The Best Ways to Get Past an Article's Paywall

Many once-reliable methods of bypassing paywalls have stopped working almost entirely, forcing readers to look for more robust solutions. While a method might work successfully today, that could change in the future as websites continually clamp down on bypass techniques. Articles addressing these workarounds are frequently updated as old methods break and new ones emerge.

One reliable approach is adding a browser extension to Chrome that creates a toolbar button to instantly generate an archived snapshot of any web page, automatically opening it in a new tab. Usually, an archived version already exists, but creating a fresh one takes only a minute or two before you can read uninterrupted.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Another newer tool discovered on Reddit is smry.ai, which displays a cached version of an article page pulled from the Internet Wayback Machine or Google cache. What sets this tool apart is its AI integration, allowing users to click a purple button to generate an AI summary of the article's key points. Although these summaries can sometimes resemble brief social media posts rather than detailed outlines, they are helpful for checking the gist of a piece quickly.

If you are willing to try solutions that require a bit more technical effort, several options are worth exploring:

• Disable JavaScript in your browser to circumvent content blocks, keeping in mind this may break normal website functionality.
• Use a paid or free VPN to switch your IP address and bypass monthly free article limits on sites like The Washington Post.
• Right-click paywall banners, select Inspect Element, and search for elements labeled display, paywall, or subscribe to hide them.
• Android users can install the Bypass Paywalls Clean extension using alternative browsers like Kiwi.
• iPhone users can leverage the free Shortcuts app running automated routines such as Bypass Paywall or Unpaywall.

Source: Lifehacker