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Twitter tests using iOS's Reader mode to combat mobile ads

Under the test, clicking on any link in Twitter's mobile app would take you to the streamlined Reader version of a website.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
Roger Cheng

It appears Twitter is as sick of mobile ads as you are.

The company is testing out using the "Reader" mode found on Apple iOS's Safari browser whenever you click on a link on the Twitter mobile app, Twitter confirmed Tuesday to CNET. Instead of going to the regular mobile web, you would see the streamlined Reader version, which strips out graphics and, most importantly, ads.

Reader mode has long been a part of the Safari browser on your iPhone -- even if you never use it. It appears Twitter wants to employ it as its default mobile experience in an effort to combat spammy ads that pop up on the mobile web, which Twitter has no control over. These aren't ads that appear on Twitter per se, but ones that pop up when you click on outside links posted in tweets.

The Guardian reported Monday that the test was rolled out to a small number of users, including one reporter from the publication.

While the use of Reader could lead to a simpler experience for users, it will likely come as a source of worry for media companies and websites that depend on ads for revenue. It's part of a broader backlash against the ad industry, a movement that has seen the rise in popularity of ad blockers on mobile and PC browsers.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

First published, November 1 at 6:55 a.m. PT.
Update, 8:50 a.m. PT: Twitter's confirmation added.