenshots below were captured on iOS 18. Find out how to update to the latest version of iOS .

What is Reader on Safari? Safari's Reader (also commonly referred to as Reader view or Reader mode) has been a user favorite for quite some time since it allows you to view and print web pages without ads . Let's learn how to use it, what the page will look like with and without Reader enabled, and how to turn off Reader mode once you're done! Here's how to use Reader mode in Safari.

I often forget about Reader mode in Safari on my iPhone, but it’s a feature I really love when I remember to use it, similar to the new method for opening new tabs in Safari ! Reader view puts text and images center stage, leaving ads and other interruptions out of it. Plus, once you've enabled Reader, you can print without ads !

Author Details

Jim Karpen holds a Ph.D. in literature and writing, and has a love of gizmos. His doctoral dissertation focused on the revolutionary consequences of digital technologies and anticipated some of the developments taking place in the industry today. Jim has been writing about the Internet and technology since 1994 and has been using Apple's visionary products for decades.

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How to use and tweak reader mode in safari.

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Quick Links

How to launch reader view on an iphone or ipad, how to customize reader view on an iphone or ipad, how to launch reader view on a mac, how to customize reader view on a mac, reducing clutter without blocking ads.

The web can be an ugly place. Sites with useful information can also be cluttered with sidebars, advertisements, and popups asking you to subscribe to a newsletter.

That’s what makes Safari’s Reader View so nice. This feature extracts all the text and images from any page, then slides over whatever you’re reading with only those things. It’s a quick way to read anything without the clutter, and you can even customize the colors and fonts. It works on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

If you're on a page with an article on it in the Safari app, you'll see the below button appear in Safari's address bar. Tap it to open Reader View.

Related: How to Automatically Open Articles in Safari's Reader Mode

This won't make a big difference on How-To Geek, as we've tried to make our mobile website as clean and readable as possible, but it can be a big help on more cluttered websites.

You can long-press the button instead if you want to automatically enable Reader View on websites of your choice.

You can customize Reader View to make things easier to read, too. While in Reader View, tap the button at the right side of Safari's address bar. It looks like a smaller capital A to the left of a larger capital A.

The buttons in the menu allow you to increase or decrease the font size, change the color of the page (for example, you can enable white text on a black background by tapping the black dot), and choose the font the article appears in.

Using Reader View on a Mac is easy, too. If you’re reading a page with an article on it, you’ll see this button in the left side of the Safari address bar:

Click that button and Reader View will instantly pop up with the article and only the article.

The keyboard shortcut Command+Shift+R also works. Now you can read without distractions.

If you’re not sold on the color scheme or font, you click the “Aa” icon in the right side of the address bar.

The top two buttons, with different size A’s, lets you bump the font size up and down. The four boxes below that let you choose the background color. Finally, you can choose a font.

With these few options, you can go from stark…

…to my personal preference, a more natural look.

It’s really up to you, and it’s nice to have choices. Until relatively recently it wasn’t possible to change this at all without third-party extensions, but this is a lot easier.

I love the Reader View for all sorts of reasons, but it’s also nice in that it’s a nice compromise in the ad-blocking debate. I’ve written for sites where I wasn’t allowed to even mention ad blockers, so concerned was management about potentially losing revenue. And you know what? That’s not necessarily unfair.

But it’s also not unfair to say that the current advertising ecosystem is making the web a much less friendly place. Too many sites are an absolute mess for readers to get through, so I understand why users turn to ad blockers.

Safari’s Reader View offers a compromise. It doesn’t block ads: you still see them when you first open a page, and the sites you read still get paid. But if you want a quiet space to read, free from distractions, you can have that in just one click. And unlike with ad blockers, you can use whatever font and color you like. Everyone wins.

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macOS High Sierra: How to use Reader mode in Safari 11

Safari’s Reader mode is a way for users to peruse a webpage without distractions from ads, videos, sponsored content links, and other web elements you may not consider essential to the article you are reading.

