How to get the scroll bar with CSS overflow on iOS

Edit following the comment left, kindly, by kritzikratzi:

[Starting] with ios 5beta a new property -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch can be added which should result in the expected behaviour.

Some, but very little, further reading:

Native momentum scrolling in iOS 5

https://i.stack.imgur.com/gYiEv.png

Original answer, left for posterity.

Unfortunately neither overflow: auto, or scroll, produces scrollbars on the iOS devices, apparently due to the screen-width that would be taken up such useful mechanisms.

Instead, as you've found, users are required to perform the two-finger swipe in order to scroll the overflow-ed content. The only reference, since I'm unable to find the manual for the phone itself, I could find is here: tuaw.com: iPhone 101: Two-fingered scrolling.

The only work-around I can think of for this, is if you could possibly use some JavaScript, and maybe jQTouch, to create your own scroll-bars for overflow elements. Alternatively you could use @media queries to remove the overflow and show the content in full, as an iPhone user this gets my vote, if only for the sheer simplicity. For example:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="handheld.css" media="only screen and (max-device width:480px)" />

The preceding code comes from A List Apart, from the same article linked-to above (I'm not sure why they left of the type="text/css", but I assume there are reasons.

---

Apply this code in your css

::-webkit-scrollbar{

    -webkit-appearance: none;
    width: 7px;

}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {

    border-radius: 4px;
    background-color: rgba(0,0,0,.5); 
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 1px rgba(255,255,255,.5);
}

---

I have done some testing and using CSS3 to redefine the scrollbars works and you get to keep your Overflow:scroll; or Overflow:auto

I ended up with something like this...

::-webkit-scrollbar {
    width: 15px;
    height: 15px;
    border-bottom: 1px solid #eee; 
    border-top: 1px solid #eee;
}
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
    border-radius: 8px;
    background-color: #C3C3C3;
    border: 2px solid #eee;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
    -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 0 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.2); 
} 

The only down side which I have not yet been able to figure out is how to interact with the scrollbars on iProducts but you can interact with the content to scroll it

---

Solution given by Chris Barr here

function isTouchDevice(){
    try{
        document.createEvent("TouchEvent");
        return true;
    }catch(e){
        return false;
    }
}

function touchScroll(id){
    if(isTouchDevice()){ //if touch events exist...
        var el=document.getElementById(id);
        var scrollStartPos=0;

        document.getElementById(id).addEventListener("touchstart", function(event) {
            scrollStartPos=this.scrollTop+event.touches[0].pageY;
            event.preventDefault();
        },false);

        document.getElementById(id).addEventListener("touchmove", function(event) {
            this.scrollTop=scrollStartPos-event.touches[0].pageY;
            event.preventDefault();
        },false);
    }
}

Works fine for me. Remove event.preventDefault if you need to use some clicks...

---

The iScroll4 javascript library will fix it right up. It has a hideScrollbar method that you can set to false to prevent the scrollbar from disappearing.

---

In my experience you need to make sure the element has display:block; applied for the -webkit-overflow-scrolling:touch; to work.

---

Other 2 peoples on SO proposed possible CSS-only solution to the problem. David Thomas' solution is perfect but has the limit that scrollbar is visible only during scrolling.

In order to have scrollbars always visible, is possible to followin guidelines suggested on the following links:

How can I prevent scroll bars from being hidden for OS X trackpad users in WebKit/Blink?

CSS - Overflow: Scroll; - Always show vertical scroll bar?

---

make sure your body and divs have not a

  position:fixed

else it would not work

---

Works fine for me, please try:

.scroll-container {
  max-height: 250px;
  overflow: auto;
  -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;
}

---

::-webkit-scrollbar {
    width: 15px;
    height: 15px;
}

::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
    border-radius: 8px;
    background-color: #C3C3C3;
    border: 2px solid #eee;
}

Use this code, it work in ios/android APP webview; It delete some not portable css code;

---

If you are trying to achieve horizontal div scrolling with touch on mobile, the updated CSS fix does not work (tested on Android Chrome and iOS Safari multiple versions), eg:

-webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch

I found a solution and modified it for horizontal scrolling from before the CSS trick. I've tested it on Android Chrome and iOS Safari and the listener touch events have been around a long time, so it has good support: http://caniuse.com/#feat=touch.

Usage:

touchHorizScroll('divIDtoScroll');

Functions:

function touchHorizScroll(id){
    if(isTouchDevice()){ //if touch events exist...
        var el=document.getElementById(id);
        var scrollStartPos=0;

        document.getElementById(id).addEventListener("touchstart", function(event) {
            scrollStartPos=this.scrollLeft+event.touches[0].pageX;              
        },false);

        document.getElementById(id).addEventListener("touchmove", function(event) {
            this.scrollLeft=scrollStartPos-event.touches[0].pageX;              
        },false);
    }
}
function isTouchDevice(){
    try{
        document.createEvent("TouchEvent");
        return true;
    }catch(e){
        return false;
    }
}  

Modified from vertical solution (pre CSS trick):

http://chris-barr.com/2010/05/scrolling_a_overflowauto_element_on_a_touch_screen_device/

---