If we don’t want the Google Chrome reading list and sidebar, let’s see how to remove them
On the latest versions of Google Chrome it is possible to take advantage of the Reading List to save the pages to be read later, a function already seen on other popular browsers for PC and Mac (Microsoft Edge and Safari). The Chrome reading list can be accessed by pressing the button on the icon Show sidebarpresent at the top next to the address bar on all new versions of the Google browser.
If this feature bothers us and we do not want a new useless icon next to the address bar, in the guide that follows we will show you how to remove the Reading List and Side Panel on Chrome, using special commands available in a secret browser menu. If we still want to keep a reading list without an icon, we can use some services designed for reading articles, so as not to have to open any side panel to read the articles we like.
READ ALSO -> New Bookmark Manager in Chrome on the sidebar
How to remove the Chrome Reading List
To disable the Chrome Reading List function, type in the address bar of the browser chrome://flags/then we use the integrated search engine above (called Search flags) to find the item Reading List; we can also enter the address directly chrome://flags/#read-later to immediately open the relevant item.
Once the right item has been identified, press on the drop-down menu Default present next to it and select the item Disabled. When Chrome restarts, Chrome’s Reading List will no longer be active.
How to remove the Chrome sidebar
The Chrome sidebar is new to the latest versions of the browser and allows you to quickly access the Reading List and bookmarks. This bar closely resembles the one available in Internet Explorer and many users would happily do without it.
To disable the Chrome sidebar, enter the command in the browser address bar chrome://flags/press on the dedicated search bar (Search flags) and look for the item Side panel. Also in this case we can immediately access the function by typing directly in the address bar chrome://flags/#side-panel. After finding the right item, click on the Default drop-down menu next to the menu item and, as already seen above, select the item Disabled. When requested, we restart the browser to deactivate the icon dedicated to the sidebar and thus return to the Chrome we were used to in recent years.
Replacement services for reading articles
The reading list is not a bad function after all: in it we can save the articles to read at a later time, finding them on any device on which we have installed Chrome and on which we have logged in with the Google account.
If our goal was only to make the hateful sidebar button disappear, we can still keep the reading list using a service like Feedly, useful for marking the websites we read often, creating our personal reading list.
After opening the Feedly site, click on top Login, we use google account or apple account for quick login. After logging in, we will find ourselves in the main screen of the service: press the magnifying glass icon on the side and start a search to add our favorite site or to add the topic that interests us most.
After adding we open the site or the search key in the section Feedswe identify the article we want to save and click on the icon Read Laterso as to add it to the reading list provided by the site.
To learn more, we recommend reading our guides on how to use Feedly and on best App to read the news of the day on Android and iPhone.
Conclusions
Google Chrome is still the best browser to use on a PC but lately functions have been added that make the purists of this browser turn up their noses, who want everything to remain as it is over time. The Reading List feature can be very useful in some scenarios, but its integration with the sidebar ruins everything, as the sidebar will inevitably take up screen space. If we really want to keep the reading list we use Feedly to get even more functions and monitor the news that interest us in one site.
Those who want to make other personal changes to Google Chrome invite you to read the articles at 10 extensions to customize Chrome and navigation come on how to change google wallpaper on chrome, firefox and edge.