04/29/2026
WHY IS SAFARI GOING TO READER MODE FOR WEBSITES????
Overview:
Safari often defaults to Reader Mode because the "Use Reader when available" setting is enabled for specific sites or all websites, making articles cleaner by hiding ads and navigation. It is a designed feature, not a bug, though it can be triggered by accidental settings changes.
How to Turn Off Automatic Reader Mode
On Mac:
Open Safari and click Safari > Settings in the menu bar.
Click the Websites tab and select Reader in the left sidebar.
Set "When visiting other websites" to Off.
Remove any specific websites listed in the right panel to stop them from using Reader.
On iPhone/iPad:
While in Safari, tap the Page Menu button (often labeled "aA" or showing an icon).
Tap and hold the icon, or select Website Settings.
Toggle off Use Reader Automatically.
Reasons for Automatic Activation
Accidental Activation: Users may have enabled "Use Reader automatically" for a website without realizing it.
Article Detection: Safari's Reader is designed to activate on pages it detects as articles (high text-to-image ratio).
Website Structure: Some websites are built with layouts that Safari easily recognizes as, or forces into, a simplified reader view.
Browser Bugs: Users on Reddit have mentioned that iOS updates, such as iOS 18, have caused glitches in how Reader Mode is displayed, sometimes causing it to be difficult to manage.
Note: As detailed in and, you can quickly toggle this off by going to Safari > Settings > Websites and adjusting the Reader options.
