"Zoom text only" option for iOS Safari needed

[damuse]

If there's one thing I was hoping a larger screen iPhone would do, is make text more readable.

After seeing the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in the store, I realize now my problem wasn't with screen size, but iOS Safari, which doesn't let you increase font size of text and reflow/wrap it on the page, like you can on OSX Safari with its "Zoom text only" option.

Several news sites I have to use in desktop mode to see the user comments. Reader mode only displays the main content. Dynamic text size settings in General and Accessibility are not respected for Safari content.

Here's a stark picture of how bad it can get.

HTC One M8 (my work phone) next to a 6 Plus with Display Zoom enabled:

Despite having a significantly smaller screen, it's obvious which one is easier to read on.


... and next to the smaller 6, in the article itself (edit: this picture included just for comparison. I know Reader mode gets around this, but my primary issue is that Reader doesn't allow reading or replying in comment section):

This is obviously not a problem with website font settings, since the HTC has no problem either ignoring it or applying a minimum font size. And it's not a matter of "respecting the site's design" because in OSX Safari with "Zoom text only" on, the same page increases font size and reflows it just fine.

A "Zoom text only" option has been requested at least as far back as 2010. It's a feature that would eliminate having to use Accessibility's zoom function for many if not all web pages, so I can't understand why the heck can't Apple include something as basic as this?

 

[fenderbass146]

If there's one thing I was hoping a larger screen iPhone would do, is make text more readable.

After seeing the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in the store, I realize now my problem wasn't with screen size, but iOS Safari, which doesn't let you increase font size of text and reflow/wrap it on the page, like you can on OSX Safari with its "Zoom text only" option.

Several news sites I have to use in desktop mode to see the user comments. Reader mode only displays the main content. Dynamic text size settings in General and Accessibility are not respected for Safari content.

Here's a stark picture of how bad it can get.

HTC One M8 (my work phone) next to a 6 Plus with Display Zoom enabled:
Image

Despite having a significantly smaller screen, it's obvious which one is easier to read on.


... and next to the smaller 6, in the article itself:
Image

This is obviously not a problem with website font settings, since the HTC has no problem either ignoring it or applying a minimum font size. And it's not a matter of "respecting the site's design" because in OSX Safari with "Zoom text only" on, the same page increases font size and reflows it just fine.

A "Zoom text only" option has been requested at least as far back as 2010. It's a feature that would eliminate having to use Accessibility's zoom function for many if not all web pages, so I can't understand why the heck can't Apple include something as basic as this?

How about using safari reader? Won't always work but will at least in articles.

 

[Zwhaler]

Have you tried other 3rd party browsers?

 

[OSMac]

You can use a bookmarklet to zoom text only. Works most of the time....

 

[damuse]

How about using safari reader? Won't always work but will at least in articles.

Thanks, I did mention Reader is a workaround for article text, but main issue I want addressed is rendering comments, and any other sections that aren't part of the main article (if page even has one that Reader can pick up). I've edited the lead-in to the second picture to clarify it's included only for comparison.

I've tried landscape mode in the past but that is also not a solution, just a sub-optimal workaround to the missing option.

 

[damuse]

You can use a bookmarklet to zoom text only. Works most of the time....

Thanks for this idea, looked around and found this which works in iOS7 on my iPhone 5. Hopefully it still works fine in iOS8.

Wish we didn't need workarounds like these...