Focus Reader Bracket: A Reading Assistant for Dyslexia & ADHD

I've spent some time realizing an idea I've been carrying around for some years now. I never developed for Chrome extensions, and never particularly enjoyed JavaScript development, so it was always on the backburner. But with the advent of vibe coding, it became a perfect candidate for experimentation.

Introducing Focus Reader, a Chrome extension designed to help readers with dyslexia, ADHD, and other reading challenges maintain focus and comprehension while browsing. The code is on GitHub if you want to contribute: roip/chrome-extensions.

What is Focus Reader?

Focus Reader is a lightweight Chrome extension that displays a customizable reading bracket overlay on any webpage. The bracket creates a focused reading area with adjustable shading and positioning, helping users concentrate on one paragraph at a time.

Key Features

Adjustable Reading Bracket: Position and resize the focus area to match your reading comfort zone
Customizable Shading: Control the darkness and color of the surrounding shade to reduce visual distractions
Bracket Lines: Optional visual guides on the left and right to frame your reading area
Auto-Detect Layout: Automatically detect content width and adjust the bracket to fit the main article/paragraph area
Move and Adjust: Click and drag the bracket to adjust its location and size on screen
Settings Panel: In-extension controls for theme color, bracket lines toggle, and settings reset
Cross-Device Sync: Settings persist across devices via Chrome sync (optional)

Who Is It For?

Anyone who finds full-page reading overwhelming and needs a focused, adjustable reading window.

Privacy & Security

This is a simple project with privacy at its core:

All functionality runs entirely on your device
No data is sent to external servers
Only your UI settings (positions, colors, toggles) are stored locally in Chrome sync
No tracking, analytics, or third-party libraries
No page content, browsing history, or personal data is collected

How to Use

Install from the Chrome Web Store or download from GitHub
Click the extension icon or set a keyboard shortcut to toggle the bracket on/off (I like Ctrl+Shift+F)
Adjust the bracket position and height:
- Use the drag handles to move and resize manually
- Use keyboard shortcuts for quick adjustments
- Click the settings icon to open settings and customize colors/toggles
Auto-Detect (optional): The extension can detect paragraph boundaries and auto-fit the bracket to content width

Repository

Find the full source code on GitHub: roip/chrome-extensions

Have ideas for improvement or found a bug? Open an issue on the GitHub repository or submit a pull request. All contributions welcome! This is very much a work in progress.

Focus Reader Bracket – Read with focus. Read with confidence.