Strip Away the Clutter
Modern websites are messy. Ads in the sidebar. Pop-ups asking you to subscribe. Auto-playing videos. Related articles fighting for your attention. Sometimes you just want to read the actual content.
Reading Mode extracts the main article into a focused layout, away from the surrounding page. It works best on articles and blog posts; some pages cannot be extracted cleanly.
Related features
- Text to Speech - Have the article read aloud to you with natural-sounding voices.
- Immersive Reader - Clean reading view with enhanced formatting and read-aloud features.
- Color Overlay - Add a colored tint to reduce eye strain during reading sessions.
What Gets Removed
Reading Mode aims to leave the main article and its relevant images, without the surrounding:
- Ads and banners
- Sidebars and navigation menus
- Pop-ups and overlays
- Auto-playing videos
- Social media buttons
- Comments sections
- "Related articles" clutter
The result depends on the website's structure. Reading Mode does not unlock paywalled content or replace an ad blocker across the whole site.
Make It Your Own
The reader presents the article in a focused column, keeps wide tables scrollable, and respects the article's reading direction. Its header stays within reach while you scroll.
Show the read-aloud controls when you want to listen, or hide them to give the article more space. The full-screen button expands the reading view where your browser supports it.
Tools Built In
Reading Mode also gives you quick access to:
Text to speech: Show the player, then play, pause, stop, or change the reading speed. The progress and time display help you follow along.
Translate: Open the article in Google Translate for further reading in another language.
Close: Return to the original webpage using the close button or Escape.
The current toolbar does not include separate font controls, a dictionary button, or a print button. For a reading view with its own text preferences and picture dictionary, try Immersive Reader.
Where It Works
Reading Mode works on most websites with articles or long-form content:
- News sites
- Blogs
- Wikipedia
- Medium articles
- Research papers
- Documentation
- Most places with text content
It won't work on every page (some sites structure their content in ways that are hard to extract), but it handles most articles well.
Who Uses This
Anyone annoyed by website clutter who just wants to read the content.
Students reading articles and research without distractions.
People with ADHD who get easily distracted by busy page layouts.
Night readers who want a dark, calm reading experience.
Anyone printing articles who doesn't want to waste paper on ads.
Is This Free?
Yes. Reading Mode is completely free in Helperbird.
