Old hackers like to read HN too

14 points by spacedcowboy ↗ HN
Is there any way to get a larger font preference on HN ? Reading it on my iPad, and these tired old eyes (even with new glasses) are struggling to read the text when it’s scaled so that a whole line is visible across a page...

18 comments

[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 78.2 ms ] thread
On iOS I use https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hack-for-hacker-news-developer... The app has various setting for font sizes, padding, dark mode, even the color of the logo.
Thank you - yes that makes things a lot easier :)

It’d still be nice if the web interface had a preference, but this will certainly do, and not expensive either :)

Doesn't Shift + "+" do that in the browser?

Mobile browsers might have something similar.

It's Ctrl+"=" for me, although Ctrl+Shift+"=" aka Ctrl+"+" also works, and Ctrl+ScrollUp as well. Browsers also seem to have an option to increase font size only, instead of all content. In Firefox, you just have to enable a checkbox in the menu bar at View -> Zoom -> Zoom Text Only. The menu bar, if hidden, can be accessed by pressing (and releasing) left Alt.
The developer is around on HN too, nice guy and very responsive to bugs and feedback.
(comment deleted)
Coffee.

When I wake up and until I've had a cup of coffee I have trouble reading small fonts. By the second cup I can read prescription-sized fonts.

A few cups later, though, my ears close up and things sound like I'm under water.

So there is a happy medium.

How big are your cups that you submerge in coffee after a few cups?!
Reading glasses. They are a dollar at the dollar store.

Buy several pairs because you will lose them on top of your head.

LOL. I can imagine someone having multiple on their head. Thanks.
He stated that he has this issue with new glasses. Not sure generic drug store reading glasses will help if his (Assuming they are prescription, though I could be wrong on that.) current ones don't help.
Just increase the font size on your end if possible. Better browsers remember it per site.
I use Chrome for an Android phone and I have the accessibility setting to 130%, just because of HN. The main page doesn't utilize the setting, so I wrote my own main page -- it's about 100 lines of JavaScript.

I emailed the moderators about it two Thanksgivings ago. They said they would look at it, but it doesn't look like anything has happened.

(comment deleted)
Sounds like the mobile view isn’t kicking in on the iPad? Is it like that on both orientations? On iPhone 6 it’s ok for me (I need reading glasses)
Check your browser font settings. Most browsers let you set a minimum font size I think so you don't have to fiddle with this per-site.
Thank you. I hate zooming the browser. And of course half the sites are readable already.

I had no idea they had a 'Minimum font' option.

Press the aA button in the address bar of Safari on iPad. You can increase the font size 300% from there