Browsers Windows 🟡 Intermediate

How to Enable or Disable Service-Based Extraction for Reading Mode in Microsoft Edge

Written by

Richard

Jul 13, 2026 Updated Oct 6, 2026 4 min read

How to Enable or Disable Service-based Extraction for Reading Mode in Microsoft Edge

Service-based extraction in Microsoft Edge is a browser setting that sends web page text to Microsoft servers so articles load faster in Reading Mode. It is available in Edge version 151 and newer. It controls whether cloud processing powers tools like Read aloud and Summarize.

With it on, the browser strips ads, sidebars and other clutter from a page faster. With it off, the page text stays on your PC, which is better for privacy. The trade-off is that article extraction may run slower or lose some accuracy on complicated pages.

Both changes are made in the Windows Registry, so you need an administrator account. Edge has to be version 151 or newer, or the value will have no effect. The steps are the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro, because Registry Editor is included in both.

⚡ Quick Answer

To enable service-based extraction for Reading Mode, navigate to 🗝️HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ReadingMode in the Registry Editor, create a new DWORD value named EdgeReadingModeServiceBasedExtractionEnabled, and set its data to 1. To disable it, set the same value’s data to 0.

How to Change Reading Mode Extraction Settings

Enable Service-based Extraction for Reading Mode

Use this section to turn service-based extraction on, or to turn it back on if you turned it off earlier. You do this by adding a value in the Registry Editor, the tool that lets you change low-level Windows settings . A wrong change here can cause system problems, so follow each step carefully.

Before you start, you can back up the registry. In Registry Editor, click File Export, choose a location, and save the file. If something goes wrong, double-click that file to restore the settings .

Press Win+R to open the Run box.
Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears. Registry Editor opens. If you are not an administrator, Windows asks for an admin password here.
Go to this location in the left pane, or paste it into the address bar at the top of the window:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ReadingMode
If any folder (key) in that path is missing, create it. Right-click the parent key, select New Key, type the missing name, and press Enter. Repeat until the full path exists.
Right-click the ReadingMode key in the left pane.
Select New DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.
Type the name EdgeReadingModeServiceBasedExtractionEnabled and press Enter.
Double-click the new value EdgeReadingModeServiceBasedExtractionEnabled. The Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box opens.
In the Value data field, type 1 and click OK.
Close Registry Editor.

Close all Edge windows and open Edge again so it picks up the change. If Reading Mode still behaves the same, check that the value name and data match exactly and that Edge is version 151 or newer.

Disable Service-based Extraction for Reading Mode

Use this section if you want Edge to process web pages on your own device instead of using cloud services. You stop the feature by adding or changing a value in the Registry Editor. Be careful here, because changing the wrong registry key can cause system problems.

As before, you can back up first with File Export in Registry Editor.

Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.
Type regedit and press Enter or click OK.
Click Yes if a User Account Control prompt appears. Registry Editor opens.
Go to this location in the left pane, or paste it into the address bar at the top of the window:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge\ReadingMode
If any folder (key) in that path is missing, create it. Right-click the parent key, select New Key, type the missing name, and press Enter. Repeat until the full path exists.
Right-click the ReadingMode key in the left pane.
Select New DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears in the right pane with its name ready to edit.
Type the name EdgeReadingModeServiceBasedExtractionEnabled and press Enter.
Double-click the new value EdgeReadingModeServiceBasedExtractionEnabled. The Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value box opens.
In the Value data field, type 0 and click OK.
Close Registry Editor.

Close all Edge windows and open Edge again. Reading Mode now keeps page text on your PC. Pages may take a little longer to clean up. To undo this, follow the enable steps above, or delete the value you created and restart Edge.

References:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/deployedge/microsoft-edge-policies/edgereadingmodeservicebasedextractionenabled

Summary

Edge uses cloud processing to get better extraction results in Reading Mode. Disabling the feature keeps your page data local on the machine. Administrator privileges are required for both registry changes, and a restart of Edge is needed before either one takes effect.

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Tags: #Microsoft Edge

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About the Author

Richard

Tech Writer, IT Professional

Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.

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