How to Use Chrome Reading List: Save and Read Pages Later

Google Chrome’s Reading List is a handy in-built feature that lets you save articles for later reading. This can be especially useful if you’re short on time and want to read articles offline or when you don’t have an internet connection. In this blog post, we will show you how to make use of the Chrome Reading List and keep your favorite articles at hand!

What is Chrome Reading List?

The Chrome Reading List lets you store articles on your computer for offline reading. Whenever you discover interesting web pages while browsing the internet but is busy doing something else, you can add them to your reading list with just one click. The next time that you don’t have an internet connection, simply open the Reading List page.

The articles you’ve saved using the Chrome Reading List will be stored on your computer and can also be synced with other devices where you’re signed in to your Google account. So, if you use Chrome on multiple devices (for example, your work computer and your phone), you’ll find all of your saved articles on all devices.

The Chrome Reading List can save links to full pages as well as links to excerpts, also known as summaries of the web page that are displayed at the top or bottom of the screen. The Reading List is opened with a click of the button on the right side of the address bar.

What are the differences between Reading List and Bookmark?

You might notice that Chrome’s Reading List is pretty similar to the Bookmarks. However, there are some differences between adding a page to Chrome Reading List and bookmarking it.

Whenever you make changes to your Bookmarks (for example, rename or delete bookmarks), these changes will be synced across your different devices. This does not happen with the Chrome Reading List.

Sometimes, it might be useful to have two different lists of bookmarks: one for your personal use and another one that you can share with other people. On Chrome, you can manage Bookmarks in many ways, while there is no option to manage the Reading List.

You can import other browsers’ bookmarks and export Chrome’s bookmarks to other browsers. There is no such option for Reading List.

The Chrome Reading List only shows the article titles, while Bookmarks include page titles as well. The page title usually contains more information about the page, for example, the date that it was published or the name of the website that you’re visiting.

Finally, the Reading List is specifically meant for saving the articles or posts, while Bookmarks can be used for saving anything from YouTube videos to Facebook posts. Although you are not restricted to saving YouTube videos in Reading List, it simply doesn’t make any sense.

What are the benefits of using the Reading List?

Using the Reading List will save you time when you come across articles or posts that you want to read at a later time. Since the Reading List is opened directly from the address bar, it’s much faster than opening your bookmarks and finding the desired page manually.

If you are signed in to your Google account on more than one device, all of your articles will be synced. You can return to the page you were reading even when you don’t have an internet connection. The Chrome Reading List can also be used on mobile devices.

How to add a Webpage to Chrome Reading List?

Reading List is by default available on Chrome Desktop and Mac versions. Surprisingly, you won’t get it by default on Android, but that can be enabled easily.

Here is how you can make use of Chrome Reading List on different devices.

Add a page to Reading List on Windows and macOS

To add a page to the Reading List on your desktop or Mac, follow these instructions:

1. Launch Chrome browser and visit the webpage that you want to read later.
2. On the top right, click on the Reading List option.
3. Now select Add current tab to add the current tab to the Chrome Reading List.
4. From here, you can also access all the pages added to the reading list.

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Add a page to Reading List on Android

On Android, the Reading List option is not directly available like it’s available on desktop and Mac versions. However, it is still easy to enable and use it using Chrome Flags.

1. On your Android device, open the Google Chrome browser and type chrome://flags in the address bar to reach the Chrome Flags page.
2. On the Flags search bar, type Reading List and look for it’s available flag.
3. Tap on the Default to expand the menu. Choose one of these:
   • Enabled (with app meu item): the Reading List option will be available on Chrome Menu.
   • Enabled (bookmarks semi-integration): the Reading List option will be integrated with the Bookmark option.
4. Restart your Chrome browser.
5. Now navigate to the webpage that you want to save for later.
6. Tap on three-dots menu icon at the top right corner and select Add to reading list.
7. The webpage will be added to the list and will be available to read across all synced devices.
8. You can access the Chrome Reading List on Android through the Bookmark option.

Summing Up

Most users rely on traditional bookmarks to save articles or posts that they come across. Most of the time, this leads to a messy bookmark list. To avoid such issues and make your reading experience better, it is recommended to use Chrome Reading List as much as possible.

Using this option will save you time when it comes to finding the desired pages, especially if you are using multiple devices. It is extremely easy to use and allows syncing across all your devices.

Hope this article has helped with learning how to use Chrome Reading List for saving articles or posts on various different platforms.