Information overload is real. You don’t always have time to read a 5,000-word feature or juicy interview when it pops up on your Twitter feed. And even when you do have the time, you may be underground between subway stops, caught in a dead zone, or have no Wi-Fi connection.
The most reliable way to catch up on your digital reading is to make sure it’s saved and accessible for offline reading. Many apps and browsers can help you save it for later. Here’s how to download what you want and keep it readable, even without an internet connection.
Save a Web Page in Chrome
Desktop
For Chrome users on the desktop, the easiest built-in way to save a web page for offline reading is to download the page as a file. Open the three-dot menu on the top right and select More Tools > Save page as. You can also right-click anywhere on the page and select Save as or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + S in Windows or Command + S in macOS.
Chrome can save the complete web page, including text and media assets, or just the HTML text. Download the file you prefer to your computer and read the page at any time, even without an internet connection.
Android
Save a web page on the Android app by opening the three-dot menu icon and tapping the download icon up top. A banner at the bottom of the screen will tell you when the page has been made available for offline reading. Click Open to view a static version of the page. Access downloads later by opening the three-dot menu and tapping Downloads.
Chrome on iOS and iPadOS
To make an article available for offline reading within the Chrome app on iPhone or iPad, tap the Share icon (an upward-facing arrow) and select Add to Reading List. Open the browser’s three-dot menu and select Reading List to view any saved pages. Long-press a saved item until a menu pops up, then tap Open Offline Version and you’re ready to read offline.
Save a Web Page in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft’s Edge browser is powered by the same Chromium engine found in Google Chrome, so directions here will be similar. Click the three-dot ellipsis menu on the top right and select More tools > Save page as to download a file to your PC.
On Android, the process is also similar to Chrome, but the three-dot menu is in the bottom-center of the screen. Tap it, swipe up slightly, and select Download page. The download will appear at the bottom of the screen; tap Open to read. To read later, tap the three-dot menu and select Downloads. Web pages you have saved will be available to read offline automatically.
On Edge for iOS, the Reading list option appears when you tap the three-dot menu, though it was grayed out for us. Your best bet might be to tap the Share icon and Save to Pocket.
Save a Web Page in Safari
Save a web page in Safari by opening File > Save As. You can then pick between file formats Web Archive (all text and media assets) or Page Source (source text only). Choose File > Export as PDF if you need a PDF version of the article.
Safari also has a Reading List feature that allows you to save articles for offline reading. Desktop users can click the Share icon and choose Add to Reading List. Another option is Bookmarks > Add to Reading List. Once added, click the Show sidebar button in the Safari toolbar and make sure the eyeglasses icon is selected. Right-click an entry and select Save Offline.
Make sure saved articles are available for offline reading by default under Safari > Preferences > Advanced. Check the box next to Save articles for offline reading automatically.
The process works similarly on iOS and iPadOS. Tap the Share pane and choose Add to Reading List. Tap the Bookmark icon and choose the eyeglasses icon to view your reading list. Long-press the article and select Save Offline from the pop-up menu to save the article.
Set saved articles to be made available offline by default under Settings > Safari. Scroll all the way to the bottom and turn on the switch next to Automatically Save Offline.
Save a Web Page in Firefox
For offline reading with Firefox, open the hamburger menu and choose Save Page As to download the page as a file. You will have the choice to download the complete page, the HTML only, or a simple text file.
Otherwise, the desktop browser relies heavily on integration with Pocket, the save-it-later service Firefox maker Mozilla acquired in 2017. Right-click and select Save Page to Pocket to do just that, or click the Pocket icon on the top right. Content saved to Pocket is accessible via GetPocket.com or the Pocket mobile apps. Refresh Pocket to make sure what you saved appears in your account, and it will then be available to read offline.
The iOS version of Firefox has a reading list feature that allows for offline reading. Open the three-dot menu in the search bar and select Add to Reading List. Once an article has been saved, tap the hamburger menu and select Reading List. Select the article you want to open and it will be made available to you offline automatically.
On the iOS and Android Firefox apps, meanwhile, you can select Save to Pocket, too.
Extensions and Apps
Though save-it-later service Pocket is owned by Mozilla, it’s not limited to Firefox. It’s available as an official browser extension for Chrome and Safari for one-click saves, and on mobile.
Other options include the Save Page WE extension for Chrome and Firefox, which saves web pages to your computer with a single click; adjust the settings to determine how much information is saved.
For more high-powered solutions, turn to the utility software HTTrack (for Windows, Linux, and Android) or SiteSucker (for macOS and iOS). These programs can download entire website directories from a URL, letting you navigate a site while offline.
