Safari Reading List review

Safari Reading List is the simplest option on this list because it is already there. On a Mac you add a page from the Smart Search field or the toolbar, or Shift-click a link to save the linked page. Each item can be saved for offline reading, or you can turn on automatic offline saving in Safari's Advanced settings. You can search the list, and when you reach the end of one item you can keep scrolling to the next. With iCloud, the list stays the same on every device signed in to your account. That is close to the full feature set: there are no highlights, notes, tags, exports or archive copies, and it works only in Safari. It suits people who save a handful of pages a week and read them on Apple devices, and it is a reasonable way to test the habit before paying for an app.

Who it is for

Apple users who want nothing to install

Price

Free, built into Safari.

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Add a page from the Smart Search field, the toolbar or by Shift-clicking a link
• Save individual pages offline, or turn on automatic offline saving in Safari settings
• Search the list from the field above the page summaries
• Keep scrolling at the end of an item to read the next one
• iCloud keeps the Reading List the same on all your devices

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free and already installed with Safari
• Strength: No account beyond your Apple Account and iCloud
• Strength: Saving takes one Shift-click on a link
• Weakness: No highlights, notes or tags
• Weakness: Works only in Safari on Apple devices
• Weakness: No export, archive copies or text to speech of its own

Key facts

• Price: Free with Safari
• Offline reading: Yes, per page or automatic
• Sync: iCloud
• Platforms: Safari on Mac, iPhone and iPad

Where it ranks

Safari Reading List is No. 9 in our Best Read It Later Apps verdict.