In Safari 10 (the version that comes with macOS Sierra), Reader mode has to be enabled manually (View > Show Reader or press Shift-Command-R). With Safari 11 in macOS High Sierra and Sierra, you can set the browser to open most pages in Reader mode. (Some pages, like the homepage of news sites, can’t be opened in Reader mode. But the individual articles can.)

Here’s how to set Reader mode in Safari 11. What this will do is open any pages that are Reader compatible in Reader mode when you visit a particular website.

Editor’s note: This how-to originallly posted using the High Sierra public beta. It was updated using the final released version of Safari 11.

Set Reader mode for a website

1. Go to a website you want to configure for Reader mode. We’ll use macworld.com in this example. Right-click the URL box and select Settings for This Website, or go to Safari > Settings for This Website.

safari 11 reader mode right click url box

2. A large pop-up will appear underneath the URL box. Look for the header that reads, “When visiting this website.” If you want Reader mode to always work on this site, check the box for “Use Reader when available.”

As I mentioned before, some pages, like top homepages, won’t open in Reader. It usually works with article pages.

3. Click anywhere else on screen to exit the pop-up. You’re done.

Manage your Reader websites

If you want to see what websites you’ve set for Reader, or you want to adjust your settings, here’s how.

1. Go to Safari > Preferences.

2. In the Preferences window, click on the Websites icon at the top.

3. Click on Reader in the left column.

4. In the box to the right, you will see a list of websites for which Reader has been set. To turn on/off Reader, click the pop-up menu to the right of each website and select either On or Off.

5. At the bottom of the preference window is an important setting. “When visiting other websites” basically allows you to determine if any website you visit opens in Reader mode. Select On or Off.

6. Close the window when you’re all set.

Author: Roman Loyola , Senior Editor, Macworld

Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.

How To : Force Safari to Automatically Show Reader View for Specific Websites on Your iPhone

The Reader mode in Safari is a great way to view a webpage on your iPhone in a stripped-down manner, removing unnecessary images, videos, and advertisements for a streamlined experience free of distractions. Apple's iOS 13 improves upon Safari Reader when it comes to choosing which sites you want it to run automatically on, so everything is more accessible with more controls to work with.

While you could enable Automatic Reader View for specific websites, i.e., domains and subdomains, in iOS 11 and 12, it was relatively hidden and not very intuitive, to say the least. With iOS 13, the options for Reader have been bundled together with other features like Desktop view , and there's an easy-to-access settings panel to set Reader View automatically, to name just a few improvements.

Don't Miss: 200+ Exciting New iOS 13 Features for iPhone

1. Turn On Reader View for Specific Websites

Quickly enabling Reader view for a supported webpage while browsing in Safari is simple. Tap either the Reader icon to the left of the Smart Search bar (only appears for a moment in iOS 13), long-press the "AA" icon that takes its place, or tap the "AA" icon and select "Show Reader View" from the menu that appears (iOS 13 only). The webpage should load the Reader view, free of unnecessary distractions.

This method is temporary, however, and the site will revert to its original layout once you close or refresh its page or visit another site and come back. If you want a more permanent fix, where specific websites always show up in an easier-to-read format, follow the instructions below.

Method 1: In iOS 13

Head to a supported webpage for a domain you want to always use with Safari Reader. Next, tap on the "AA" icon to the left in Smart Search (if you see the Reader icon instead, wait for it to disappear first), then select "Website Settings" from the prompt that appears. Now, toggle on "Use Reader Automatically" to force Reader view for the domain or subdomain. Hit "Done" to finish up.

Once enabled, Automatic Reader View works throughout the entire domain or subdomain where applicable, not just the page you're viewing. Reader will also kick in for the target domain or subdomain when you're using Private Browsing Mode. It is domain-specific, though, so using Automatic Reader View on gadgethacks.com won't also apply to ios.gadgethacks.com, and vice versa, for example.

Not all webpages support Reader, so don't be discouraged if some pages on some websites aren't automatically loading with the distraction-free view.

Method 2: In iOS 11 & iOS 12

Compared to iOS 13, in iOS 11 and 12, enabling Automatic Reader View for specific sites is mostly hidden and a little more convoluted. To do so, perform a long-press on the Reader icon on the left side of the address bar, then either tap "Use on [Website URL]" or "Use on All Websites" on the menu prompt.

