Reading Modes
Reading Modes control how articles are displayed in your river, from quick headlines to full excerpts with progress tracking.
Three Modes
Current offers three reading modes, each designed for different contexts and reading styles:
Skim Mode
Headlines only, minimal white space. Perfect for quickly scanning what's new.
- Shows article titles and source
- Thumbnails visible for visual context
- Compact vertical spacing
- Best for: Quick checks, high-volume scanning
Read Mode
Titles plus excerpts with comfortable spacing. The balanced default for most readers.
- Shows title, source, and excerpt
- Thumbnails visible
- Medium vertical spacing
- Best for: Regular reading, daily use
Study Mode
Long excerpts with progress tracking and resume indicators. For deep, focused reading.
- Shows extended excerpts
- "You were here" resume seam indicator
- Generous spacing for focus
- Best for: Long-form content, research, careful reading
Changing Reading Mode
- Go to Settings
- Find Reading Depth under the Reading section
- Select Skim, Read, or Study
Your choice applies to the entire river. You can change modes anytime based on your current context.
When to Use Each Mode
Skim
- Morning catch-up when time is limited
- Scanning for breaking news
- When you have many subscriptions
- Quick check between tasks
Read
- Daily reading sessions
- Balanced mix of content types
- When you want context before opening articles
- General-purpose reading
Study
- Weekend long-form reading
- Research and learning
- Following complex topics
- When you want to read deeply
Mode Features
Thumbnails
All modes can show thumbnails when available. In Skim mode, thumbnails provide visual context for quick recognition. In Study mode, they're less prominent to keep focus on the text.
Progress Indicators
Study mode shows reading progress on articles you've started. The "You were here" seam indicator helps you resume exactly where you left off.
Excerpt Length
- Skim: No excerpts
- Read: 2-3 sentence excerpts
- Study: Extended excerpts (paragraph or more)
Relationship to Flow Depth
Reading Mode (how articles display) is separate from Flow Depth (how many articles appear). You can combine any reading mode with any flow depth:
- Skim + Surge = Scan lots of headlines quickly
- Read + Normal = Balanced everyday reading
- Study + Quiet = Deep focus on fewer articles
See Flow Depth for more on controlling content volume.