Shortcut for Full Screen Reading View

Word includes a full-screen mode that minimizes the extraneous information (tools, menus, etc.) displayed on the screen. The normal way of switching to full-screen mode is to display the View tab of the ribbon and click Full Screen Reading in the Document Views group. (If you are using Word 2013 or a later version, click Read Mode in the Views group.) You can also click the Full Screen Reading view icon (Read Mode view icon Word 2013 or a later version) near the right side of the Status bar located at the bottom of the document window. You can exit the mode by pressing Esc.

If you prefer, you can create a shortcut to enter Full Screen Reading (Read Mode) view. To create your own shortcut, follow these steps:

1. Display the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 or a later version, display the File tab of the ribbon and then click Options) Word displays the Word Options dialog box.
2. At the left side of the dialog box click Customize (Word 2007) or Customize Ribbon (later versions of Word). (See Figure 1.)



Figure 1. The customize options of the Word Options dialog box.

3. Click the Customize button, near the bottom of the dialog box. Word displays the Customize Keyboard dialog box. (See Figure 2.)



Figure 2. The Customize Keyboard dialog box.

4. In the list of Categories, choose View Tab.
5. In the list of Commands, choose ReadingModeLayout.
6. Place the insertion point in the Press New Shortcut Key box.
7. Press the shortcut key you want to use, such as Alt+S.
8. Click Assign.
9. Close the dialog boxes.

Now you can use your shortcut key to easily activate Full Screen Reading view.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (7877) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Shortcut for Full-Screen Mode.