How can I disable Webpage summarization in Safari Reader?

I would like to have the old Reader function, which presented the entire text and minimized ads. Reader now summarizes the text, cutting out 2/3 of it or so.


I have Apple Intelligence OFF in the System Settings. Looking in Safari Prefs I haven't found any reference to this Reader function.


Do we just get AI's dumbing down of content whether we want it or not? Or is there an option?


[Re-Titled By Moderator]

MacBook Pro 16″

Posted on Jan 19, 2025 4:30 PM

Reply
5 replies
Sort By: 

Jan 19, 2025 4:38 PM in response to Cynthia Cheney

Cynthia Cheney wrote:

I would like to have the old Reader function, which presented the entire text and minimized ads. Reader now summarizes the text, cutting out 2/3 of it or so.

I have Apple Intelligence OFF in the System Settings. Looking in Safari Prefs I haven't found any reference to this Reader function.

Do we just get AI's dumbing down of content whether we want it or not? Or is there an option?


click in the address bar..(?)





ref: Hide distractions when reading articles in Safari on Mac


you can submit your Apple Feedback here: Product Feedback - Apple



Reply

Jan 20, 2025 1:53 PM in response to Cynthia Cheney


To be proactive you can file a bug report / submit your Apple Feedback here:  Product Feedback - Apple





verify you are up to date—

The current stable release of Sequoia  including bug fixes,  security updates  is macOS 15.2


Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support

Keep your Mac up to date - Apple Support


Reply

Jan 20, 2025 12:09 PM in response to leroydouglas

Yes, I understand this. And I checked out the links from yourself and from PRP_53 but they do not match what I am experiencing, which is that, using the icon at the left end of the address bar, I activate Reader, and what I get is not what the old Reader gave me—the text minus ads—but a truncated version.


An article on the New Yorker site has text 10 paragraphs long and the Reader version gives the first two paragraphs only. My only 2 choices are, a 2 paragraph version or the original version with distracting items.


Most of the distractions do go away if I choose Hide Distracting Items... but then each paragraph becomes a framed item and I cannot copy that text because clicking on it labels it as a Distracting Item and it blows away in a cloud of pixels.


In summary, my question is, How can I access the old Reader which did away with distractions but presented the entire text from which I could copy a sentence or a paragraph? What is the point of the Reader choice now when it may give me only the first 2 paragraphs of the page? .


I have Apple Intelligence turned off in System Settings.

Reply

Jan 20, 2025 12:25 PM in response to Cynthia Cheney

Yes, I understand this. And I checked out the links from yourself and from PRP_53 but they do not match what I am experiencing, which is that, using the icon at the left end of the address bar, I activate Reader, and what I get is not what the old Reader gave me—the text minus ads—but a truncated version.


An article on the New Yorker site has text 10 paragraphs long and the Reader version gives the first two paragraphs only. My only 2 choices are, a 2 paragraph version or the original version with distracting items.


Most of the distractions do go away if I choose Hide Distracting Items... but then each paragraph becomes a framed item and I cannot copy that text because clicking on it labels it as a Distracting Item and it blows away in a cloud of pixels.


In summary, my question is, How can I access the old Reader which did away with distractions but presented the entire text from which I could copy a sentence or a paragraph? What is the point of the Reader choice now when it may give me only the first 2 paragraphs of the page? .


I have Apple Intelligence turned off in System Settings.


EDIT: Two new developments. Sometimes Reader works as it used to. And there is now a choice when clicking on the Reader icon at the left of the location bar, "Report Distraction Control Issue" which provides problems to choose from, one of which is that the processed text cannot be selected. So what I am experiencing is happening to others and I have now reported it.


Thanks for your responses to this.

Reply

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

How can I disable Webpage summarization in Safari Reader?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.