Tapping on "Use on [Website URL]" will apply the format automatically for supported pages within that specific domain or subdomain. If it was a subdomain, it applies only for that subdomain, so it won't work on other subdomains on the same site, nor on the site's primary domain itself.

Selecting "Use on All Websites," on the other hand, will apply the layout for all webpages across the board for all websites. You can turn it on from any Reader-supported webpage. To turn it off, do the same thing, but this time hit "Stop Using on All Websites."

2. Quickly Hide Reader View When Needed

Naturally, there will be some pages within the domain or subdomain that you may want to view in their original layout to better understand the content. So if you want to quickly get out of Reader mode to go back to the regular format, either long-press on the "AA" (iOS 13) or tap on the Reader mode icon (iOS 11–12).

It's worth noting that on iOS 13, you have the added option of tapping on the "AA" icon and selecting "Hide Reader View" to go back to the original format.

3. Disable Automatic Reader View for Specific Websites

If you want to get out of Reader mode entirely for the domain or subdomain on iOS 13, you'll first need to get out of Reader View, as described in section 2 above. Next, tap the "AA" button, then "Website Settings" from the menu, toggle off "Use Reader Automatically," and hit "Done." Safari will no longer default to Reader for that domain or subdomain.

On iOS 11 and 12, disabling Reader mode is the same as enabling it. So long-press on the Reader icon to reveal the action sheet, and tap on "Stop Using on [Website URL]" to default the domain or subdomain back to mobile view always. "Stop Using on All Websites" will disable Automatic Reader View for all domains and subdomains.

4. Manage Reader View Settings (iOS 13 Only)

Besides having the ability to set Reader View for sites directly in Safari, iOS 13 also lets you manage the feature for multiple sites within the Settings app. In the app, head to the "Safari" page, then hit "Reader" under the Settings for Websites section.

Here, you'll see a list of all the domains and subdomains you've set Automatic Reader View for at least once. That means if you set it for a site, then changed your mind, it will still show up here but toggled off. For any domains or subdomains you don't or do want to use Automatic Reader View on, toggle them accordingly.

You can also flip the switch for "Automatically Use Reader" under Other Websites to turn it on everywhere on the web, unless you toggle a specific domain or subdomain off in the Automatically Use On section above. This is helpful if you want to whitelist all sites and only blacklist a few.

If you want to delete saved websites within the menu, first tap "Edit" in the top right. From there, tap on just the sites you want to remove and hit "Delete." Alternatively, you can select "Clear All Settings" and confirm it on the action sheet to erase all your stored websites in one go.

Note that any sites you set Automatic Reader View for will automatically be added to the "Reader" menu in Safari's settings — even if you've set them while in Private mode. Unfortunately, clearing your history and website data won't make a difference as well.

Just updated your iPhone? You'll find new features for TV, Messages, News, and Shortcuts, as well as important bug fixes and security patches. Find out what's new and changed on your iPhone with the iOS 17.6 update.

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Let Apple's Reader Mode Save You From Those Annoying Ads

This is the Safari mode you want to tap into if you want to hide those annoying distractions online.

Reader is one of the best features you can use if you read often in Safari.

It can be challenging to read a news article, a short story or really anything in Safari on your iPhone . Advertisements, banners and autoplaying videos are now commonplace on most websites, and they all make it difficult to concentrate.

To help with your focus, Apple introduced Reader mode to Safari over a decade ago, to clear away these distractions. When enabled, Reader reorganizes a webpage so that you see only relevant text and images, and so it's easier to get through whatever you're reading.

If you regularly read in your iPhone browser and don't use Reader, you really should give it a try. In this story we'll show you how to quickly enable the productivity feature in two ways, so that you can focus on reading what's most important to you.

Interested in learning more about your iPhone's underrated features? Check out these 11 hidden iOS 16 features we were surprised to find , how to make your keyboard vibrate and how to recover recently deleted text messages .

