Not quite sure if I’m posting at the right place. I would normally be posting this on the Reddit r/Firefox channel. Anyhow, here goes.

I’m trying to get Firefox’s Reader View function to work with Outlook Web Emails. It doesn’t work on my end and I was wondering if it’s perhaps because of a setting or another Add-On I’m using that might interfere with this function. On a side note, I tested another Reader Extensions via the Brave Browser. It seems to work when I’m viewing the overall Emails in the Inbox, but it still doesn’t work with an opened Email. Microsoft never ceases to amaze… but anyhow, micro-rant aside, has anyone encountered this behavior? Are there any workarounds?

Here’s my initial post on the Mozilla Help forum. I figured I’d try my luck here. Cheers!
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1417473

#firefox

  • @YellowtoOrangeEnglish
    7•1 year ago

    I don’/t know what you’re talking about, but I threw your query at some AI chats, and perhaps they can help you:

    CLAUDE+ AI: It sounds like the Reader View function in Outlook Web is not working properly for you. Here are some things to try:

    1. Make sure Reader View is enabled in Outlook Web. Go to Settings > Reading > “Show an introduction with formatted text and images”. Make sure this is toggled on. If it’s already on, try toggling it off and back on again.

    2. Check if there are any browser extensions interfering with Reader View. Sometimes ad blockers or tracking prevention extensions can block parts of the Outlook Web interface. Try disabling any extensions you have and see if Reader View starts working. If it does, you may need to adjust the extension settings to allow Outlook Web.

    3. Do a hard refresh of the Outlook Web page. Press Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + Shift + R to do a hard refresh. This will clear the browser cache and reload the latest version of the page. Sometimes a hard refresh can resolve issues with web interfaces not loading properly.

    4. Try using Reader View in a different browser. If Reader View works in other browsers like Chrome, Edge or Safari, it may indicate an issue with Firefox that is causing the problem. You can report the issue to Mozilla Firefox for troubleshooting.

    5. Check for any available updates. Make sure you have the latest version of Firefox and also check for any available updates to Outlook Web. Updating to the newest versions can often fix bugs and issues.

    6. Report the issue to Microsoft Support. If all else fails, you may need to report the problem to Microsoft, as there could be an issue on their end preventing Reader View from working properly in Outlook Web. They should be able to look into it and hopefully resolve the issue.

    ChatGPT4:

    Here are a few suggestions that might help:

    • Clear Cache and Cookies: Sometimes, the browser cache and cookies can cause issues with certain functionalities. Clearing them might resolve the issue.

    • Disable Add-Ons: Some add-ons might interfere with the functionality of certain websites. Try disabling all add-ons and see if the Reader View function works. If it does, you can enable the add-ons one by one to identify which one is causing the issue.

    • Update Firefox: Make sure you’re using the latest version of Firefox. Updates often include bug fixes that might resolve your issue.

    • Try a Different Browser: If the issue persists, try using a different browser to see if the problem is specific to Firefox.

    • Contact Support: If none of the above solutions work, it might be a good idea to contact Firefox or Outlook support for further assistance.

    Regarding the issue with Firefox’s “Enhanced Tracking Protection”, it’s designed to block trackers that could affect your privacy, but sometimes it might interfere with the functionality of certain websites. If disabling it makes the extensions work, it might be that the extensions are being blocked by this feature. You can try adding Outlook Web to the list of exceptions in the Enhanced Tracking Protection settings.

    As for the about:config settings, it’s generally not recommended to change them unless you’re sure about what you’re doing, as it could affect the browser’s functionality. The setting you mentioned (browser.link.open_newwindow.restriction = 0) is used to control where new windows open, but it shouldn’t affect the functionality of add-ons or the Reader View function.

    Bing creative:

    According to the Firefox Help page1, Reader View is a feature that strips away clutter like buttons, ads, background images, and videos while also letting you customize the layout and theme to fit your reading preferences. However, not all web pages are available in Reader View. If a page is available in Reader View, the Reader View icon will appear in the address bar. You can click on it to enter Reader View mode.

    If you don’t see the Reader View icon on Outlook Web Access (OWA) pages, it might be because OWA is not compatible with Reader View. According to the Microsoft Support page2, OWA works best with the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome. If you’re using an old browser (Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge Legacy, New Microsoft Edge<=65, Safari <=11, Mozilla Firefox< =63, Opera <=53), you’ll see the light version of OWA. Some browsers will also have problems with OWA if ad blockers or pop-up blockers are enabled.

    One possible solution is to update your Firefox browser to the latest version and disable any ad blockers or pop-up blockers that might interfere with OWA. Another possible solution is to use a different browser that supports OWA better, such as Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.

    Bard:

    I can help you with your issue with Outlook Web Reader View not working. Here are a few things you can try:

    • Check your browser’s settings. Make sure that you have enabled extensions and that they are not being blocked by your browser’s security settings. You can also try disabling your browser’s ad blocker temporarily to see if that resolves the issue.
    • Clear your browser’s cache and cookies. This can sometimes help to fix problems with websites that are not loading properly.
    • Try using a different browser. If you are using Firefox, try using Chrome or Edge to see if Reader View works in those browsers.
    • Update your browser. If you are using an outdated version of your browser, it may not be compatible with Reader View.
    • Contact Microsoft support. If you have tried all of the above and Reader View is still not working, you can contact Microsoft support for help.

    Here are some additional things to keep in mind:

    • Reader View is not available for all email messages. For example, it may not be available for messages that contain images or other embedded content.
    • Reader View may not work properly if your browser is not in full screen mode.
    • If you are using a corporate network, your IT department may have blocked Reader View.

    Hope something here helps!

  • @Desistance
    6•1 year ago

    Yes, this is the r/Firefox channel even though they don’t mention that anywhere except on Reddit and a couple of obscure places.

    You can try setting “reader.parse-on-load.force-enabled” to “true” in ‘about:config’ to force it on to use anywhere.

  • @Tolstoy
    3•1 year ago

    Hey and welcome to lemmy. Tbh I don’t know much about Firefox but the safe mode safed my butt a few times. At least you will figure out if an add-on is interfering.

  • @iconic_admin
    3•1 year ago

    Firefox is my main browser, even on my company computer. However, I still keep google chrome installed spec for this reason. I always have problems trying to use the O365 web interface with Firefox. I just do it on chrome.

  • @vimdiesel
    1•1 year ago

    I’m pretty sure there are force reader mode extensions if you don’t want to deal with about:config settings