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Posted by Craig Mill on the 16th October, 2024
The Reader tool in Safari browser is a great tool to simplify and declutter web pages making them easier to read. But with the release of iPad OS 18, Safari Reader has new and improved features to make reading web pages more accessible and inclusive than ever before.
The first change to notice is that the Reader icon has changed and looks different from before, although it is still located on the top left of the URL bar.
To show the Reader drop down window tap or click on the Reader icon and it appears, similar to the illustration below. For this example I'm using a World War 2 example from the Primary Homework for Kids website.
You will still find previous tools such as 'Font Sizes and Font Styles', 'Listen to Page', 'Background colours' but everything is now located in an easy-to-use panel.
Below is a list of all the tools available to improve readability using Safari Reader.
Tap or click the Search button/icon and search for words or phrases. Choose 'Done' to exit the search.
You can choose which items or images on a web page to remove by tapping or clicking and selecting 'Hide'.
To show hidden items simply tap or click 'Show Hidden Items'.
With Listen to Page you can hear web pages spoken aloud. You can pause, fast forward or move the voice backwards.
There's also an option to increase or decrease the rate of the speech - great for learners who need to adjust the speed of the voice!
In Show Reader there are options to change the background colour, font size and font styles with 9 font styles to choose from.
To close the Reader panel, tap or click the blue 'Hide Reader' button.
For more on using the iPad to support learners with additional support needs (ASN) see our online learning modules and YouTube video playlist, iPad Short Guides to Support Reading and Writing.
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