The ReadCube's Enhanced PDF (ePDF) Web Reader is compatible with most modern desktop web browsers that support HTML5.
Minimal supported web browser versions
| Browser | Chrome | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Safari | Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimal version | v29 | v17* | v10 | v6 (Mac only) | v16 |
Note: Cookies and local storage are required to use the Web Reader.
For optimal performance and text rendering quality, please use the most current version of your preferred browser. Check for updates on the browser maker's website or at http://outdatedbrowser.com/en.
Mobile browsers
Shared articles can be viewed in the ReadCube Web Reader on modern mobile device web browsers.
The minimum supported operating system versions:
| Mobile OS | Apple iOS | Android |
| Minimal version | v9 | v5 |
*Most mobile web browsers will work, although we cannot guarantee full support for all browsers and those running on non-iOS/non-Android devices. If you're having trouble viewing the article, please try another browser.
Currently available features in the mobile web reader:
- view the PDF with touch gesture support
- see any existing annotations
- download the PDF (with access rights)
- Add to Library for syncing to the other ReadCube apps
- Share (sharing link generation with access rights)
- References list
- Figures list (opens regular figures files in new tabs)
- Supplements list (opens regular file in a new tab)
- Related Articles
- Cited By metrics list, RCR (Relative Citation Ratio) metric, Altmetric
- ReadCube Checkout for simplified PDF purchase
Other Enhanced PDF features - including linked inline citations and annotation creation tools - are not currently supported but coming later.
In addition to the mobile-optimized web reader, you can also save shared articles for reading anytime, even offline. Just import and sync a shared article from a browser by clicking the Add to Library button. When you download the free ReadCube mobile apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android, your saved articles will automatically sync. Plus, enjoy full Enhanced PDF features in the apps, including linked citations and annotation tools.
* Known Firefox Issue
There is a known issue with the Mozilla Firefox web browser that prevents the ReadCube HTML5 Web Reader from loading on some computers. In particular, Windows and Linux systems are known to be affected. If Firefox is not able to correctly recognize your graphics card for enabling hardware acceleration, a feature called DirectWrite is disabled. This in turn can affect font rendering. We want to ensure an optimal reading experience with the ReadCube Web Reader and therefore do not load in Firefox browsers with this disabled graphics state.
This is a known issue with Firefox and is not specific for the ReadCube Web Reader. Please see:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=751083
It is possible to manually enable DirectWrite in Firefox. We provide the directions below but please note, this does not guarantee optimal font display and may affect browser speed. To manually enable DirectWrite font rendering in Firefox:
- In the address bar, type “about:config” and press Enter
- Search for the preference name: “gfx.font_rendering.directwrite.enabled”
- Double-click on it, and set the value to “true”
- Restart Firefox and check the web reader
- If the problem persists, please repeat the above for: "gfx.font_rendering.directwrite.force-enabled"
- Double-click on it, and also set this value to "true"
- Restart Firefox again and check the web reader
- Another option - please repeat the above steps for: "gfx.direct2d.disabled"
- Double-click on it, and set this value to "false"
- Restart Firefox again and check the web reader
If the above steps do not address the issue, unfortunately, the only remaining advice is to please try another web browser (such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari or Opera). You can also reach our customer support at ReadCube Papers Support. Since this is a generally known issue with Firefox, please direct any specific requests for information about the browser’s hardware acceleration/DirectWrite settings to Mozilla Firefox support.