Reading Mask Bar

Tracking since Apr 18, 2026.

Changelog

• May 16, 2026
  description

  # Reading Mask Bar — Chrome & Edge Extension
  
  Reading Mask Bar keeps your place by dimming everything below your current line. Instead of highlighting text, it hides what’s underneath so your eyes focus on the line where the bar’s top edge sits.  A focus window option is available to view the text in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  
  ## Features
  
  - **Focus mask**: a horizontal bar that darkens/hides content below your current line; move it up/down as you read.
  - **Focus window**: a transparent reading strip in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  - **Read aloud (Text-to-Speech)**: spatially-aware narration that reads the text visible inside the focus strip.
  - **Percent indicator + bar**: shows how far down the document the bar’s top edge is, with a visual progress bar.
  - **Adjustable height**: set the bar height as a percentage of the viewport.
  - **Lock/unlock**: lock the bar in place while you scroll, or unlock to reposition freely.
  - **Custom appearance**: choose color and opacity; settings persist automatically.
  - **Timer**: optional countdown with pause/play controls and completion sound.
  - **History + word cloud**: view the last 20 pages you read and generate a word cloud from titles/headings; supports JSON export.
  - **Magnifier**: zoom the page while the bar stays fixed to help with small text.
  - **Word lookup**: lock the bar and click any word to see a definition immediately.
  - **Accessibility**: full keyboard support, focus trapping, and screen-reader announcements (ARIA Live).
  
  ## Use Cases
  
  - **Staying on the right line** in long articles.
  - **Tracking dense technical docs** without losing your spot.
  - **Reducing visual clutter** by covering everything below your focus line.
  - **Audio-visual reinforcement** for users who benefit from simultaneous reading and listening.
  
  ## Usage
  
  1. Click the extension icon or press **Alt+M** to toggle the mask.
  2. Move your mouse down the page as you read. The bar follows your cursor.
  3. Click the bar to **lock** it in place. Click **Unlock** to release.
  4. Open **Settings** (gear icon) on the bar to enable the timer, magnifier, history, focus window, or read-aloud.
  5. While locked, click any word to see its definition if word lookup is enabled.
  
  ## Privacy
  
  No data is collected, stored, or sent anywhere. All behavior runs locally in your browser; settings and history are saved with browser storage only.
  
  ## Permissions
  
  Only what’s needed to draw the mask on webpages and store local settings. No access to browsing history or personal information.
  
  ## Developer Info
  
  - **Build**: `npm run build`
  - **Structure**: Vite-built, Manifest V3, Vanilla JS/CSS.
  - **Source**: `src/content.js` (main logic), `src/contentModules/` (feature controllers).

  # Reading Mask Bar — Chrome & Edge Extension
  
  Reading Mask Bar has 3 modes - normal, focus mode, and full mask mode. In normal mode keeps your place by dimming everything below your current line. Instead of highlighting text, it hides what’s underneath so your eyes focus on the line where the bar’s top edge sits.  In focus mode it uses a transparent strip to view the text in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable. In full mask mode, the entire page is dimmed except for the focus strip.
  
  ## Features
  
  - **Focus mask bar- normal mode**: a horizontal bar that darkens/hides content below your current line; move it up/down as you read.
  - **Focus window - focus mode**: a transparent reading strip in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  - **Full mask - full mask mode**: a transparent reading strip in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  - **Read aloud (Text-to-Speech)**: spatially-aware narration that reads the text visible inside the focus strip.
  - **Percent indicator + bar**: shows how far down the document the bar’s top edge is, with a visual progress bar.
  - **Adjustable height**: set the bar height as a percentage of the viewport.
  - **Lock/unlock**: lock the bar in place while you scroll, or unlock to reposition freely.
  - **Custom appearance**: choose color and opacity; settings persist automatically.
  - **Timer**: optional countdown with pause/play controls and completion sound.
  - **History + word cloud**: view the last 20 pages you read and generate a word cloud from titles/headings; supports JSON export.
  - **Magnifier**: zoom the page while the bar stays fixed to help with small text.
  - **Word lookup**: lock the bar and click any word to see a definition immediately.
  - **Accessibility**: full keyboard support, focus trapping, and screen-reader announcements (ARIA Live).
  
  ## Use Cases
  
  - **Staying on the right line** in long articles.
  - **Tracking dense technical docs** without losing your spot.
  - **Reducing visual clutter** by covering everything below your focus line.
  - **Audio-visual reinforcement** for users who benefit from simultaneous reading and listening.
  
  ## Usage
  
  1. Click the extension icon or press **Alt+M** to toggle the mask.
  2. Move your mouse down the page as you read. The bar follows your cursor.  Use the mouse scroll wheel or arrow keys to scroll the page while keeping the bar in the same position.
  3. Click the bar to **lock** it in place. Click **Unlock** to release.
  4. Open **Settings** (gear icon) on the bar to enable the timer, magnifier, history, focus window, or read-aloud.
  5. While locked, click any word to see its definition if word lookup is enabled.  Click exit button to close the definition window.
  6. Use the timer controls on the bar to start, pause, resume, or stop the timer. 
  
