Quora FAQ

How to Read Member Only Medium Articles for Free

💬 Comments

Medium is a popular platform for writers and readers alike, but it has recently introduced a paywall for some articles, which is a source of frustration for many readers. Fortunately, there are several ways to bypass the paywall and read the articles you want without having to pay anything at all. In this article, we'll discuss these methods, as well as some other useful tips for getting the most out of Medium.

  1. Method 1: Incognito Browser Tab
  2. Method 2: Sign Out of Your Account
  3. Method 3: Turning off the Paywall on Your Own Posts
  4. Method 4: Using Other Websites
  5. Useful Tips and Conclusion

Method 1: Incognito Browser Tab

The simplest and most straightforward method for reading member-only Medium articles for free is to open the article in an incognito browser tab. This is because Medium uses cookies to track how many articles people without accounts have read. When you use up all three of your free "member-only" stories, you can simply close all of your incognito browser windows and re-open Medium in an incognito browser window.

Here are the steps for opening an article in an incognito tab:

  1. Right-click on the link to the article you want to read
  2. Click "Open link in incognito window"
  3. Enjoy your free read!

This is a simple and effective way to get around the Medium paywall.

Method 2: Sign Out of Your Account

Another way to read Medium articles for free is to sign out of your account. When you sign out, you'll be able to read the article in a normal browser window, even if it's a member-only article. However, once you've read three articles, you'll need to sign out again to continue reading for free.

Here are the steps for signing out of your Medium account:

  1. Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Medium homepage
  2. Click "Sign Out"
  3. Find the article you want to read and click on it
  4. Enjoy your free read!

This method requires a bit more effort than the incognito browser tab method, but it can be effective if you're not able to use incognito mode for some reason.

Method 3: Turning off the Paywall on Your Own Posts

If you're a writer on Medium, you have the option to turn off the paywall on your own posts. This means that anyone can read your post for free, regardless of whether they have a Medium subscription or not. Here's how you can turn off the paywall:

  1. Log in to Medium as the author of the post
  2. Edit the post (click the cog ⚙️, and Edit story)
  3. Click the settings menu (…) then Manage distribution setting.
  4. Untick the box next to "Behind the membership paywall"
  5. Click "Save"

This is a great way to make your posts more accessible to readers who might not want to pay for a Medium subscription.

Method 4: Using Other Websites

In addition to these methods, there are several other websites that you can use to access free academic papers and articles. Here are some of the most popular ones:

  1. Sci-Hub
  2. Z-Library
  3. Library Genesis
  4. Unpaywall
  5. GetTheResearch.org
  6. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
  7. Researcher
  8. Science Open

These websites host a vast collection of academic papers and articles that you can download for free. This is a great way to access high-quality content without having to pay anything at all.

Useful Tips and Conclusion

In conclusion, there are several ways to access member-only Medium articles for free. Whether you use an incognito browser tab, sign out of your account, turn off the paywall on your own posts, or use other websites to access academic papers and articles, there are plenty of options available to you.

Here are some additional tips to help you get the most out of Medium:

  • Follow writers and publications that interest you to get a more personalized reading experience
  • Take advantage of the "clap" feature to show your appreciation for articles you enjoy
  • Consider becoming a Medium member to support writers and get access to exclusive content

By following these tips and using the methods outlined in this article, you can read all the member-only Medium articles you want without having to pay a cent. Happy reading!

Up
...