Turn on Reader mode in Safari with a single tap

In Safari, navigate to whatever it is you're reading, whether it's a trending news story or an in-depth feature. Now all you need to do is press down on the AA icon -- which sits to the left of the search bar at the top of the page -- for a second or so, and Reader will be enabled.

If Reader is not compatible with the page you're currently on, nothing will happen, except for a tiny buzz of haptic feedback on your finger. This usually happens with search engine results (for example, Google) and home pages with multiple article links.

To turn off Read, press down on the AA icon once again.

Read more: Change These Browser Settings Right Now to Boost Your Privacy

Turn on Reader with a single tap in Safari.

Automatically turn on Reader mode for your favorite websites

Turning Reader on with a single press is fast, but there's an even quicker way to get rid of distractions. With a few taps, you can enable Reader automatically for not only a single article but every compatible webpage on your favorite website.

For this to work, make your way to any page on the website you want to enable Reader for in Safari. Now, tap (don't long-press) the AA icon in the top left and then tap the Website Settings in the list that appears. A few website-specific settings will appear: Toggle Use Reader Automatically . Now, anytime you visit that website, Reader will automatically turn on after the web page finishes loading.

If you want to turn off Reader, you can either tap AA > Hide Reader (Reader will reappear if you refresh the page) or toggle off the Use Reader Automatically setting to turn it off permanently.

You can also automatically enable Reader when you visit your favorite websites.

Apple has a ton of hidden tips and tricks that can help you get more out of your iPhone. If you're interested, check out this iPhone hack that makes editing text so much easier , as well as how to unlock this hidden iPhone feature to quickly ID songs .

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How do I disable Reader View in Safari?

Thread starter DA23
Start date Mar 23, 2018
iMore Community Discussions
Ask a Question
Mar 23, 2018

Ipad (2017), ios11

Well-known member

DA23 said: Ipad (2017), ios11 Click to expand...

Yes but I mean permanantly. At present it's a case of tapping the black icon which stops Reader View but then when I go to another page in the site I have to do it again! I want it gone for good, I want a switch that says: Never show Reader View in this browser ever again.

DA23 said: Yes but I mean permanantly. At present it's a case of tapping the black icon which stops Reader View but then when I go to another page in the site I have to do it again! I want it gone for good, I want a switch that says: Never show Reader View in this browser ever again. Click to expand...

Great. That's done the trick. Thanks

Thanks, thta's cured it.

Mar 27, 2018

Thanks for the info was trying to figure out how to stop this as well.

mattguy10 said: You can’t get rid of the icon all together. It is possible that you accidentally enabled safari to automatically enable reader view for a specific site or for all websites. To disable this, press and hold on the reader view icon until a menu pops up giving you the option to stop automatically using reader view on the website you’re currently viewing or to stop using it on all websites. Click to expand...

Ledsteplin said: I rarely use reader view, so I had no idea this was an option. Always learning new stuff about iPhone, even when I think I know it all. Click to expand...

cyberbiker6

May 20, 2021

To disable automatically using Reader View for a particular website: • tap the double A to the left of the Address Bar, • select Website Settings • turn Off the toggle for Use Reader View Automatically To disable automatically using Reader View for All websites: • go to Settings>Safari>Reader • turn off both toggles.

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Smartphones

6 Safari Features On iPhone You Should Be Using

When reading news, personal blog posts, or feature articles on iPhone, your go-to app is most likely Safari, and for good reasons. First off, it already comes pre-installed on the device, so there's no need to go out of your way to download and set up a browser. If you're in the Apple ecosystem, you can also view Safari tabs across your Apple devices with ease. Plus, the app has some other solid advantages over other browsers like Google Chrome, such as more efficient performance, better privacy, and a host of tools for interacting with online photos.

And that's just the beginning. There's more to Safari that meets the eye. You'll be surprised that this simple native app can actually be a productivity powerhouse and help you accomplish much more with its often overlooked features. If you're looking to make the most out of Safari on your iPhone, here are six of its functionalities you should consider using.

