Ads, autoplay video, and pop-ups can bury the article you actually want to read. Reader view in Safari strips all of it and leaves the text plus a few images.
The switch moved in iOS 18, so the old AA icon no longer opens it. Tap the Page Menu button on the left of the address bar and choose Show Reader, then set the font, size, and background to something comfortable.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Turn on Reader view in Safari on iPhone and iPad
You found an article worth reading, but it came with sticky ads, an autoplay video, and a newsletter pop-up sitting on the first paragraph. Reader Mode in Safari removes all of that and leaves the text with a few images. The switch moved in iOS 18, so the AA icon you learned to tap in the address bar is gone.
The new entry point is the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar.
- Open the Safari app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Go to the website or article you want to read.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar. It looks like a small page with two lines under it.
- Tap Show Reader in the popup. On supported pages, Safari also flashes “Reader Available” in the address bar as the page loads.
- If you still see the old AA icon, your device is on iOS 17 or earlier. Tap the AA icon and choose Show Reader View instead.
The page reloads in the simplified layout, and a Reader icon appears in the address bar while the mode is on. You’ll know it worked when the ads and sidebars are gone and the text fills the width of the screen.
TIP: Reader only appears on pages Safari can parse as articles. If the option is missing, open the individual article URL instead of the home page or section page.
If a site never offers Reader at all, a content blocker extension can take the clutter down a notch. Here’s how to install extensions in the Safari app on iPhone and iPad.
Change the font, size, and background in Reader
Default Reader text is fine for a paragraph or two. Ten minutes in, you may want something easier on the eyes, especially at night. The controls live in the same popup you already used, so you never leave the article.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar (or the AA icon on iOS 17).
- Tap the aA button to reveal the font, size, and background controls.
- Pick a font from the list, drag the size slider, and choose a background such as Sepia or Black.
- Tap anywhere outside the controls to apply your changes.
Your choices apply to the page you’re on and stay remembered for that site until you change them again or clear Safari’s website data. You’ll know it worked when the text redraws in the new type the moment you tap outside.
Turn Reader off and get the full page back
Some pages only work with everything switched on: the photo gallery, the embedded video, the comments thread. Reader hides those. When you need them, exit the mode and Safari reloads the original design.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar.
- Tap Hide Reader. On iOS 17 or earlier, tap the AA icon and choose Hide Reader View.
The popup swaps Show Reader for Hide Reader while you’re inside the mode, so the exit is always in the same place. You’ll know it worked when the ads, images, and scripts come back.
Set Reader to open automatically for a site or all websites
Read the same handful of long-form sites every week? The extra tap stops being fun around the tenth article. Safari can open those pages in Reader on its own, and on iOS 18 or later you can set it for every page that supports the mode.
- Open the site you want Reader to load by default.
- Tap the Page Menu button and choose Website Settings.
- Toggle Use Reader Automatically on and tap .
For the wider switch, open the iOS Settings app, tap Apps, tap Safari, tap Reader, and turn on All Websites.
All Websites only affects pages Safari already recognizes as articles. Image galleries, product listings, and forums keep their normal layout.
Reader cleans up the page, but it doesn’t change what Safari shares with the site behind it. If that matters to you, our guide to Safari’s privacy and security settings on iPhone and iPad covers those toggles.
Have Safari read the article out loud
Cooking dinner, walking the dog, or just tired of holding a phone at eye level? On iOS 18 and later, the same popup that opens Reader can read the article to you in Siri’s voice, and it keeps going with the screen locked.
- Open the article in Safari and turn on Reader.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left of the address bar.
- Tap Listen to Page.
- Use the playback controls on the lock screen or in Control Center to pause or skip ahead.
Listen to Page is not the same as Accessibility Reader under Settings. That tool works across apps and is built for readers who need extra support. Listen to Page is the casual option, and it lives in Safari.
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions that come up most once the AA icon disappears.
Why doesn’t the AA icon open Reader Mode anymore in Safari?
Apple redesigned Safari’s page customization menu in iOS 18 and removed the AA icon. Reader Mode now lives behind the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar. If your iPhone or iPad still shows the AA icon, the device has not been updated to iOS 18 yet.
What does “Reader Available” mean in the Safari address bar?
On iOS 18 and later, Safari briefly shows the words “Reader Available” in the address bar when you load a page that supports Reader Mode, so you know the Page Menu button will open it.
Is Safari Reader Mode the same as Accessibility Reader?
No. Safari Reader Mode is built into Safari and strips ads and clutter from a web page. Accessibility Reader lives under Settings and is designed to make text easier to read inside any app, not just Safari.
Why does Reader not appear on some websites?
Safari only shows Reader for pages it can parse as article-style content. Image galleries, forums, product listings, and home pages often don’t qualify. If a site you trust doesn’t offer Reader, try opening the individual article URL rather than the section page.
Can I make Reader Mode open by default for every site?
Yes. On iOS 18 and later, open Settings, then Apps, then Safari, then Reader, and turn on All Websites. For per-site control, use Page Menu, then Website Settings, then Use Reader Automatically on the page you want.
Reader Mode is one tap away on any article Safari recognizes, and one tap gets you out again. Set the type you like once, decide whether Reader should open by itself, and the next long read will look the way you want from the first screen.
