Chrome Reading Mode and Read Aloud Guide
Finding a webpage difficult to read? Chrome Reading Mode can remove much of the surrounding clutter, change how the text appears and read supported pages aloud.
Chrome Reading Mode extracts the main text from a supported webpage and presents it in a clean view you can adjust. On desktop, Chrome can read the page aloud. On Android, Listen to this page provides spoken playback that can continue while browsing or with the screen locked.
Reading Mode may omit images, tables, forms and warnings. Always return to the original page before acting on important information.
On a computer (Windows, macOS, ChromeOS)
- Open the webpage in Chrome.
- Right-click and select Open in reading mode.
- Or: More > More tools > Reading mode.
- Or: keyboard shortcut — Alt + Shift + R (Windows/Linux/ChromeOS) or Option + R (macOS).
- Choose full-screen or side-panel view.
- Adjust font, text size, line spacing, letter spacing and colour theme.
- Select read aloud where available.
- Choose voice and playback speed.
On Android
- Open the webpage in Chrome.
- Select More (three-dot menu).
- Choose Show Reading mode for a simplified view.
- Or choose Listen to this page for spoken playback.
- Adjust voice, speed and highlighting.
- Playback can continue while browsing or with the screen locked.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open the webpage in Chrome.
- Select More.
- Select Turn on Reading Mode.
- Adjust font, text size and background colour.
Reading Mode controls at a glance
| Setting | Where available |
|---|---|
| Font style | Desktop, Android, iOS |
| Text size | Desktop, Android, iOS |
| Colour theme (light/dark/sepia) | Desktop, Android, iOS |
| Line spacing | Desktop |
| Letter spacing | Desktop |
| Read aloud with voice and speed | Desktop, Android (Listen to this page) |
| Background playback / screen-lock playback | Android (Listen to this page) |
Before relying on the simplified view
- Return to the original page.
- Check images, diagrams and infographics.
- Check tables and data.
- Check forms that need to be completed.
- Check warning boxes and callout panels.
- Confirm names and numbers heard in playback.
- Do not use AI playback on confidential pages unless your organisation has approved it.
Reading Mode simplifies the webpage. It may omit visual or interactive content that still matters.
Plain-English Takeaway
Use Reading Mode to focus on the text, then check the original source for anything the simplified view may have removed.
Downloadable guide
Download the Chrome Reading Mode and Read Aloud Guide
A one-page printable guide covering setup on all platforms, reading view controls and what to check on the original page.
Download PDFFree download. No email address required.
Want the full business explanation?
The Technology Intelligence article covers why this matters, where it helps and what to watch out for.
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