Focus better on the content with Reader

Other than doom-scrolling on social media, you may spend a lot of time reading online blogs and articles on your iPhone too. Maybe you're doing research on Spanish colonization for your college essay. Or perhaps you just want to know the best spots in Japan to go to before you book your flight. But while it is quite convenient to be able to read on your phone, the interface isn't always the most reader-friendly. Some web pages have annoying navigation menus that stay fixed to the screen even as you scroll down. Others have empty spaces that break up your reading flow. Fortunately, Safari comes with a feature that makes reading on your handset a lot easier on the eyes.

The Reader tool converts a supported web page into a more readable format without the distracting menus, empty spaces, and extraneous images. What it only shows on the screen are the text and photos relevant to the content you're consuming. To make the interface even more visually appealing, Reader allows you to change the background color of the page, switch to a different font style, and increase or decrease the font size. There's an option to automatically enable Reader mode for all the web pages from that specific site as well. If you're on iOS 18, Reader also includes a highlights section containing a summary, table of contents, and other handy information extracted from the web page. Here's how you can turn on Reader on your iPhone's Safari:

In Safari, open the web page you want to read.
Tap on the Page Settings icon (a rectangle with two lines underneath) located to the left of the URL at the bottom of the screen.
Select "Show Reader."
To customize the interface, press the Reader icon.

You can now start scrolling through the page without all the unnecessary distractions.

No more manually closing unused and forgotten tabs with the Close Tabs feature

Admit it — you don't have just one tab open in Safari at this very moment. You probably have at least five, maybe even more. As you scroll through your long list of Safari tabs, you'll realize you don't even need them anymore. Most of them were just random, one-time searches, like that dictionary tab where you checked the meaning of inimical (it's hostile, by the way) or the one where you read the news about the cute therapy dog at your local hospice. More often than not, you just exit Safari after getting the information you need and don't even bother closing the tab. That's why the next time you open the app, you're greeted with multiple unused tabs that have been sitting in your browser untouched for weeks. They're not only an eyesore but can also potentially slow down your browser.

If you want to declutter your browser tabs without putting in a lot of effort, Safari can automatically close the tabs for you . You can choose to close all the tabs after you don't view them for a day, a week, or a month. This way, you won't have to worry about manually closing the tabs you use for one-time searches. Follow these steps to enable this feature:

Launch the Settings app.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Tap on "Apps."
Select "Safari."
Under Tabs, choose "Close Tabs."
Pick the period you want to use (After One Day, After One Week, or After One Month).
Exit Settings.

After doing so, Safari will start automatically closing any active tabs you haven't opened in the period you chose.

Group your tabs and share them

Whenever you're working on a research paper or group project that involves a lot of online reading, you'll typically end up sharing a bunch of links through messaging apps. One teammate will send an article for everyone to read, then someone else sends a different blog, and before you know it, your conversation thread is filled with nothing but links. Safari for iPhone offers a much more ideal way to collaborate — using its Tab Groups and collaboration features.

Tab Groups are exactly that — they're groups where you can add individual tabs to keep them organized. You can create these Tab Groups for your personal use, or you can share them with others. When you share a Tab Group, your collaborators can see all the tabs you've added and even add or remove tabs themselves. You'll be notified in Messages regarding any changes made to the Tab Group. It's important to note, though, that you can't add just anyone to a Tab Group. They need an Apple Account with two-factor authentication enabled and have Safari synced with their iCloud. To create a Tab Group and share it with others, here's the quick guide:

In Safari, visit the web page you want to add to a Tab Group.
Tap the Page Settings icon > More (three dots).
Under Tab Actions, select "Move to Tab Group."
Press "New Tab Group."
Enter a name for the group.
Hit "Move."
Repeat the same process for your other tabs.
To view the created Tab Group, tap on the tab icons at the bottom-right of the screen.
To share the Tab Group, press Share > Messages, enter a contact, and press the send icon.

Your contact will then receive a link to the Tab Group. Once they tap on it, they'll be prompted to open the group in Safari, and doing so automatically adds them to the group.

Write your thoughts on the web page itself

Every time you're reading on Safari and need to jot down your thoughts or extract some information from the online article, you usually have a separate note-taking app like Apple Notes, Bear, or Notion open on your iPhone. But using both your browser and notes app on such a small screen can be quite the hassle. You'll have to switch between them all the time. Not only will the constant back and forth break your focus, but it'll also be hard to remember where you left off on the web page before the switch.

