Why does panning or pinch zooming not work on maps ?

[skatesurfer]

What I am wondering for years is that no (ans literally NO) Android browser (stock, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Dolphin, Boat, ....) is able to pinch zoom on maps and panning by swiping over the mep neither.
Unlike computer browsers where is works normally.

Exceptions: Google Maps itself (not the site with embedded GMaps), Here Maps, skyvector.com which pan and pinch zoom normally like a computer browser.

This is very strange and unintuitive behavior as one assumes websites should work the same regardless of used device.

Sites like Flightradar24.com, wikisky.com are useless on an Android device.

Is there a reason for this ?

And why does NO browser maker an exception for this ?

 

[Almeuit]

You mean like weather doppler and stuff? I can zoom and move around on maps fine within the browsers. I do it all the time when trying to see where the rain is.

 

[skatesurfer]

Try
www.Flightradar24.com
DarkSiteFinder.com - Light Pollution Map

None of these allow panning and pinch zooming.

 

[AlphaTango414]

It's not android, but the websites themselves. The Web designers for those websites apparently didn't put that ability in the mobile web page. Have you tried requesting desktop page?

 

[skatesurfer]

Well, the problem occurs when "show desktop" is ENabled, whejn I DISable it it does work.
Strange, the site is exactly the same. Fortunately most sites don't have mobile sites (which are limited WAP pages) anymore, a few still have like Youtube.
One site, i.e. Flightradar24.com does not allow panning the map when in desktop mode but does when in 'mobile' mode while the page is exactly the same.
But the popups (e.g. View, Bookmarks, or clicking on a plane and the flight info popup on the left side of the screen) are not scrollable, unless you use Dolphin in 'mobile' mode. In other browsers, scrolling in these popups does not work at all. It is the same swipe event.

Very strange.

 

[Rukbat]

Well, the problem occurs when "show desktop" is ENabled, whejn I DISable it it does work.
Strange, the site is exactly the same.

Actually, even if it looks exactly the same, the mobile version is usually m.website.com, while the desktop version is website.com - two totally different sites. They can have exactly the same data on them except for the sizes of the pictures, so the only differece you see is that you can't pinch the pictures on the mobile site.

But the popups (e.g. View, Bookmarks, or clicking on a plane and the flight info popup on the left side of the screen) are not scrollable, unless you use Dolphin in 'mobile' mode. In other browsers, scrolling in these popups does not work at all. It is the same swipe event.Very strange.

Different browsers are written to handle anything non-text differently. (Text is just displayed as-is.) So you might see a popup in full color in one browser and not see it at all in another one.