Posted on Dec 13, 2020 • Updated on Nov 29, 2021 • Originally published at Medium

100vh problem with iOS Safari

#javascript #mobile #css #ios

The web content it's outside the viewport although we used 100vh (the red opacity box with 100vh text).

.section {
    height: 100vh; // bad approach 
}

The problem you have been receiving after adding the height: 100vh to mobile resolutions. It happens due to the calculation method which Safari and Chrome are using. Mobile devices calc browser viewport as (top bar + document + bottom bar) = 100vh. I had a hard time with 100vh when the page have to have a section filled the whole screen. After a couple of hours, I've found the solutions that I show you.

They are two solutions, the first needs JavaScript and CSS, the second solution required only CSS.

1. JS & CSS solution

Let’s get started first with the JS file:

const appHeight = () => {
    const doc = document.documentElement
    doc.style.setProperty('--app-height', `${window.innerHeight}px`)
}
window.addEventListener('resize', appHeight)
appHeight()

appHeight function has sets new style property var(--app-height) including current window height, --app-height it is necessary for next steps.

:root {
   --app-height: 100%;
}

html,
body {
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 100vw;
    height: 100vh;
    height: var(--app-height);
}

In the previous step I've created the reference --app-height, wrapping in the var() I've received CSS variable var(--app-height). This variable is allowed to read values created by JS.

2. CSS solution (not recommend)

The last, but not the least solution is --webkit-fill-available, this solution works only on Apple devices, it won't solve the problem on Android devices. I don't recommend this solution, but it's worth showing.

height: 100%;
height: -webkit-fill-available;

Thank you for your attention! I’ll appreciate your feedback.

If you like this article, follow me on Twitter @MaciejDEV

Top comments (13)

iway1 • Oct 18 '22

thanks this is pretty easy. It's important to mention you'll want to run this on window resize events if you intend to allow your users to resize

Fabio Giolito • Dec 14 '20

My approach is to disable the show/hide of the safari bars by preventing the body from scrolling. That way the content area height is constant.

<body>
    <div class="app">...</div>
</body>

body {
    height: 100vh;
    height: -webkit-fill-available;
    overflow: hidden;
}
.app {
    height: 100%;
    overflow: auto;
}

Maciej Trzciński 🌱🇵🇱 • Dec 15 '20

Hi, It will work, but you have to remember about for example scrollTo and #anchors in this solution.

david • Mar 14 '21 • Edited

nice! thanks for posting, this is the most effective solve I've found.

something thing I noticed after implementing this solution is that it can trigger the fabled 'jumpy scroll', referenced in the stack overflow post I'm sure we all landed on before finding this post. stackoverflow.com/questions/371122...

as a workaround I created two css variables, one for the fixed "starting" height, and another "dynamic" height that is only used for the shopping cart, mobile menu and other fixed-position elements that require 100% screen height.

pasted below in case someone else runs into the same issue!

// set up css var for starting app height. this will not change on resize so we can avoid the jumpy scroll issue const appHeight = () => { const doc = document.documentElement; doc.style.setProperty('--app-height', ${window.innerHeight/10}rem) }; window.addEventListener('orientationchange', appHeight); appHeight();

// set up css var for dynamic app height. this is just for the cart and mobile menu since they need to be fixed to size at all times.

const dynamicAppHeight = () => {
const doc = document.documentElement;
doc.style.setProperty('--dynamic-app-height', ${window.innerHeight/10}rem)
};
window.addEventListener('resize', dynamicAppHeight);
dynamicAppHeight();

jochenthomas • Jan 20 '21

Hi,
see: dev.to/admitkard/mobile-issue-with...
Same issue, but again - on current Safari it is NOT working! Even on Android devices, I see the same issue.

So is there a working solution if the address bar moves away (no resize/switch to landscape etc.).