The Reader view in Safari has been one of my favorite features in iOS and in iOS 9 it has been updated to provide more options for customization. Not only can you adjust the text size, but you can also choose from four (4) different backgrounds and select different fonts including the new San Fransisco iOS 9 font.
The Reader feature behaves in a similar way to how it did in previous versions of iOS, in that you access it by tapping a special icon on the left side of the browser’s address bar which will only be visible when you are on a website/blog that supports this feature (usually news sites and other sites that update frequently).
Once you are in the Reader view, which removes a lot of the extra content (such as site navigation and many ads) you will now see an additional icon on the right side (big A and little A).
Tapping on this icon will reveal a popover with text and background options that are now available in iOS 9.
I have posted a short video on my YouTube channel that shows the iOS 9 Reader view for Safari in action:
The Reader view is great for not only removing a lot of the clutter on a page to make it easier for learners to focus on the content, but also for making it easier to use some of the accessibility features such as Speak Selection (the built-in text to speech feature of iOS).
Luis Pérez is an inclusive learning consultant based in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has more than a decade of experience working with educators to help them integrate technology in ways that empower all learners. Luis holds a doctorate in special education and a master’s degree in instructional technology from the University of South Florida, and he is the author of Mobile Learning for All: Supporting Accessibility with the iPad, from Corwin Press. Luis has been honored as an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) in 2009, and as Google in Education Certified Innovator in 2014. He is also a TouchCast and Book Creator Ambassador. Luis currently serves as the Professional Learning Chair of the Inclusive Learning Network of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), which recognized him as its 2016 Outstanding Inclusive Educator. His work has appeared in publications such Teaching Exceptional Children, Closing the Gap Solutions, THE Journal, and The Loop Magazine. In addition to his work in educational technology, Luis is an avid photographer whose work has been featured in Better Photography magazine, Business Insider, the New York Times Bits Blog and the Sydney Morning Herald. Luis has presented at national and international conferences such as South by Southwest EDU, ISTE, CSUN, ATIA and Closing the Gap.
View all posts by Luis Pérez, Ph. D.
One thought on “Reader View in Safari for iOS 9”