Safari Reader View Keyboard Shortcut on macOS

This article provides a quick guide to the keyboard shortcut used to toggle Reader View on and off in the Safari web browser on macOS. It also briefly explains how to determine if a webpage is eligible for this feature and how to use alternative keys to exit the distraction-free reading mode.

To immediately activate or exit Reader View on an eligible webpage in Safari on a Mac, press Command + Shift + R (⌘ + ⇧ + R) on your keyboard.

Pressing this key combination once instantly strips away advertisements, navigation menus, and other visual clutter, leaving only the main text and relevant images of the article. Pressing Command + Shift + R a second time will exit the mode and return the webpage to its original layout. Alternatively, you can simply press the Esc (Escape) key on your keyboard to exit Reader View.

The Command + Shift + R shortcut will only work on eligible webpages. Safari automatically detects whether a page contains an article or long-form text. It will not work on website homepages, search engine results, or web applications.

You can easily check if a webpage is eligible before using the shortcut by looking at the left side of the Safari address bar. If the page supports Reader View, a small document icon will appear. If that icon is not present, the keyboard shortcut will have no effect.

Once you have used the shortcut to enter Reader View, you can further customize the appearance of the article. Clicking the aA icon on the right side of the address bar allows you to adjust the font size, choose a different typeface, and change the background color for optimal reading comfort.