In this post, we will explain how to use the Read Mode feature in Microsoft Word. Most people recognize the Office application as either a text editor or a tool to create documents but not as a reading app. But once those documents are written and shared, they’re read. With this information in mind, the Word engineering team wanted to focus on creating a refreshed, modern reading experience for the new Word, one that is optimized for the times when the user is focused on consuming, not creating, content. ‘Read Mode’ feature aims to change this.
When you open any Word document in the Read Mode, you will observe that the document is transformed into an interactive digital magazine. While doing so, it removes all the toolbars and tabs from the interface and provides only basic reading tools.
How to Turn on and use Read Mode in Microsoft Word
If you wish to enable or switch to the Read Mode in Word 2013, do the following:
Open a document in Word and find and click on the ‘Read Mode’ icon at the bottom, to activate the reading mode. The icon is present just below your document. Check out the screenshot below!
After you click it, your document will be displayed in columns layout. You will notice read mode arrows being displayed on both, right as well as the left-hand side. This is to provide easy navigation.
If you wish, you could set the width of the column by clicking the ‘View’ menu option and choosing ‘Column Width’. Apart from this, there are other tools also present for setting the page layout, color, etc.
Color option of the read mode allows you to select a color you would like to read your document in. There are three choices offered (None, Sepia, Inverse)
You can choose the one to set the color of your document in the read mode.
If your Document contains any comment, they can be read in Read Mode as well. To read them in the read mode simply select the Show Comments menu option from the View menu option.
The comments can then be read alongside the document.
Read Mode reflows the document to the constraints of the device on which you’re reading, ensuring that reading feels as comfortable on a 7” screen as a 24” one – a set of columns fit the screen that scrolls from left to right. It creates these columns automatically based on three user-configurable settings: Column width preference, Text size & Window size.
Try the Read Mode on Microsoft Office and let us know your experience.
And how do I turn OFF Read mode ?
I’m using automation (from a Delphi app) to open documents in Word, but they open in Read mode ON. Ik would like to be able to turn readmode OFF as the default behaviour.
Any suggestions ?
It may sound like a rather strange idea, but I would like to have the option of also being able to write new text and edit ALSO in the Read Mode, as it is a mode of viewing that REALLY FULLY USES THE ENTIRE OF THE REAL ESTATE OF THE SCREEN.
1) Is this possible now?
2) If not yet possible, can and will it be made an option?
HOW DO I TURN IT OFF?!
2010 had an almost identical view option called Full Screen Reading, which also screwed up formatting. Besides the name, what’s the change?
Anyway, I found out how to turn it off: http://www.dotnetmafia.com/blogs/dotnettipoftheday/archive/2012/10/03/how-to-disable-reading-view-in-word-2013-preview.aspx
What causes this behavior is Protected View. In protected mode, you cannot edit the document, so Word goes into Reading Mode. To disable Protected View, when you open a protected document go to File -> Info -> Protected View Settings. Uncheck the boxes.
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/how-to-disable-protected-view-in-microsoft-office-2010
I found that once I unchecked everything in options read-only still came up. In windows explorer if I turned off “show the preview pane” it would then open without read-only.
Go to File –> Options
In the General tab, uncheck “Open e-mail attachments and other editable files in reading view”
Documents should (for the most part) open in Print view (i.e. the normal Word view).
Go to File –> Options
In the General tab, uncheck “Open e-mail attachments and other editable files in reading view”
Documents should (for the most part) open in Print view.
Reading mode sucks…
fantastic, thank you, your tip was perfect
If you accidentally hit “read mode” or you are in it, go to “view” at the top and select “edit document” and you will be out of read mode and back to the normal Word you are used to looking at.
When I go to “view” at the top of the screen there is no “edit document” available . What am I doing wrong?
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Can’t print Word docs, read mode only, want them out of this. Went to Properties but did not see uncheck Read Only box.
Thank you :)
Doesn’t work in 2016. The box was not ticked in the first place. When I opened the document again, it appears in Reading Mode. None of the obvious keys, e.g., Esc, Backspace, Delete, turn reading mode off. No doubt it is an obscure keyboard shortcut!