iPad Mini Trick to Increase Readability

William Knaust

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Oct 3, 2019
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13
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Gig Harbor, WA
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Bill K
I have a yoke-mounted iPad Mini using ForeFlight.

There are times when I strain to see fine detail, like frequencies, ATIS, ADS-B traffic info, etc.

It was frustrating until I found this trick. Now all is well with the world.

Go to SETTINGS

Select ACCESSIBILITY

Select ZOOM

Set Zoom switch to ON

Click on ZOOM REGION (on menu below) and set to FULL SCREEN ZOOM

Go back to Zoom Settings and click on ZOOM CONTROLLER

Select SHOW CONTROLLER

A Zoom Controller button will appear on screen

Tap on the zoom controller button and you will see a zoom level slider

Adjust the slider on the Zoom Controller to the desired zoom level

Now tap on HIDE CONTROLLER

Tap anywhere on the screen and the Zoom Controller will disappear

Now double tap with three fingers anywhere on the screen and the screen will return to normal size

Whenever you desire, double tap on the screen with three fingers and your preset zoom level will activate

To move around within a given view, hold three fingers on the screen and move to desired section

To return the screen to normal size, double tap again using three fingers

This has been indispensable when using ForeFlight in the cockpit
 
Other options....
Garmin Pilot has dynamic maps and you can configure text to be larger if necessary and in addition configure how much detail gets displayed at various zoom levels using standard 2 finger motions.
Or you can use reading glasses.
These more complicated motions might be tough to do in turbulence.
 
Kids these days. I remember when double taps were a one finger evolution.

I remember when the mouse (what's a mouse?) was connected by cable (what's a cable?) to the desktop PC (what's a desktop PC, and why is it on the floor underneath the desktop?). :)
 
I have a yoke-mounted iPad Mini using ForeFlight.

There are times when I strain to see fine detail, like frequencies, ATIS, ADS-B traffic info, etc.

It was frustrating until I found this trick. Now all is well with the world.

Go to SETTINGS

Select ACCESSIBILITY

Select ZOOM

Set Zoom switch to ON

Click on ZOOM REGION (on menu below) and set to FULL SCREEN ZOOM

Go back to Zoom Settings and click on ZOOM CONTROLLER

Select SHOW CONTROLLER

A Zoom Controller button will appear on screen

Tap on the zoom controller button and you will see a zoom level slider

Adjust the slider on the Zoom Controller to the desired zoom level

Now tap on HIDE CONTROLLER

Tap anywhere on the screen and the Zoom Controller will disappear

Now double tap with three fingers anywhere on the screen and the screen will return to normal size

Whenever you desire, double tap on the screen with three fingers and your preset zoom level will activate

To move around within a given view, hold three fingers on the screen and move to desired section

To return the screen to normal size, double tap again using three fingers

This has been indispensable when using ForeFlight in the cockpit

The only issue I have with this technique is that the three finger motion to scroll through procedure charts no longer operates.
 
Unless I'm misunderstanding which is entirely possible, why not just use the 'pinch' to make larger or smaller?
 
Unless I'm misunderstanding which is entirely possible, why not just use the 'pinch' to make larger or smaller?

That's what I do with the iPad mini and FltplanGo. Zooms and pans my maps and approach plates.
 
Unless I'm misunderstanding which is entirely possible, why not just use the 'pinch' to make larger or smaller?
I think he is referring to the information pages rather than the map. Hope so or you're absolutely right.
 
Unless I'm misunderstanding which is entirely possible, why not just use the 'pinch' to make larger or smaller?

Unfortunately, that only works for limited functions, but other views cannot be pinch-zoomed. They require this method for enlarging the screen.
 
Cheap reading glasses or bifocals work for me...no mini ipad....9.7 mounted on yoke.

The Zoom function is a big plus...thanks !
 
Last edited:
BTW, for those who find this useful, Zoom can be added to the accessibility shortcuts and toggled from the pull-down control panel.
 
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Thanks for this! Will try it out today
 
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