Reading articles online has gotten increasingly frustrating. Ads are bad enough, but most websites pile on with pop-ups, newsletter prompts, recommended article sidebars, and multi-page pagination that makes you click through just to finish a story. You just want to read.
If you’re on an Apple device, there’s a built-in fix: Safari Reader on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It strips away the clutter and reformats the article into a clean, readable page. It also hides most ads, though Apple is careful not to say that outright.
For longer articles, Reader automatically generates a summary and table of contents at the top. And you can set it to turn on automatically for sites you visit regularly, so you never have to think about it.
Here’s how to use it.
Switch to Reader
Since Reader’s reformatting would break non-article pages, Safari only offers it when you’re viewing something it can actually reformat. On iPhone and iPad, you’ll see a brief “Reader Available” note in the address bar when it’s available.
To enable it, tap the website 
button at the left of the address bar ➊, then tap Show Reader ➋. Safari reformats the page immediately, removing distractions and often changing the background and font.
The difference is especially noticeable on Mac, where websites tend to load up with ad columns, overlays, and pop-ups that cover the actual content you’re trying to read.
For longer articles with enough headings, Reader automatically generates a summary and table of contents in expandable sections at the top. Fair warning: this feature is a little inconsistent. It doesn’t always appear, and it can vary between devices even on the same article.
Adjust the Look of Reader
Reader defaults to a white background with Apple’s San Francisco font, which works fine, but you can customize it. Choose from sepia, gray, or black backgrounds, pick from a selection of serif and sans-serif fonts, and adjust the font size up or down.
Tap the page 
icon at the left of the address bar to access these options.
The interface looks slightly different on iPad (left) and Mac (right), but the options are essentially the same.
Use Reader Automatically
For sites you read regularly, setting Reader to activate automatically is the way to go. It’s smart enough not to reformat pages that don’t make sense for it, like a homepage or section page with links to multiple articles. Here’s how to enable it:
- iPhone and iPad: Tap the icon at the left of the address bar, tap the ••• button, scroll down in the page menu, and turn on Use Reader Automatically.
- Mac: When you’re not in Reader, click the website icon at the left of the address bar, choose Website Settings, and select “Use Reader when available.”
To manage all your Reader-enabled sites in one place, go to Settings > Apps > Safari > Reader on iPhone or iPad, or Safari > Settings > Websites on Mac.
Safari syncs your website settings across devices via iCloud, so once you enable Reader automatically for a site on one device, your other Apple devices will follow suit.
Switch Back to Standard View
Reader works well most of the time, but occasionally you’ll run into an article with interactive elements that don’t display correctly. If something looks off, just tap the page icon at the left of the address bar and tap Hide Reader to go back to the standard view.
The hardest part is just getting started. Once you’ve built the habit of switching into Reader and setting it to trigger automatically for your go-to sites, reading on the web gets a lot more enjoyable and a lot less distracting.
(Featured image based on an original by iStock.com/Tippapatt)
Social Media: Tired of ads and pop-ups getting in the way of a good read? Safari Reader strips out the clutter and reformats articles for distraction-free reading on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It can even turn on automatically.
