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Safari font size on 12.9 iPad Pro = too big.

W

WilliamG

macrumors G4
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
10,040
3,952
Seattle
This has been a nuisance since the original iPad 12.9...

The font size is just far too big when the whole screen is used for Safari in Landscape mode. The solution? Have an app (e.g. Mail) open in ~1/3 screen size, which shrinks the font in Safari. But still, it would be nice to be able to shrink the font without having to have an app open to the side.

Anyone else agree with me, or am I the only one with this want? :D
 
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It's probably an issue with the website, not Safari on the 12.9". For example, the MacRumors forum has no issues with large font sizes in landscape mode on the 12.9".

What website are you visiting?
 
Only place I've noticed it is on Reddit

74cac5b8a4a42048f032f803d88600f4.png
 
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Any web site. Literally any website. Macrumors etc etc.
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masotime said:
It's probably an issue with the website, not Safari on the 12.9". For example, the MacRumors forum has no issues with large font sizes in landscape mode on the 12.9".

What website are you visiting?
Click to expand...

I don't mean there's a formatting issue of any sort. I mean I just prefer a smaller font because you just don't fit as much on the page as I'd like.
 
No issues with mine. I'm typing this on my 12.9 and the font looks normal on mine.

IMG_0008.PNG
 
WilliamG said:
I'd just like the font smaller. That's all I'm saying. It's too large for me.
Click to expand...

I guess we have different preferences. I sure wouldn't want it any smaller. Have you looked in system settings? I think there is a font adjustment there.
 
seadragon said:
I guess we have different preferences. I sure wouldn't want it any smaller. Have you looked in system settings? I think there is a font adjustment there.
Click to expand...

Here's what I mean. Full screen Safari the font is FAR too big. Such a waste of real estate. And here's the same page with a window on the side. Ahhh, much better.
 

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Well, for me, bigger font means less stress to eyes to recognize all stuff. I have poor eye sight so I prefer bigger size. This is the key reason I buy a computer with 1080P screen rather than 1366*768.
Also, from your screenshot, I can barely notice any font size different.
 
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WilliamG said:
This has been a nuisance since the original iPad 12.9...

The font size is just far too big when the whole screen is used for Safari in Landscape mode.
Anyone else agree with me, or am I the only one with this want? :D
Click to expand...

Hold it the other way.

The ability to see forum style web sites in portrait mode on the 12.9 is one of the best things about it IMHO.
 
Sanlitun said:
Hold it the other way.

The ability to see forum style web sites in portrait mode on the 12.9 is one of the best things about it IMHO.
Click to expand...

So I'm holding it wrong? Come on... When it's sitting on the table with the Apple cover, I can't have it stand up that way...

Shirasaki said:
Well, for me, bigger font means less stress to eyes to recognize all stuff. I have poor eye sight so I prefer bigger size. This is the key reason I buy a computer with 1080P screen rather than 1366*768.
Also, from your screenshot, I can barely notice any font size different.
Click to expand...

You can barely notice any font size difference?

Well.... there you go. That tells me all I need to know. I won't expect Apple to give us more options any time soon..
 
I cannot link the bookmarklet macro procedure to increase or decrease font size in Safari. Doing a search on this forum and one should easily find it, it was posted when the first Mini became available. The procedure is well worth one’s time, it scales the font size very well.
 
AppleRobert said:
I cannot link the bookmarklet macro procedure to increase or decrease font size in Safari. Doing a search on this forum and one should easily find it, it was posted when the first Mini became available. The procedure is well worth one’s time, it scales the font size very well.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. Not really a solution since you have to do it on a per-page basis on the iPad, and nothing is remembered/savec. Still cool to be able to do. I'd like something a little more permanent. Maybe some day!
 
WilliamG said:
Thanks for the tip. Not really a solution since you have to do it on a per-page basis on the iPad, and nothing is remembered/savec. Still cool to be able to do. I'd like something a little more permanent. Maybe some day!
Click to expand...

There are other browsers one can utilize to adjust font, unless of course one is committed to Safari.
 
WilliamG said:
Here's what I mean. Full screen Safari the font is FAR too big. Such a waste of real estate. And here's the same page with a window on the side. Ahhh, much better.
Click to expand...

... did you request desktop site for neogaf.com? Because I don't see that effect when I load the forums on my iPad. The consistent font size is actually a hallmark of good responsive web design. The website you quoted, when you subvert it by requesting a desktop site, is actually considered an anti-pattern for good web design.

Well I suppose to each his own, but unfortunately without using a different web rendering engine, you cannot "zoom out" in mobile safari, or otherwise arbitrarily affect the viewport width independent of the device.
 
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masotime said:
... did you request desktop site for neogaf.com? Because I don't see that effect when I load the forums on my iPad. The consistent font size is actually a hallmark of good responsive web design. The website you quoted, when you subvert it by requesting a desktop site, is actually considered an anti-pattern for good web design.

Well I suppose to each his own, but unfortunately without using a different web rendering engine, you cannot "zoom out" in mobile safari, or otherwise arbitrarily affect the viewport width independent of the device.
Click to expand...

You don't see that effect? I'm using the desktop site, yes. Because it's an iPad, not an iPhone.
 
I am having the opposite reaction. I ordered the 12.9" size thinking it would be large to handle but it would have a larger display with I thought larger text in Safari. I am disappointed to see the text size actually looks relatively smaller than my replaced 9.7". I want to stick with Safari and am not wanting to go thru steps on every page to increase size, just want a global way to do that. One would think Settings>Accessibility>Text Size would be the way, but nope.
 
WilliamG said:
This has been a nuisance since the original iPad 12.9...

The font size is just far too big when the whole screen is used for Safari in Landscape mode. The solution? Have an app (e.g. Mail) open in ~1/3 screen size, which shrinks the font in Safari. But still, it would be nice to be able to shrink the font without having to have an app open to the side.

Anyone else agree with me, or am I the only one with this want? :D
Click to expand...

Totally agree. Bought the new iPad Pro as a laptop replacement for work, regretting it and wish I’d just got another MacBook Pro. Some of the tools I use are not fully functional in IOS yet or there isn’t an app at all, JIRA, Kendis as examples, cant view enough on the screen through the web view as the font is like a child’s book. As it stands i’m Going back to my old MacBook
 
If you go into accessibility settings, then go into larger text section, you Cana just text size and if an app supports it, then it will reflect your chosen preference eventually.
 
It’s definitely an issue with websites that are optimized poorly. Landscape 12.9 usually goes for desktop size layout and often that is tested only on desktop machines with larger screens. I agree that having a font size adjustment button in Safari would be nice, one that would remember the setting per website.

Reddit with the old layout is probably the worst offender. The new layout is a bag of **** that looks good on nothing though. I really hope Apollo brings some iPad centric layout soon.

Another workaround is to have the bookmarks bar open.
 
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