[Tip] How to Remove “Add to Reading List” Option from Bookmark Icon in Chrome

This article contains a new working method for Google Chrome 95 and later versions to help you in removing “Add to Reading List” option from Bookmark or Star icon in Chrome’s address bar, tab right-click menu, bookmarks toolbar as well as disabling the whole “Reading List” feature in Chrome.

When you try to bookmark a webpage in Google Chrome browser by clicking on the “Star” icon present at the end of the address bar (or omnibox), Chrome shows following 2 options in a drop-down list:

• Add bookmark
• Add to reading list

Many users don’t like this new behavior. Older versions of Chrome used to just bookmark the webpage directly whenever the user clicked on the bookmark (Star) icon available in the address bar. Now the user needs to perform an extra step to click on “Add bookmark” option to add the webpage to favorites. This extra additional step might annoy the user.

TIP: You can press Ctrl+D keys together to directly bookmark a page without any need of clicking on Star (bookmark) icon and selecting “Add bookmark” option. This hotkey will work in all web browsers.

Similarly, when you right-click on a tab, you get an extra option “Add tab to reading list” in the context menu or right-click menu.

What is Reading List Feature in Google Chrome?

Actually “Reading List” is a new feature in Chrome which is similar to Microsoft Edge‘s collections feature. This feature allows users to organize their favorite web pages in a single bookmark list to read them later.

Reading List can be accessed directly from the Bookmarks bar. It shows its dedicated icon or button at the right-side of the bookmarks bar as shown in following screenshot:

PS: You can show or hide Bookmarks Bar quickly and easily by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B keys together.

You can Remove Reading List Button from Chrome’s Bookmarks Bar

Google Chrome allows users to disable or remove “Reading List” button from the bookmarks bar. You can right-click on the bookmarks bar and uncheck “Show reading list” option. It’ll immediately hide the Reading list option from the bookmarks bar.

Details: [Tip] How to Hide or Remove “Reading List” Button from Chrome Bookmarks bar

Removing Reading List Option from Bookmarks (Star) Icon in Chrome’s Address bar

But it doesn’t remove the “Add to reading list” option from the bookmark or Star icon present in the address bar.

In older versions of Chrome, there was a hidden preference/flag available to completely deactivate “Reading List” functionality in Chrome which helped in getting rid of the “Add to reading list” option as well. Unfortunately the preference has been removed from newer versions of Chrome.

Details: [Tip] How to Disable or Enable “Reading List” Feature in Google Chrome

Method to Remove Reading List Option Not Available in Chrome 95 and Later Versions

If you are using Chrome 95 or later version, you’ll be unable to find the required preference. Chrome team decided to remove previously working preference/flag from newer versions of Chrome.

Fortunately, there is still another workaround to completely disable and remove “Reading List” feature from Chrome 95 and later versions.

This article will help you in disabling Reading List feature from Chrome and removing “Add to reading list” option from the “Star” icon in Chrome address bar.

New Working Method to Disable and Remove Reading List in Chrome 95 and Later Versions

Google Chrome team has provided 2 secret preferences/flags in Chrome 95 and later versions which can be enabled to bring back a few older preferences/flags including the preference to enable/disable “Reading List” functionality.

So you can enable those 2 secret flags and it’ll add the deleted “Reading List” preference back to Chrome and then you’ll be able to remove Reading List option from bookmark (Star) icon in Chrome.

PS: These 2 secret preferences are temporary and Chrome team can remove these preferences in future versions of Chrome.

If you want to disable Reading List feature and remove “Add to reading list” options from “Star” (Bookmark) icon in address bar and tab context menu in Chrome, following steps will help you:

1. Open Google Chrome web browser and type chrome://flags/ in address bar and press Enter. It’ll open the advanced configuration page.

2. You’ll see following 2 preferences showing at the top of the available preferences list:

• Temporarily unexpire M93 flags.
• Temporarily unexpire M94 flags.

If you don’t get these flags available at the top of the page, type temporarily in the search flags box and the 2 flags will become visible.

We need to enable these 2 preferences to restore the option to disable/remove Reading List.

Set both the above mentioned options to Enabled using the drop-down box given next to the options.

3. Google Chrome will ask you to restart the browser. Click on “Relaunch now” button to restart Google Chrome.

Restarting Chrome is necessary because Chrome will add the option to disable “Reading List” only after restarting.

4. After restarting Chrome, it’ll automatically open Flags page.

Now type reading in the “Search flags” box.

Surprise! Chrome will show following option:

5. Now set the “Reading List” option to Disabled using the drop-down box given next to the option.

6. Google Chrome will again ask you to restart the browser. Click on “Relaunch now” button to restart Google Chrome.

That’s it. You have successfully disabled the Reading List feature in Google Chrome. It’ll remove Reading List button from Bookmarks toolbar as well as “Add to reading list” option from Bookmark (Star) icon in address bar and tabs right-click menu.

PS: In future, if you decide to restore default behavior of Reading List feature, select “Default” option from the drop-down box for “Reading List” preference and restart the browser.

Thanks to our reader “Sunny” for the heads up…

Also Check:

[Tip] How to Hide Bookmarks Bar on New Tab Page in Google Chrome

[Tip] Always Show or Hide Bookmarks Bar or Favorites Bar in Microsoft Edge

[Tip] Always Show or Hide Bookmarks Toolbar on New Tab Page and Everywhere in Mozilla Firefox