Google Chrome 114 Arrives With New Reading Mode

It has been four weeks since the release of Chrome 113, which means it’s time for yet another update. Google is now rolling out Chrome 114, with a new take on Reader Mode and some under-the-hood improvements.

Chrome 114 is scheduled for a full rollout today, following a limited release to a small percentage of users that started a week ago. This update includes a new Reading Mode, which appears as a new dropdown menu option in Chrome’s sidebar. When you select it, a simplified version of the current page is displayed in the sidebar, with options to change the background, text colors, font, and line size for easier reading.

Google officially removed the old Reader Mode in Chrome 112, which was only ever accessible as a hidden feature flag for several years, and was never widely rolled out. The old implementation completely replaced the page with a simplified version, but in this new version, the original page remains visible alongside the simplified view.

Google announced the new Reading Mode back in March, with the promise of a full rollout in Chrome 114. It should be available for everyone now, but in case you don’t see it yet, you can force it on. You just need to open chrome://flags/#read-anything in Chrome (that has to be pasted into the address bar), select “Enabled” in the highlighted dropdown menu, and restart the browser when asked.

Chrome 114 also has a few new web features and APIs for sites. There’s a new Popover API, which aims to make tooltips and other popup elements more consistent, as well as new Bluetooth and WebAssembly features.

How to Update Google Chrome

Chrome will automatically install the update on your computer, phone, or tablet when it’s available. To immediately check for and install any available updates, click the three-dot menu icon and click Help > About Google Chrome.