Implementing Native-Like Scrolling in iOS Web Apps with CSS

In this article, we’ll explain how to use CSS to implement native-like scrolling in iOS web apps. In iOS, native scrolling features smooth animations and inertia. To improve the user experience, we hope to also implement this scrolling effect in web apps.

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Implementing Basic Scrolling

To implement native iOS scrolling, we need to reset the scrolling behavior of the body element and use CSS to simulate native scrolling.

body { overflow: auto; 
-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch; 
}

In the above code, overflow: auto; enables scrolling, and -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch; enables iOS touch scrolling. With these settings, we can achieve native-like scrolling in our web app.

Styling and Nested Scrolling

By default, the body element takes up the entire window, and scrolling affects the entire page. However, in some cases, we may need to implement scrolling in a specific area rather than the entire page. To achieve this, we can use a container element and style it to achieve localized scrolling.

<div class="scroll-container"> 
<div class="scroll-content"> 
<!-- Content --> 
</div> 
</div> 

.scroll-container { 
overflow: auto; 
-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch; 
height: 300px; /*Defines the height of the container*/ 
} 

.scroll-content { 
height: 1000px; /*Defines the height of the content*/ 
} 

In the above example, we create a scroll container, .scroll-container, and place the scrolling content within .scroll-content. By setting a height for the .scroll-container and enabling scrolling effects, we can achieve scrolling in a local area.

Implementing Inertial Scrolling

In addition to smooth scrolling animations, iOS’s native scrolling also features inertial scrolling. To achieve inertial scrolling, we can use the third-party plugin iScroll, which provides a variety of scrolling options, including inertial scrolling.

First, include the iScroll JavaScript file in the page:

<script src="iscroll.js"></script> 

Then, apply the iScroll plugin to the scroll container:

var scroll = new iScroll("scroll-container"); 

Through the above steps, we can enable inertial scrolling for the scroll container. iScroll also provides other configuration options, such as scroll animation and scroll indicators, which can be adjusted according to actual needs.

Preventing Entire Page Scrolling

In some cases, we may wish to restrict scrolling to a specific area and prevent the entire page from scrolling. We can use the preventDefault() method of the touchmove event to achieve this.

document.getElementById("scroll-container").addEventListener("touchmove", function(event) {
event.preventDefault(); 
}, false); 

The above code will prevent the content inside .scroll-container from triggering overall page scrolling.

Supporting Scroll Bounce Effect

iOS’s native scrolling has a bounce effect, which creates a rebound animation when scrolling to the content boundary. To achieve a similar effect, we can use the third-party plugin bounce.js.

First, include the bounce.js JavaScript file in the page:

<script src="bounce.js"></script> 

Then, add the bounce class to the scroll container, as shown below:

<div class="scroll-container bounce">
<div class="scroll-content">
<!-- Content -->
</div>
</div>

Through the above steps, we added the bounce class to the scroll container, enabling the scroll bounce effect.

Summary

Using the above CSS techniques and third-party plugins, we can achieve native-like scrolling effects in iOS web apps. By resetting the scrolling behavior of the body element, adjusting styles, and using third-party plugins, we can achieve smooth scrolling animations, inertial scrolling, scroll rebound, and other effects to enhance the user experience. Whether developing web or mobile applications, these techniques can be used to achieve better scrolling effects.