Read Time is a free Chrome extension to find estimated read time of web pages. Using this extension, you’ll be able to easily find out that how much time a web page (such as an article, blog, book, etc.) would take for you to read. As per the developers, it uses the Firefox readability library for calculating the read time faster. To find out the read time of any web page, all you got to do is install this extension and it will automatically calculate the time, and displays it in a small widget. The time widget is completely customizable, as you can change the alignment, size, color, etc.
One of the best features of this extension is that it apart from finding estimated read time, it also helps you toggle plain reader view mode for better readability, as it disables all the unnecessary CSS elements, ads, etc. from the web page.
Another useful feature of this extension is that it comes with an option using which you’ll be able to calculate your reading speed. But, this feature is not completely a part of this extension as it uses another website called “MyReadSpeed” to help you calculate reading speed. If you’re looking for a service to find the estimated read time of books, then you can check out the free website How Long To Read.
How to Find Estimated Read Time of Webpages:
Step 1: To get started, the first thing you need to do is install “read Time” on your Chrome browser. After that, you’ll be able to see the extension icon on your browser toolbar which can be used to toggle plain reader view mode, calculate reading speed, and access extension settings.
Step 2: Now, simply click on the extension icon and then choose “Settings”. After that, a popup dialog will appear on the “Extensions” section of Chrome settings. In the popup dialog, you need to set the reading speed where it says “Your Reading Speed in Words Per Minute”. After setting the reading speed simply hit the “Save” button and you’ll be all set to start finding estimated read time of web pages.
If you want, then you can also customize the time widget from the extension settings. You will be able to choose different widget alignment, change the widget size, and also choose different font and background colors.
Step 3: Once you’re done with the extension settings, simply browse the web page of which you want to find out the estimated read time. As soon as you do that, this extension will automatically calculate the time for you and display it in a small widget in hours, as shown below. This extension uses the reading speed which you’ve set in the extension settings for calculating the estimated read time.
Additional Features of Read Time Chrome Extension:
Toggle Plain Reader View Mode:
To toggle plain reader view mode, simply click on the extension icon and then select “Show Article Only”. As soon as you do that, it will automatically toggle the mode and remove unnecessary CSS elements, ads, etc. from the web page for better readability. This feature can come handy if you want to read any web page content in a better and distraction-free way.
Calculate Reading Speed:
This extension uses another website called “MyReadSpeed” to help you calculate your reading speed. To use this feature, click on the extension icon and choose the option “Estimate Your Reading Speed”. After that, it will redirect you to the homepage of MyReadSpeed where you’ll be able to choose sample books and then record your reading time to calculate reading speed.
My Final Verdict:
Personally, I think this extension is pretty useful for all those people who use to read articles, blogs, books, and news online. Sometimes, you might want to know that how much time you would need to read a web page (whether it’s an article, blog, or any other content) and in such cases, this extension can come handy for you. One of my favorite features of this extension is that it also comes with an option to toggle plain reader view mode for better readability.
