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I have an iPad-specific website which has had the "zoom-in" feature disabled on it as I have horizontal and vertical fixed navigational elements that I do not want to go out of view.

I would like to know the opinion and feeling with regards to disabling the "zoom in" feature on an iPad/iOS to achieve this? Is this likely to frustrate users who believe that, if there is, for example, some text on the site they would like to zoom in on or if there is an image that they'd like a closer look at then this functionality should be available to them (considering the Safari web browser offers this as standard).

As I say, there is good reason the functionality has been disabled - however, I would be keen to know the feeling amongst the UX community and if there is another way I could achieve what I want without disabling the zoom feature.

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Closely related: Should Mobile-optimized sites allow Zooming? – Ben Brocka♦ Oct 1 '12 at 16:47
I would add, from an accessibility perspective (at the end of the evening, when I've left my glasses out or arm's reach) I'll use the iOS integrated zoom to make the UI readable, rather than pinch-zoom a page. I doubt, however, that most users even know what three-finger tapping does on their iPad. – msanford Oct 4 '12 at 15:27
@msanford "three-finger tapping" - no I certainly don't. – crmpicco Oct 4 '12 at 15:48
@crmpicco A simple double-tap with three fingers instantly zooms in and out 200% and you can double-tap and drag three fingers to dynamically adjust the magnification between 100% and 500%. apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html – msanford Oct 4 '12 at 16:58

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

If your site is iPad-specific, disabling zooming is definitely ok.

iPad users are definitely comfortable with non-zooming UI. Consider iPad native apps - they never require zoom for normal navigation. Zoom is only used for very specific controls in apps - such as enlarging images/photos/maps. If your content in native-app form would not include zooming, it's ok for it not to include zoom in web-app form.

Let's take a live example by Apple. The Apple developer docs website has an iPad-specific version. I don't currently have my iPad with me, but if I remember correctly, this website does not support zoom for the traditional navigation (the side-menu and such). If it's good enough for apple, it's good enough for me :)

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Just checked with my iPad and indeed the Apple developer docs website has zooming disabled on iPad – talkol Oct 4 '12 at 16:39
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From the beginning there was web. Then came the iPhone and later on the iPad. The iPad have been around for several years now, and iPad users know how to navigate through a web site, as well as navigating a web site. If they find something interesting to read, they probably like to zoom to content well aware that navigation is still there but outside the iPad screen.

If not yet, it is soon becoming a convention, how to navigate and zoom with an iPad – which you are about to break. For the only reason that you want the navigation to be there – and your users probably not. They like your site to work as other sites do. They like the ability to zoom in and skip navigation to the left and advertisements on the right and only read content.

In my opinion, you need a better reason than “I as a developer want” to disregard soon to be conventions. Better yet – ask your users through a survey and see what replies you get. I’m sure you need to step back and think again.

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