The Reader Mode feature is now available in the desktop version of the Chrome browser. Using this feature, you can get rid of web distractions and unnecessarily pop-ups that make some webpages difficult to read. Although, this feature is by default hidden and it comes with a new name i.e, Distill mode. In this guide, we have explained two ways to disable or enable Reader Mode in Chrome.
Enable or Disable Reader Mode in Chrome
Earlier, the Reader Mode had arrived for Android in Chrome. After that, the company had planned to roll out similar support for Windows 10 as well. To give it a try, follow the suggestions:
- Through the Settings
- Using the Flag
Let’s know both methods in a detailed form.
1] Through the Settings
To enable or disable Reader Mode through the Settings, follow the below instructions:
- Update Google Chrome to the latest version.
- Open the Google Chrome Properties dialog box.
- Enable the reader mode by adding commands in the Target box.
- Disable the reader mode by removing command from the Target field.
Let us see them in details:
Before you begin the process, first you need to check if you have the latest Google Chrome installation. If there is any update is available, download and install it. Once it completes the process, click on the Relaunch button for the changes to take effect.
After updating the Chrome browser to the latest version, make sure you have pinned the Chrome icon to your taskbar.
After that, do a right-click on the Chrome icon. In the options list, again right-click on “Google Chrome” and then select the Properties button as shown in the below snapshot.
Clicking the Properties button, it opens the Google Chrome Properties dialog box.
On the Shortcut tab, next to the Target box, there is an EXE file path for the Chrome application. Append the below phrase to the end of the text:
--enable-dom-distiller
Once you added, click on Apply and then the OK button to save the changes.
That’s it, the flag is now activated. To use this feature, click on the three dots and then select the Distill page option from the menu list. It will start displaying the current web page in Reader Mode without any of the distracting ads or other page elements.
In order to disable this feature, open the Properties window of the Chrome browser. And then remove the added phrase from the Target field of the Shortcut tab.
Once you disable the reader mode, you will see that the Distill page option also gets removed from the menu list (three-dotted line) of the browser.
2] Use Flag to disable or enable Reader Mode in Chrome
To enable the Reader Mode using the flag, follow the below guidelines –
Open the Chrome browser and enter the below link into the address bar.
chrome://flags/#enable-reader-mode
Press the Enter key to open the Flag page directly.
In the list of available flags, you may clearly notice the “Enable Reader Mode” flag highlighted in yellow color.
Select the drop-down menu and switch the flag to Enabled from the Disabled option. After that, click on the Relaunch button for the changes to take effect.
In the same way, you can disable the flag again if you change your mind and want them back.
Accordingly, to make your Reader Mode disable, open the flag page and select the drop-down menu next to the “Enable Reader Mode” option.
Thereupon, set the flag to Disable or Default and then tap the Relaunch button to take effect the changes.
I hope you find this guide helpful and now you’re enjoying the distraction-free and clutter-less environment of the Reader Mode in Chrome.
