Obsidian lets you control how you read and edit notes written in Markdown using _views_ and _modes_. - **Views** toggle between reading and editing your notes. - **Modes** control how Markdown appears while you're editing. ## Reading view *Reading view* shows your note without Markdown syntax, offering a clean, readable format for focused review. To switch to *Reading view*: - Select the view switcher (![[lucide-book-icon.svg#icon]]) in the upper-right corner of the editor - Press `Ctrl+E` (`Cmd+E` on macOS). > [!note] > Enable **Settings → Appearance → Show tab title bar** to see the view switcher icon. > > If that is disabled, turn on **Settings → Editor → Show editing mode in status bar** to toggle views from the status bar. ## Editing view *Editing view* lets you make changes to your note. It includes two editing modes: *Live Preview* and *Source mode*. To switch to *Editing view*: - Select the view switcher (![[lucide-edit-3.svg#icon]]) - Press `Ctrl+E` (`Cmd+E` on macOS) again - Use the [[Command palette]] command **Toggle Reading view** > [!note] > You can set the default view for new tabs under **Settings → Editor → Default view for new tabs**. > [!tip] View side-by-side > To open a note in both Editing and Reading view at the same time, hold `Ctrl` (or `Cmd` on macOS) and click the view switcher. ## Editing modes While in *Editing view*, you can choose how Markdown is displayed using one of two *Editing modes*. ### Live Preview *Live Preview* shows formatted text inline while hiding most Markdown syntax. When your cursor enters formatted content, the underlying syntax becomes visible for editing. Set this as the default under **Settings → Editor → Default editing mode**. > [!tip] In many cases, Live Preview can eliminate the need to switch to [[#Reading view]]. ### Source mode *Source mode* displays all Markdown syntax exactly as written. Use it if you prefer plain text or need precise formatting control.