[Tip] Enable “Reader Mode” (Simplified or Distill Page View) in Google Chrome
UPDATE: In newer versions of Chrome, a new method is available to enable or disable Reading Mode feature. Check out following article for more details:
How to Enable or Disable Reading Mode in Google Chrome Side Panel
“Reader Mode” which is also known as “Simplified View” or”Distill Page View” is a feature which is either already present or being added to many popular web browsers. Reader Mode allows users to view a web page in text mode without CSS style formatting, javascripts, etc. Users can just read the full article without any distractions.
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Good news is that Google Chrome web browser’s newer versions come with built-in Reader Mode functionality but at the moment Reader Mode is hidden or disabled by default. Interested users need to manually activate and enable Reader Mode in Chrome browser.
Following screenshot shows our AskVG website displaying in Reader Mode under Google Chrome web browser:
We told you about this feature in UPDATE 114 in our exclusive Chrome Canary Updates topic when this feature was under development and testing.
If you also want to enable and try Reader Mode feature in Google Chrome web browser, following steps will help you:
1. Open Google Chrome web browser and type chrome://flags/ in addressbar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration page.
2. Now type reader in the “Search flags” box.
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It’ll directly go to following option:
Enable Reader Mode
Allows viewing of simplified web pages by selecting ‘Customize and control Chrome’>’Distill page’ – Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS
#enable-reader-mode
3. To enable Reader Mode, select Enabled from the drop-down box.
4. Google Chrome will ask you to restart the browser. Click on “Relaunch now” button to restart Google Chrome.
That’s it. You have successfully activated and enabled new “Reader Mode” feature in Google Chrome.
To open a web page in Reader Mode, click on 3-dots menu in Chrome and select “Distill page” option. It’ll open the current web page in Reader Mode.
PS: If you want to disable Reader Mode in future, select “Disabled” option from the drop-down box and restart the browser.
Enable Reader Mode = does not work in 79.0.3945.79
I have Chrome Version 79.0.3945.79, and I do not have the flag option to “Enable Reader Mode”. Did they remove this option in a recent update? Is there a way to get the reader mode/distill page without the flag?
^^ Chrome team regularly removes flags/preferences from chrome://flags page in newer versions of Chrome. If they removed the options, it might be possible that they are going to enable the Reader Mode to all in upcoming versions.
Enable Reader Mode in Chrome version 79.0.3945.88 also does not work on Mac. I want it back……now…[snaps fingers audibly].
Good news! “Enable reader view” is back in Chrome flags as of version 80 and can be executed with the “Distill page” menu command. Life is good in Chromeland once again!
My Chrome is 94. Completed this app OK but no Distill page in the 3 Chrome dots.