If you want to read the SMH (Sydney Morning Herald) for free, read on. In this article, you will learn how to bypass the paywall on the SMH’s website.
Subscription sites like Sydney Morning Herald usually let readers access a few free articles, but if you want to read more, they’ll prompt you to subscribe. While this makes sense for regular readers, it can be frustrating if you’re just looking to read a single article a friend sent over.
How many times have you been engrossed in an article, only to hit a paywall that asks you to subscribe or start a “free trial” that’s not as free as it seems?
I’m not necessarily against paying for content, but spending money just to read one article can feel like too much. So, I switched my focus from reading the article to figuring out a way around the paywall.
After a bit of experimenting, I found a solution.
The trick? Just add 12ft.io/ before the website’s address in your browser’s URL bar.
To do this, click on the address bar in your browser (or press “Cmd + L” on a Mac or “Ctrl + L” on Windows), type 12ft.io/ before the https://, and hit enter. (If 12ft.io doesn’t work, another option is to try removepaywall.com before the website’s address as an alternative.)
Also read: Difference between the Date created, Modified, and Added on Mac?
Your address bar should look something like this: 12ft.io/https://smh.com.au/.........
Your article should now be accessible, and any additional articles you click on will open through 12ft.io, avoiding popups. However, keep in mind that some webpage elements, like images, may not display, and the formatting might look a bit off, which you’ll need to adjust.
⚠️ Heads up: Sites with paywalls are getting stricter about blocking bypass tools, so these methods may not work indefinitely. Also, 12ft.io can sometimes experience downtime, so if it’s not working, you can check its status here.
Why and How Does This Work?
12ft.io provides a free way to bypass paywalls. It’s one of several tools for this purpose; another popular option is removepaywall.com.
How Do Paywall Removers Work?
Often, sites like Sydney Morning Herald fully load an article on your device before the paywall activates to block access. This brief delay means the content is already on your device, but JavaScript is used to hide it and prompt you to subscribe.
Paywall bypass tools disable the JavaScript that blocks access, allowing you to read the article without interruptions. Websites that utilize this method are known to have a “soft paywall,” where content is available but concealed by code.
On the other hand, “hard paywalls,” such as those on The New York Times and Medium.com, are much stricter. In these instances, only a brief snippet or introduction is sent to your browser, and accessing the full article necessitates a verified user ID and password, as the complete content isn’t loaded onto your device.
Why Don’t All Websites Use Hard Paywalls?
You might wonder why some sites opt for soft paywalls if they can be easily bypassed. This choice often relates to visibility on search engines.
Also read: How to Move a Fullscreen App to Second Monitor on Mac
When an article is entirely concealed behind a hard paywall requiring login credentials, even Google can’t index it. Without visibility from Google, that article is essentially non-existent on the web.
This creates a balancing act—websites need to attract subscribers while also maintaining their presence in search results. Soft paywalls provide a middle ground.
Generally, only sites with content that readers find valuable enough to pay for upfront will implement hard paywalls.
What About Ethics?
Accessing paid content without paying for it is akin to taking something for free, and there isn’t a strong moral argument to justify it. However, the cost of a single article can sometimes feel quite steep.
Also read: How to Switch between Tabs in Recently Used Order in Any Browser
A more affordable option, such as £0.99 for several articles, could be seen as more reasonable and fair.
Wrapping Up
Now you know how to access Sydney Morning Herald articles without a subscription.
Remember, though, that these paywall bypass techniques only work on soft paywalls. Hard paywalls are not by-passable, except perhaps through the Wayback Machine.