The experience of reading long text on the smartphone screen can be difficult for some users for several reasons, including:small screen size, a problem with text formatting, or too many ads appearing in apps and websites while reading.
But there is a feature in Android that makes this easier for you, as Google recently launched a new feature in the Android operating system called (Reading Mode) that allows you to customize the reading experience in different applications and websites as you wish.
So what is the new reading mode in Android and how do you use it in your phone to read texts without disturbance or to listen to them by voice while performing other tasks?
What is reading mode?
Reading Mode is a feature of the Accessibility feature of the Android system, aimed at improving the text displayed in the screen to make it clearer and more comfortable to read, and this is achieved by customizing the contrast, color and font size of the text without making changes to the content, all in an attempt to make the text clearer and reduce eye strain.
Reading mode also removes common distractions when browsing the web, such as: website lists, ads, after removing these things, only the text of the article and any main images or graphics are left, and this helps the user focus on the text only.
Moreover, the reading mode also allows you to use the Read Aloud feature to listen to the text reading, while controlling the speed and choosing the sound that suits you from a selection of sounds. All these features make this mode an ideal choice for people with visual impairment or vision problems, as well as people who want to multitask.
How to use your phone's reading mode:
The new reading mode does not come built into Android phones, but it comes as a separate application that you can install through the Google Play Store, and once installed, you can adjust its (accessibility) settings through the phone's settings and then it will work smoothly.
Note: To use the Reading Mode application in your phone, it must be running Android 9 or later, so you must check the version of the operating system that your phone is running before installing the application.
To download and activate the Reading mode app on your phone, follow these steps:
»Go to your phone's Google Play Store.
»Type (Reading Mode) in the search bar at the top of the page.
»Once the installation process is finished, open the app and then follow the instructions on the screen, at the end of the instructions you will be directed to the Accessibility settings menu in your phone.
»Find the (Reading mode) option, then click on it.
»Turn on the Reading mode shortcut option by pressing the toggle button next to it.
»A pop-up window will appear asking you to agree to certain permissions without which the application will not work, tap on the option (Allow) Allow, or OK depending on your phone model.
»Once the reading mode shortcut is activated, a small access button will appear somewhere in your phone's screen, this button will be a small floating icon in the lower-right corner of the screen, and where the button appears on your phone will vary depending on its model and manufacturer.
After that, you can use the reading mode in websites or applications that include long articles, all you have to do when you want to read anything on your phone is to click on the floating button that appeared to you, to start reading without any disturbance.
Or you can adjust how to turn on reading mode by pressing the volume up and down buttons together without the floating icon or turning on the accessibility of your phone.
Where you can open any article in the browser and click together on the two volume buttons and the read aloud mode will start activating.
As you read, you can:
Change the formatting of text dynamically by tapping the Change Formatting icon located in the lower-right corner.
Change the font color, type, spacing size between lines of text, and background color by tapping the settings icon which is a gear located in the lower-right corner.
You can also listen to read content aloud by pressing the play button at the bottom of the screen in the middle between the format change icon and the settings icon.
While reading content aloud, you can control the reading speed by tapping the Adjust Speed icon in the lower-left corner, then pressing the (+) or (-) sign to increase or decrease the reading speed.
You can also choose the audible sound by pressing the settings icon located in the lower-right corner.
You can exit reading mode by tapping the arrow icon at the top of the screen.
Overall, Google's new reading mode is a great little addition for any Android device, it's a great option for those who need to listen to content aloud or just want to reduce their eye strain and take a little away from the screen.
