Google has added a very unusual reading mode to Chrome

Google has updated its Chrome browser to version 114, adding something that many people have been missing – a reading mode. The feature has been available in other browsers for a relatively long time, but it’s only now available in Chrome. It is worth noting that the implementation of this already familiar feature is quite unusual. Competitors have the whole page transformed, but the “corporation of good” offers to read the cleaned copy of the page in a customizable sidebar.

Knowing that the American giant never does anything for nothing, we can assume that there is a catch here as well. And there is – Google decided to “combine business with pleasure”. Displaying a simplified copy of the page in the sidebar allows you to simultaneously show video and, of course, ads in the main field. The user will be able to watch the video if necessary, and the company does not deprive itself of revenues from viewing ads when people purposefully use the reading mode. Of course, with Chrome’s new reading mode, you can adjust various text settings.

You can change font spacing and size, font style, and text color. You can also change the background color and font size in a wide range of settings. Dark mode can be activated to reduce the strain on your eyes. The size of the panel itself can also be changed. Google presented the updated browser at an event called BETT 2023. The company works with schools and nonprofit organizations that care for children, and the new reading mode is designed to help educate children with disorders such as dyslexia and ADHD.