What are some ways to improve your reading comprehension in a target language other than reading a bunch of texts until you get used to it?

I am overwhelmed by the advice to read a lot, especially when I'm a complete beginner in a language. I have trouble recognizing characters and to read a lot I need to constantly look up in the dictionary. This way it will take me ages to finish a single page. So it's not efficient. Should I do a grammar course first, use an app for developing my vocabulary, and maybe some other strategies? Is there a way to practice reading at a beginners level even if you don't know a lot of words or if you need a lot of time to read a single page?