What is Reading Mode in Android?

Android 13 introduces a plethora of new APIs and new interactions with devices, this release also launches the much-awaited Reading Mode to devices and it was a long-awaited feature on the list. One of the major reasons that dedicated reading modes are important on Android and other operating systems is the ability to remove clutter or distractions from content like web pages. Reading mode comes in handy when you have a lot of content on the page and you need to optimize the content for reading purposes. Use cases for this could be seen if you have content like articles, blogs, etc on your app. This allows focusing on the important information contained within. When you are reading, you can even underline the current text as you scroll or when read aloud helping improve literacy.

How to enable reading mode?

We will discuss the code which you will need to add to your application so that it starts supporting reading mode, then you can jump into reading mode directly where there is content. It is possible to enable a quick-access toggle that will reside inside a floating on-screen button inside your app. Alternatively, you can use your chosen screen reader using the Reading mode because it works with Talkback. When employing the quick-access floating toggle, the feature is compatible with the majority of programs and websites.

GeekTip: Not all the content supports Reading Mode as of now, also, this function is in beta at the moment, so there may be performance issues here and there.

English, French, Italian, and Spanish are among the languages that are supported by the Android reading mode. According to Google, additional languages will be added in the future.

Advantages of using dedicated software vs alternatives

Reading mode offers a clutter-free reading experience that may be customized to make it simpler to access content and concentrate.

1. Simple access: Reading mode is integrated into the phone UI once downloaded for quick access.
2. Text-to-speech: Press a button to hear printed text read aloud to you. Pick from a variety of excellent long-form voices. Rewind, fast forward, and reading speed adjustments for audio are easily available when on the go.
3. Change the font family and size: Change the font sizes, styles, colors, and line spacing rapidly to find the ideal setting for your reading needs.
4. Privacy-conscious design: No content is ever sent from your phone.
5. Support for multiple languages: Reading mode currently supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish, with support for more languages to come.

Adding support for reading mode in-app content

Although there is no native support for reading mode inside your custom android application, Google said it is trying a few beta tests to implement in-app reading mode. Once this happens, you will just have to opt-in for reading mode inclusion within your app by just providing consent in your app’s manifest, which is simple, and then add the following line in your main activity file:

Java

// Add this to your main activity;
// once support is released
ReadingMode gfgReadingMode = ReadingMode.getApplicationContext(this);
gfgReadingMode (true);

Once you have added this code wherever there will be TextView, your app will be auto-optimized with the Google Play Service and then Reading Mode will be enabled natively.

Quitting the high-contrast reading mode

Swipe down on the arrow at the top of the screen to exit reading mode, and Android will return to its default state. Although it doesn’t have many sophisticated functions, it is already a very useful tool to have. Do have in mind that before quitting reading mode; you will have to work forward in seeing the content on the bare screen that might cause seizure effects to some people.

How Reading Mode Helps

Reading mode in Android works by enhancing the basics of the text first, primarily by redoing the formatting and re-applying the styles in which the content is being displayed to the user, look at the example given below. An example is a Geeks for Geeks article about What is ANR in android and is shown how that would look without the app being optimized for reading mode, and how it will be shown once the app is optimized for reading mode. You can see how this gets formatted in a better way automatically without you needing to do anything else.

Image #1: Understanding Reading Mode.

Conclusion

The purpose of adding a brand-new Reading Mode is to make screen reading easier for people who are not fully abled, such as blind people, people who are dyslexic, and people who use low-vision devices. As of now, not all things support reading mode and it might not work with your content even if you have implemented everything perfectly. Hope this article helped you get insights on how to use this mode to benefit your app from reaching even more devices or nonetheless using it yourself to protect your eyes from high-contrast text ranges. Android 13 all-in-all provides us with a plethora of new features to try, which can be read in the Geeks for Geeks Android 13 article series, which covers every new thing released in this Android Version from per-app settings to the photo-picker.