In Summary
- Bionic reading is an innovative technology developed to help us read and understand texts, documents, or websites.
- It provides a distraction-free digital environment and guides our eyes through the highlighted parts of the text.
- Bionic Reading is available as a web extension for Chrome, as a web app for any device or web browser, and as an app for Android and iOS devices.
We read a lot on our devices and not in physical books. How long it takes to read something depends on the person reading the content. To make reading a quick affair, there is an innovative technique called Bionic Reading.
Bionic Reading promises to combine the power of human cognition with the power of digital tools to make reading faster and easier.
In this guide, we explain what Bionic Reading is and how we can enable it on our devices.
Table of Contents
What Is Bionic Reading
Bionic reading is an innovative method of reading. It uses artificial fixation points to guide the eyes through the text. The goal of bionic reading is to make reading faster, better, and more focused in this hectic world with its many distractions.
The word “bionic” is made up of two words: Bios and Technology. Bios means life. Bionic reading technology uses the human brain and combines it with technology, making it bionic reading. Bionic reading was developed by Renato Casutt, a typographic designer from Switzerland.
When you activate Bionic Reading for your text, the text is revised, and the important parts of the text are concisely highlighted. As you read through it, your brain can more easily remember the words you have learned.
Bionic Reading guides your eyes through the highlighted sections of text. The technology combines fixation, saccade, and opacity to create visual stimuli that change the visual surface of the content.
People with Dyslexia (a learning disorder that makes reading difficult) find the bionic reading technology very helpful to their reading and learning process. They seem to understand the text they read with the bionic technology the first time.
Advantages of Bionic Reading
The following are some of the biggest advantages of Bionic reading.
- Increased reading speed: Bionic reading technology makes reading easier by guiding our eyes through the highlighted text. This shortens the time we need to read and understand the content and increases reading speed.
- Improved comprehension: Bionic Reading is designed to help us read the text faster and understand it better in less time. It involves highlighting the important parts of the text and guiding our eyes through the highlighted text to understand and retain it quickly.
- Personalized Reading: Bionic reading technology has a variety of customization features that make it easier for users to enhance their reading experience. We can adjust fonts, background colors, and brightness levels to suit our individual preferences and increase reading comfort.
How to Enable Bionic Reading on Google Chrome and Other Browsers
Enabling Bionic Reading in Google Chrome is a piece of cake. All you need to do is install a Bionic Reading extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Open Google Chrome on your PC and go to the Bionic reading extension page.
- Click on Add to Chrome.
- When prompted, select Add Extension to add the Bionic Reading extension to Google Chrome. The extension is automatically downloaded and installed in Chrome.
Now open a web page that you normally read. Once you are on a web page with text you want to read, click the Bionic Reading extension in the toolbar.
The web page will then be converted into an easy-to-read page using Bionic Reading technology. You can customize the appearance, download the page, or report an error by using the options displayed on the page.
How to Enable Bionic Reading on Android and iOS
You can enable Bionic Reading on your Android or iOS device by installing the Bionic Reading app. The Bionic Reading app is available on the Google Play Store for Android devices and Apple App Store for iOS devices.
Once you install the Bionic Reading app on your Android or iOS device, you can use it in three ways.
You can either copy/paste the text you want to read into the text area of the Bionic Reading app, open a document (formats .docx, .epub, .rtf, .rtfd, and .txt) up to 40 MB in size, or enter a website link. Then tap Process to enhance your text with bionic technology.
Above the processed text in the Bionic Reading app, you’ll see options to customize or download if you want to adjust the appearance or download the enhanced text to your device.
Related Read: Chrome Reader Mode for Android: How to Enable Simplified View
How to Use Bionic Reading on Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Other Browsers
The bionic reading extension is currently only available for Google Chrome. If you are using a web browser such as Firefox, Edge, Opera, or another, you can use the bionic reading technology as a web app. Just head to the Bionic reading website and start using it to read your text, documents, or websites.
There are some unofficial extensions or add-ons for other browsers that are not recommended, as they may not include the latest features or options for customization. Or they may even pose a privacy problem, as third parties can read your data.
Related Read: How to Enable Reader Mode on Chrome and Read Distraction-Free
Read and Understand Text Faster with Bionic Reading
Bionic Reading is known to improve the reading process by guiding our eyes through the important parts of the text and making it easy for us to remember the text. It depends on the person and how fast or slow they can read.
The speed can vary and can be improved with the Bionic Reading tool’s customization options. If you have large amounts of content to read, Bionic Reading can make it easier and faster.
FAQs on Bionic Reading Tools
How do I use bionic reading?
Bionic reading is known to improve the reading process and make comprehension and memorization easier. You can use bionic reading technology as a web extension for Google Chrome, as an app for Android and iOS, or as a web app for a browser of your choice. You can use Bionic Reading Technology to read texts, documents, and websites.
Is Bionic Reading free?
Yes, the basic version of Bionic Reading is free. You can download the app or extension for free and use it to apply bionic reading to any text you're reading. However, there are also premium versions of the app and extension that offer additional features, such as the ability to customize the highlighting and the ability to export your text in bionic reading format.
How does bionic reading work?
Bionic reading works by using an algorithm that identifies the most important parts of a word and highlights them. The algorithm takes into account the frequency of letters, the length of words, and the context of the text. The highlighted parts of the word are called "fixations."
What are the drawbacks of using bionic reading?
There are a few potential drawbacks of using bionic reading, including:
- Not everyone finds it helpful: Some people find that bionic reading doesn't help them to read faster or more efficiently.
- Can be distracting: For some people, the highlighting can be distracting and make it harder to focus on the text.
- Not all texts are compatible: Bionic reading doesn't work well with all types of text, such as poetry or code.
Does Bionic Reading really work?
The effectiveness of bionic reading is still being debated. Some studies have shown that it can help to improve reading speed and comprehension, while others have found no significant effects. More research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of bionic reading.