iOS tip: how to zoom on web pages that have disabled user zoom

As I’ve mentioned in posts like Beware of -webkit-text-size-adjust:none and Controlling text size in Safari for iOS without disabling user zoom, it is possible for web developers to prevent user zoom in Safari for iOS.

In many cases this won’t be a huge problem, either because the site/app uses a sensible text size to begin with or because the user has sharp eyes. But when you find yourself viewing a site or app that has too small text for you to read comfortably and has disabled user scaling in the browser, there is a trick that may help – the built-in Zoom function in iOS.

When Zoom is enabled, you can double-tap with three fingers to zoom the entire screen of your iPhone/iPod/iPad. To move around, either hold three fingers on the screen and drag to show different parts in the viewport, or hold one finger along the edge of the screen to pan.

If you need to zoom in more, double-tap with three fingers and drag up or down. To zoom back out, double-tap again with three fingers.

Doesn’t work for you? Make sure Zoom is enabled in Settings > General > Accessibility. While you’re there you can also configure the Home Button to toogle Zoom when you triple-click it.

No more struggling with tiny text.

Posted on May 11, 2011 in iOS, Accessibility