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How to Use the Line Focus on Any Website

Learn how to use line focus on any website. Highlight one line at a time for better reading Support accessibility for everyone.

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  • features
  • reading

What is Line Focus?

Line Focus (also called Focus Ruler) creates a spotlight effect on the line you are reading. It dims everything on the page except for one strip of text, making it much easier to concentrate.

Think of it like shining a flashlight on just one line while the rest of the page fades into the background. This helps reduce visual clutter and keeps your attention on the text you are reading.


Who is This For?

This feature is helpful for:

  • People with dyslexia who get distracted by surrounding text
  • Anyone with ADHD or attention difficulties
  • People who find busy web pages overwhelming
  • Students who need to focus while studying
  • Anyone who wants to reduce visual distractions while reading

Step 1: Open Helperbird

Click the Helperbird icon in your browser toolbar. It looks like a small owl and is usually in the top-right corner of your browser.

This will open the Helperbird menu.

The Helperbird popup with Helperbird switched on, showing the quick actions grid and the All Features button


Step 2: Open the All Features Section

Scroll down to the bottom of the Helperbird menu. You will see a section called All Features.

Click the arrow next to All Features to expand it and show all available features.

The All Features list in the Helperbird popup, showing every feature in alphabetical order


Step 3: Find Dyslexia Support

Look through the list of features until you see Dyslexia support.

It has a purple icon with a brain symbol on it.

The All Features list scrolled to show the Dyslexia support row and its Open button


Step 4: Open Dyslexia Support

Click on Dyslexia support to open it.

A panel will appear with three toggles: Dyslexia ruler, Focus ruler and Reading guide, with a Settings section below them.

The Focus ruler toggle is the one you need for Line Focus.

The Dyslexia support panel open in the Helperbird popup, showing the Line focus control


Step 5: Turn on Line Focus

In the panel, look for Focus ruler (also called Line Focus).

Click the toggle switch next to it to turn it on. The toggle will turn green when it is enabled.

The page will immediately dim except for a strip of text where you can focus.

The Line focus toggle switched on in the Helperbird popup


Step 6: Customize the Focus

To adjust how the line focus looks, scroll to the Settings section below the toggles in the same panel.

Here you can change the size, color, and opacity of the focus area.

The Line focus options shown after the toggle is switched on


Focus Settings

In the Settings section, you can customize the following:

  • Height - Adjust how tall the focused reading area is. Make it taller to see more lines or shorter to focus on just one line.

  • Color - Choose the color of the dimmed area around your focus strip. Darker colors create more contrast.

  • Opacity - Adjust how dark the dimmed area is. Higher opacity makes the surrounding area darker.

Tip: For the best reading experience, use a dark mask color with a higher opacity. The focus area follows your mouse automatically, creating a spotlight effect as you read down the page.


Video Tutorial


Need Additional Help?

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please contact the Helperbird support team. You can reach us at Helperbird support. We are happy to help you get the most out of Helperbird.

Reviews from the Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons and G2

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this extension is amazing and has helped improve my productivity robert has also been a very nice person to deal with when I have issues the live chat feature is amazing and quick for a response it's a really great Chrome extension that helps a lot way worth the money I pay per month and is also just great to support great people making accessibility tools
Jack SalemHelperbird user

an absolute lifesaver

This extension has been an absolute lifesaver. I have that fantastic combo of ADHD and Dyslexia while trying to go through college. I have difficulty keeping letters in order, seeing the gaps between words, and with ADHD on top, I lose focus A LOT. The immersive reader has been my new best friend. It drowns out the rest of the content on the page, changes the font to something I can read, and highlights the word as it reads to me. My eyes are forced to keep going in the right direction. I can slow down and pay attention to what I'm reading. I don't even have to go back and read the same paragraph 5 times to understand it! The screen overlay has been outstanding for eye strain and being able to distinguish between words and spaces. The custom font and spacing for research articles have been an enormous advantage! I can actually read the research papers now and not have this daunting 2 column fine print page to squint over.All around, this has been the best purchase I've ever had. I use this every day, with every assignment. I don't even struggle with story-based questions anymore. The immersive reader helps me read, listen, and understand the question all at once. I am still exploring what I can use this with and how it can make my academic career, and I keep getting impressed with every new way I find to use it. Seriously, try it out. You won't regret it at all. Even if you don't have dyslexia or ADHD, just try it out. You might find that it helps you understand the content you're trying to learn even better!
Mason HunterHelperbird user

add sticky notes and highlight im...

Helperbird helps enhance my studying and research efforts by allowing me to add sticky notes and highlight important stuff on websites, or e-books. I can also easily remember to read articles later.
Jared B.Marketing Director
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