Here's how to focus while reading: put your phone out of sight, decide why you're reading before you start, and work in short chunks with breaks. Read actively by marking key ideas and summarizing each section in your own words. For important informational texts, paper may give you an edge over a screen.
Reading asks for steady attention, with nothing flashing or moving to hold you there. That makes it easy for your mind to drift, and easy for your phone to win.
Even a phone you don't touch can pull you away. In a 2015 study from Florida State University, phone notifications alone significantly disrupted performance on an attention-demanding task, even when people didn't interact with their phones. The researchers noted that notifications can prompt task-irrelevant thoughts, or mind wandering, and the distraction was comparable in size to actively using a phone for calls or texts.
Checking messages between pages adds up too. Research described by the American Psychological Association found that people lose time every time they switch tasks, and lose more when the material is complex or unfamiliar, which describes a lot of serious reading.
Put your phone in another room, or at least out of sight with notifications silenced.
Pick one reading spot with good light and a comfortable, upright seat.
Close other tabs if you're reading on a screen.
Keep a pen and paper nearby for notes and for parking stray thoughts.
Choose your sound. Some people read best in silence, others with low background noise. Notice which works for you.
The Learning Center at UNC Chapel Hill suggests considering your purpose for reading and what you need to understand, know or do afterward. Reading for a multiple-choice exam calls for detail, like keywords, definitions and dates. Reading for a discussion or an essay calls for main points and how ideas connect.
Then preview. Glance through the headings, diagrams, bolded words and summaries, and consider reading the introduction and conclusion first. Predict what the section will cover. Now your brain knows what it's looking for.
UNC's Learning Center says research shows you retain more when you actively engage with a text, rather than reading and rereading without a clear purpose. Try these:
Annotate instead of highlighting everything. Make a simple key, for example a star for key ideas, a question mark for unclear parts, a box for new words and an arrow for connections.
Summarize small sections. After a few paragraphs, a page or a section under one heading, write the main point and two or three key details in your own words.
Ask questions as you go. Who is the intended audience? What is the author trying to show? What would you ask them?
Catch the drift. As soon as you notice your mind wandering, stop. Ask what you need: a break, a more active approach, a change of place, or hearing the text aloud. Before you start again, summarize the last part you remember so you know where to pick up.
Don't try to read everything in one sitting. UNC's example: if you have five days to read twenty pages, read four pages a night. If you only have one night, read four pages and then take a fifteen-minute break to rest your mind and move your body. It says taking breaks while reading improves focus, motivation, understanding and retention.
Example 60-minute reading session (an example only, so adjust the lengths to suit you):
5 minutes: Preview the chapter and write down your purpose.
20 minutes: Read and annotate the first section.
5 minutes: Write a short summary, then stand up and stretch.
20 minutes: Read and annotate the next section.
10 minutes: Summarize, then cover your notes and explain the main ideas out loud.
For longer study sessions, see our sister site's guide on how to concentrate while studying.
If you've ever felt you understand things better on paper, research partly backs you up. A 2018 meta-analysis pooled 54 studies published from 2000 to 2017, with more than 171,000 participants. Overall, people understood texts somewhat better when they read on paper than on a screen. A few details stood out:
The paper advantage was bigger when people read under time pressure than when they read at their own pace.
It held for informational texts, but not in studies that used only stories and other narrative texts.
Surprisingly, the paper advantage grew over the years studied.
What to do with that: for dense or important reading, like textbooks, reports or contracts, print it if you can, and don't rush. If paper isn't an option, UNC's Learning Center suggests making reading breaks an even higher priority, adjusting your screen, and choosing your reading time carefully to avoid eye strain or headaches. For stories and novels, the meta-analysis found no clear paper advantage.
If you've always found reading hard, or trouble focusing affects school, work or daily life, talk to a doctor, teacher or other professional who can help work out what's going on.
Common reasons include a phone nearby, no clear purpose, reading too long without a break, and being tired. Reading passively, without notes or questions, also makes it easier for your mind to wander.
When you notice your mind drifting, stop. Summarize the last part you remember in a sentence, then restart from there. If it keeps happening, take a short break or switch to a more active method like annotating.
For informational texts, a large 2018 meta-analysis found a modest advantage for paper, especially when reading under time pressure. For stories, it found no clear difference.
There's no single rule. Try 20 to 25 minutes followed by a short break, and adjust. UNC's Learning Center gives the example of reading four pages, then taking a fifteen-minute break.
If you like timed reading blocks, Attention Age: Focus Test has a focus timer with free 10- and 25-minute sessions (45- and 90-minute sessions are in Pro), with a Lock Screen Live Activity and optional ambient sounds, so you can start a session and turn the phone face down. It also offers a free daily 20-second challenge and a five-minute attention test, presented as entertainment and self-practice, not a medical or diagnostic test. No account is needed, results stay on your iPhone and there are no ads.
Get Attention Age free on the App Store
Reading Comprehension Tips (The Learning Center, UNC Chapel Hill)
Multitasking: Switching costs (American Psychological Association)