Is reading books on your phone OK?

Quick answer

A reader asked if reading only on their phone was cheating. The replies were nearly unanimous: reading is reading. One person added the honest catch: on a phone, two pages of a book can turn into thirty minutes of something else.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

Open 125x

Where the worry is wrong

A book is a book on any screen.
Reading on your phone beats scrolling on it.
Library apps put thousands of books in your pocket.

The real catch

Notifications pull you out mid-page.
Muscle memory takes you to other apps.
Bright screens late at night aren't ideal.

Read better on your phone

Turn on Do Not Disturb while you read.
Put the reading app where a social app used to be.
Bump up text size and turn on dark or sepia mode at night.
Or try an e-reader. See Kindle vs paper books.

FAQ: questions people ask

Does reading on your phone count as reading?

Yes. The format doesn't change the book.

Is reading on a phone bad for focus?

Notifications are the main problem. Do Not Disturb helps.

Should I get an e-reader instead?

If your phone keeps pulling you into other apps, an e-reader can help.