Tap-to-Select and Highlight Any Sentence
Tap a sentence on mobile or click-and-drag on desktop to highlight and save any excerpt as a citation — with both the original and the translated version captured automatically.
Saving a citation should never interrupt your reading. On mobile, a single tap on a sentence highlights it and opens the Save as Citation sheet. On desktop, click-and-drag across any word range gives you a pixel-precise selection.
Every saved excerpt remembers the article it came from, the paragraph it was in, and — if a translation exists — the translated version alongside the original. That means when you paste a citation into your paper later, you have both languages ready to go.
How it works
- 1
Open an article
Load any imported article in the Reader.
- 2
Select the text
On desktop click-and-drag across the passage; on mobile tap once on a sentence to highlight it.
- 3
Review the popover
A preview shows the highlighted text, with a Save button right there.
- 4
Save as a citation
The quote is added to your library along with the source article, paragraph, and — if a translation exists — both language versions.
- 5
Add a note (optional)
Open the new citation in your library to attach a note for later.
Benefits for you
- One-tap sentence selection on mobile — no awkward drag handles.
- Precise drag-to-select on desktop for multi-word or partial quotes.
- Highlight colour preview before you commit to saving.
- Captures original + translated versions together.
- Keeps the source article link so you never lose provenance.
How people use it
- Reading on the subway and wanting to grab a quote with one thumb.
- Building up a day's citation harvest as you work through a PDF on desktop.
- Marking passages for a literature review without breaking concentration.
Who it's for
- Students writing papers with heavy citation needs.
- Researchers building evidence bases.
- Readers who prefer annotating over note-taking.
Keyboard shortcuts
- Ctrl + F
- Open in-reader search to find a passage before highlighting it
- Click + drag
- Precise multi-word selection on desktop
- Single tap
- Highlight an entire sentence on mobile
Where it lives in READA
- Inside any article view — tap a sentence on mobile, or click-and-drag on desktop.
- A popover appears with the highlighted text preview and a Save button.
Frequently asked questions
Does tap-to-select really work reliably on mobile?
Yes — a single tap on a sentence highlights it without the awkward drag handles usually needed for mobile selection.
Can I highlight across paragraphs?
On desktop, click-and-drag across multiple paragraphs is supported for multi-sentence quotes.
What happens to my highlight if I undo?
The Reader has a remove option on any previously saved highlight, and citation deletion from the library is one click.
Is the translated version saved too?
Yes. If you are reading a translated article, the saved citation captures both the original and the translation.
Where are highlights stored?
In your READA library, which lives on your device. They travel offline with you.
Related links
Ready to try it?
Jump straight into READA and put Text Selection & Highlighting to work on your next article.