8 Chrome Extensions To Manage Your Reading List
A playlist extension is a great choice for productivity. This is especially true for students, researchers, or anyone trying to complete a reading challenge.
Chrome has a native playlist feature, but at the time of writing it’s still in development. Don’t worry, however, there are plenty of extensions you can use in the meantime!
Reading list vs bookmarks
You might think you can just bookmark the reading online for later, but a reading list is better. Playlists allow you to mark items as read or unread without having to delete them. Many also offer options to sort your bookmarks based on their priority.
Once you start using a playlist, you won’t be able to go back to favorites. Let’s move on to the options!
Pocket is a robust and refined playlist and social app. We’ve already covered how Pocket differs from your average bookmarking tool. In addition to saving links, Pocket recommends new content and helps you share it with your friends.
When you add a page to Pocket, it recommends similar articles that you might be interested in. It also allows you to sort your pages using tags, so you don’t have to worry about losing all those extra pages.
Conveniently, Pocket works on all your devices. You can use its mobile app for Android and iOS. The apps offer additional features such as Twitter integration, a Discover feed and social media.
Choose this if …
You like to share the things you read on Twitter or want to access your reading list on all your devices.
PageMarker is a simple extension that lets you sort and take notes on your saved items. It’s great for students because you can use it as a research management tool.
To use it, create folders from the PageMarker web application, and then you can choose which one you save a new link to. Make it even easier to find with tags. You can also take notes on every page you save, choosing good quotes or important details.
Choose this if …
You read for research, or you like a well-organized library of reading materials.
Reading List 2 is a simple extension, but with a sleek design and cool features. More interestingly, Reading List 2 offers a “random” button. Try to save a lot of stuff and read a random one every day!
It doesn’t have any tags, but it does have a search system that indexes the titles of anything you record. You can also sort items by how long they’ve been on your list.
Reading List 2 displays the current number of unread articles as a notification icon. When you open a link from the extension, it is automatically removed from your reading list. This means that when you open a link, you have to read it! But you can also just add it back if you get interrupted or run out of time.
Choose this if …
You read primarily for fun and like to randomize your reading material.
Read Later is a simple yet effective reading list. Use it by right clicking on the extension icon and selecting “Save to playlist. âThis closes the tab. Then you can click the extension again to view your updated playlist.
Opening a link removes it from the list, so you better read it! You can see your read items in history, which you can turn on and off by clicking the clock icon. An X appears on the link thumbnail when you hover your mouse, so you can tap it to remove a link without reading it.
You can enable Read Later by using keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse. For example, you can use ALT + SHIFT + S to save the links. Check out the full list of shortcuts on the Read Later GitHub page.
Choose this if …
You prefer to use keyboard shortcuts instead of the mouse.
Reading the Tab Later is the least intrusive of all the playlists we reviewed. As one reviewer noted, it “does everything you need and nothing you don’t.” It doesn’t set a timer or require you to fill out a backup form, it just stores your links on the New tab page.
To use it, simply click on the extension’s pushpin icon. Your tab will remain open, but the link will be saved on Chrome New tab page, as shown above. This overwrites other extensions that modify the New Tab page, so be careful.
Choose this if …
You use the New Tab page as your home page.
Don’t be fooled by the generic name, Reading List is a feature-rich and stylish extension. It removes everything you add after a week, so if you need some motivation this will! It’s also an automated and convenient way to remove links you are no longer interested in if you tend to read things right away or not at all. Likewise, it might help with a reading challenge, although there are better options if you read eBooks.
The playlist organizes links into groups by recording date, with the most recent at the top. The playlist will not remove an item just by clicking on it. To remove a link from your list, you’ll need to tap the X that appears when you hover over it.
Finally, you can customize the name of the link when you add it. So if you tend to forget what the content of a page was, you can leave your future self a clue in the title. This is convenient because there is no tag or search function.
Choose this if …
Your links tend to accumulate. Not recommended for people who read for work or school, as the one week limit can remove an important link.
Read Later is a simple playlist app with no bells or whistles. Add a page by opening the extension and clicking “ADD. When you’ve read it, use the one-click delete feature by clicking the X next to the link.
The extension will display a âDone!â Congratulatory message. Then update your number of links to read. It displays the current total as a notification icon. If you’re the type of person who hates “unread message” notifications, this could be a great motivator!
Choose this if …
You want a minimalist extension that can add and remove links very quickly.
Snooze Tabby is a combination of tab saver and play planner. When you save a tab, you also set a playback time. It could be later in the same day or even months. When the time comes, the tab will reopen. Optionally, you can open these tabs in Focus mode, avoiding distractions.
Other features include configuring custom repeat buttons and using the Repeat page as a home page. Check out our full article on using Snooze Tabby.
Choose this if …
You appreciate the flexible hours in your reading list.
The right playlist for you
You must choose an extension that matches your reading needs. These needs may be organizing research, clearing a long playlist, or meeting deadlines. Whatever your case, we’re confident you’ll find one that matches your style!
And to make sure you finish your reading list on time, check out our recommendations for speed reading extensions!
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