  ## Privacy
  
  No data is collected, stored, or sent anywhere. All behavior runs locally in your browser; settings and history are saved with browser storage only.
  
  ## Permissions
  
  Only what’s needed to draw the mask on webpages and store local settings. No access to browsing history or personal information.

• Apr 23, 2026
  description

  Reading Mask Bar keeps your place by dimming everything below your current line. Instead of highlighting text, it hides what’s underneath so your eyes focus on the line where the bar’s top edge sits.
  
  Features
    • Focus mask: a horizontal bar that darkens/hides content below your current line; move it up/down as you read.
    • Percent indicator + bar: shows how far down the document the bar’s top edge is, with a visual progress bar.
    • Adjustable height: set the bar height as a percentage of the viewport.
    • Lock/unlock: lock the bar in place while you scroll, or unlock to reposition freely.
    • Custom appearance: choose color and opacity; settings persist automatically.
    • Timer: optional countdown with pause/play controls.
    • History + word cloud: view the last 20 pages you read and generate a word cloud from titles/headings.
    • Magnifier: zoom the page while the bar stays fixed to activate.
    • Word lookup: lock the bar and click any word to see a definition.
  
    Use Cases
    • Staying on the right line in long articles.
    • Tracking dense technical docs without losing your spot.
    • Reducing visual clutter by covering everything below your focus line.
  
    Privacy
    No data is collected, stored, or sent anywhere. All behavior runs locally in your browser; settings are saved with browser storage only.
  
    Permissions
    Only what’s needed to draw the mask on webpages and store local settings. No access to browsing history or personal information.

  # Reading Mask Bar — Chrome & Edge Extension
  
  Reading Mask Bar keeps your place by dimming everything below your current line. Instead of highlighting text, it hides what’s underneath so your eyes focus on the line where the bar’s top edge sits.  A focus window option is available to view the text in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  
  ## Features
  
  - **Focus mask**: a horizontal bar that darkens/hides content below your current line; move it up/down as you read.
  - **Focus window**: a transparent reading strip in the center of the bar for isolated focus; height is fully adjustable.
  - **Read aloud (Text-to-Speech)**: spatially-aware narration that reads the text visible inside the focus strip.
  - **Percent indicator + bar**: shows how far down the document the bar’s top edge is, with a visual progress bar.
  - **Adjustable height**: set the bar height as a percentage of the viewport.
  - **Lock/unlock**: lock the bar in place while you scroll, or unlock to reposition freely.
  - **Custom appearance**: choose color and opacity; settings persist automatically.
  - **Timer**: optional countdown with pause/play controls and completion sound.
  - **History + word cloud**: view the last 20 pages you read and generate a word cloud from titles/headings; supports JSON export.
  - **Magnifier**: zoom the page while the bar stays fixed to help with small text.
  - **Word lookup**: lock the bar and click any word to see a definition immediately.
  - **Accessibility**: full keyboard support, focus trapping, and screen-reader announcements (ARIA Live).
  
  ## Use Cases
  
  - **Staying on the right line** in long articles.
  - **Tracking dense technical docs** without losing your spot.
  - **Reducing visual clutter** by covering everything below your focus line.
  - **Audio-visual reinforcement** for users who benefit from simultaneous reading and listening.
  
  ## Usage
  
  1. Click the extension icon or press **Alt+M** to toggle the mask.
  2. Move your mouse down the page as you read. The bar follows your cursor.
  3. Click the bar to **lock** it in place. Click **Unlock** to release.
  4. Open **Settings** (gear icon) on the bar to enable the timer, magnifier, history, focus window, or read-aloud.
  5. While locked, click any word to see its definition if word lookup is enabled.
  
  ## Privacy
  
  No data is collected, stored, or sent anywhere. All behavior runs locally in your browser; settings and history are saved with browser storage only.
  
  ## Permissions
  
  Only what’s needed to draw the mask on webpages and store local settings. No access to browsing history or personal information.
  
  ## Developer Info
  
  - **Build**: `npm run build`
  - **Structure**: Vite-built, Manifest V3, Vanilla JS/CSS.
  - **Source**: `src/content.js` (main logic), `src/contentModules/` (feature controllers).

• Apr 23, 2026
  short_description

  A reading focus bar that follows your mouse to block text below your current line, reducing distractions and improving reading flow.

  A focus bar with a transparent reading strip and Read Aloud (TTS) to reduce distractions and improve reading flow.

Permissions & access

Permissions

scriptingactiveTabstoragehistory

Host access

None declared

Screenshots

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