Disclosure: Tote makes this page, and Tote appears in the alternatives section. The Reading List steps follow Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, and we checked prices for the alternatives on October 14, 2026.
Reading List is Safari's list of pages you want to read later. It lives inside Safari, not in a separate app, which is why it is hard to find. On iOS 27 you open it from Safari's start page. Pages in it sync to your other Apple devices through iCloud, and Safari can keep copies of them for reading offline.
Where to find Reading List on iPhone
Open Safari, and then do one of the following.
- Go to your start page and tap the Reading List button. If a webpage is open, tap the Tabs button, and then tap the Add button to open a start page.
- If your tabs layout is Bottom or Top, tap the Show Bookmarks button, and then tap the Reading List button.
How to add a page to Reading List
- Open the page in Safari.
- Tap the Page Menu button, and then tap Share. If your tabs layout is Bottom or Top, tap the Share button instead.
- Tap Add to Reading List.
To save a link without opening it, touch and hold the link, and then tap Add to Reading List.
How to read Reading List offline
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Apps, and then tap Safari.
- Turn on Automatically Save Offline, below Reading List.
Turn this on before a flight. Without it, a Reading List page needs a connection to load.
How to remove a page from Reading List
In Reading List, swipe left on the page you want to remove.
What changed in iOS 27
With Apple Intelligence, Safari groups bookmarks and Reading List pages into suggested topics when three or more of them are related. Tap a topic to see thumbnails of its pages. Apple says this needs an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or an iPhone 16 model or later, and it is not available in every language or region.
Reading List or bookmarks?
Use Reading List for pages you plan to read soon and then let go. Use bookmarks for pages you will come back to for months. Bookmarks can go into folders, and Reading List cannot. Reading List can save pages for offline reading, and bookmarks cannot.
Where Reading List falls short
- It has no folders or tags. Every page lands in one list, and the list gets hard to scan once it passes a few dozen pages.
- Apple does not describe it as searchable by the text of a saved article. If you remember a detail but not the page title, you may not find the page. Our guide to searching Reading List covers what its search finds.
- It works only in Safari. Pages from Chrome and posts from TikTok or Instagram cannot go into it.
Alternatives to Safari Reading List
If Reading List has grown past what it handles well, these apps take over different parts of the job.
| App | Best for | Price (US) | Offline reading | Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instapaper | Reading saved articles in a clean view | Free; Premium $5.99 a month or $59.99 a year | Yes | Full text with Premium |
| GoodLinks | Apple-only reading with tags, no subscription required to start | $9.99 once; later features need GoodLinks Premium | Yes | Titles, tags, and summaries |
| Raindrop.io | Bookmarks in folders on every platform | Free; Pro $2.99 a month or $27.99 a year | Permanent copies with Pro | Full text with Pro |
| Tote | Safari pages kept beside screenshots and social saves | Free to download; Tote Pro is $29.99 a year after a 3-day free trial | No offline reading | Details pulled from each page and screenshot |
- Instapaper is the closest upgrade if you use Reading List to read articles. The free plan saves without limits, and Premium adds full-text search.
- GoodLinks suits people who stay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. You buy it once for $9.99 and get a year of new features, and GoodLinks Premium unlocks features released after that.
- Raindrop.io fits if you want folders and need your saves on Windows or Android too.
- Tote fits if your Reading List is mixed in with screenshots, TikToks, and Instagram posts you also want to find later. It does not do offline reading, so it does not replace Reading List for a flight.
If you moved here from Pocket, the Pocket alternatives comparison covers which apps import an old Pocket export. For long-term link libraries, see the bookmark manager comparison.
How Tote handles Safari pages
In Safari, tap Share and choose Tote. Tote saves the link and title and pulls out details from the page, such as a product name, a dish, or a city, so you can find it later by what it was about. The same search covers screenshots, TikToks, and Instagram posts you shared to Tote, and you can group saves into lists. You can still add the page to Reading List too.
Tote is free to download, and Tote Pro is $29.99 a year after a 3-day free trial.
FAQ
Where is Reading List on iPhone?
Reading List is inside Safari. On iOS 27, go to Safari's start page and tap the Reading List button. If your tabs layout is Bottom or Top, tap the Show Bookmarks button, and then tap the Reading List button.
What is Reading List on iPhone?
Reading List is a list in Safari of webpages you want to read later. It syncs through iCloud to your other Apple devices and can save pages for offline reading.
Does Safari Reading List work offline?
Yes, if you turn it on. Open Settings, tap Apps, tap Safari, and turn on Automatically Save Offline below Reading List.
What is the difference between Reading List and bookmarks?
Reading List is for pages you plan to read soon, and it can save them offline. Bookmarks are for pages you keep long term, and they can go into folders.
What is the best alternative to Safari Reading List?
Instapaper is the closest upgrade for reading articles. GoodLinks suits Apple-only readers who prefer a one-time purchase. Raindrop.io fits bookmarks across platforms, and Tote fits pages saved beside screenshots and social posts.