However, you actually don't need another app just to take notes of what you're reading on Safari. The browser already includes built-in markup tools for your annotation needs. You can use these tools for a wide range of things, such as highlighting and underlining text, overlaying text, signature, and stickers, and adding text form boxes. The annotated web page is then automatically converted to a PDF and can be saved to your device. Here's how to use the markup tools on your iPhone:

Go to the web page you want to annotate on Safari.
Press the "Share" button.
Choose "Markup."
To draw or highlight on the page, select any of the pens. You can pick the ruler to make your lines straight or the eraser to remove any lines.
(Optional) Change the color of the current pen by tapping on the colored circle at the bottom. Here, you can also opt to modify the opacity of the lines drawn.
To add a sticker, text, signature, or shape, press the plus icon.
To insert a text form box, tap on the text form icon at the top and press the blue plus icon on the text form interface to add a text form box or signature.

After annotating the web page, hit Done > Save File To... > [your chosen folder].

Change how Safari looks

You can customize the layout of Safari on your iPhone to better suit your needs and preferences. Here's a step-by-step tutorial on personalizing the start page on Safari:

In Safari, go to the start page by pressing the tabs icon and selecting the plus sign at the bottom.

Tap on "Edit."
Rearrange the sections (Favorites, Suggestions, Privacy Report, Reading List, iCloud Tabs, Recently Closed Tabs) by holding the hamburger handle and dragging it to your desired position.
Disable the sections you don't want to see on the start page by tapping on their toggle.
Under Show in Suggestions, hide Frequently Visited (websites you often visit) and/or Shared with You (pages shared with you from other apps like Messages and Calendar).
Change the background image by selecting one of the available images. Alternatively, press the plus icon under Background Image to use your own photo.
Press the X icon at the top to save your changes.

You can also edit the layout of the tabs and page menus. To change the tab layout, open the Settings app and navigate to Apps > Safari. Then, under Tabs, choose whether to use the Tab Bar (a bar at the bottom of the page that you can swipe to switch to the other tabs) or Single Tab (displays only one tab with no swipe-to-switch functionality). There's also an option to turn on the Landscape Tab Bar. When enabled, all your tabs will be visible at the top of the screen when you use Safari in landscape mode (much like how it looks on Safari for Mac). Meanwhile, to change the page menus, here's what you need to do:

Go to any web page on Safari.
Press the Page Settings icon > three dots > Edit.
Add any option to the Page Menu by tapping on the green plus icon next to it.
Hit "Done" to save.

When you open the Page Settings, you should immediately see the options you've added on the popup.

Boost Safari with handy extensions

Safari is already packed with a multitude of features, but there are instances when you may need a specific functionality, such as a more advanced translator or a grammar checker, that is, unfortunately, not built into the app. In that case, you can use Safari extensions on your iPhone . These extensions are similar to Google Chrome extensions on your desktop — they add extra features to Safari that meet your needs better. Some extensions change the browser's appearance, while others integrate another app's features into the web page. To install and use extensions on Safari for iPhone, follow this guide:

Open the Settings app.
Navigate to Apps > Safari > Extensions.
Tap on "More Extensions" to view the available extensions for your device.
From the App Store page that opens, download your preferred extensions by pressing "Get."
Go back to the Extensions page in the Settings app.
Enable your downloaded extensions by tapping on them and toggling on the option "Allow Extension."
(Optional) Turn on "Allow in Private Browsing," so you can use the extension even while you're in incognito mode.
Under Permissions, enable the extension on the websites you want to use it in.
Open the app for the extension you downloaded.
Follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. You may need to create or log in to an account and configure additional settings before you can use the extension in Safari.
Launch Safari on a web page (not the Start Page).
Tap on the Page Settings icon at the bottom.
To use an extension, simply select it from the list. Depending on the extension, there may be other configurations you need to set up.

If you want to remove a Safari extension, all you need to do is uninstall the app from your iPhone.