iOS 12 Safari Reader Mode Themes and Settings

Apple’s iOS 12 refined Safari’s Reader Mode, giving users a distraction-free environment to read web articles with customizable visual themes, font adjustments, and automated viewing rules. This guide outlines the specific appearance themes, typography options, and automated display settings available in Safari Reader under iOS 12.

Visual Themes in Reader Mode

When Reader Mode is activated in iOS 12 by tapping the four-line icon on the left side of the address bar, tapping the "aA" icon on the right opens the appearance menu. iOS 12 provides four distinct background themes designed for various lighting environments:

  • White: The standard layout featuring a crisp, pure white background with dark gray text, designed for bright daylight reading.
  • Sepia: A warm, cream-colored background with brown-toned text that reduces harsh blue light and eye strain during extended daytime reading.
  • Gray: A muted, slate-gray backdrop paired with light text, intended for medium-to-low light indoor conditions.
  • Night: A deep black background paired with high-contrast white text, designed for dark environments and optimized to save battery life on OLED screens such as the iPhone X, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.

Typography and Sizing Controls

In addition to color themes, the iOS 12 Reader menu provides direct control over text rendering:

  • Font Scaling: Two dedicated buttons—a smaller "A" and a larger "A"—allow readers to dynamically scale text sizes up or down without breaking page layout.
  • Font Selection: Users can choose between eight built-in typefaces to match their reading preferences:
    • Sans-serif options: San Francisco (system default) and Seravek.
    • Serif options: Athelas, Charter, Georgia, Iowan, Palatino, and Times New Roman.

Automated Reader Options

iOS 12 includes settings that remember reader preferences across browsing sessions:

  • Use on [Website Domain]: Toggling this option forces Safari to automatically open all eligible articles from that specific domain in Reader Mode.
  • Use on All Websites: Located in Settings > Safari > Reader, this global toggle automatically strips ads and clutter from every supported webpage across the web.
  • Persistent Styling: Safari automatically saves your chosen font and background theme, applying those selections to every subsequent article viewed in Reader Mode until manually changed.