Changing the background color of a select box without removing the right arrow on Mobile Safari

Question

Changing the background color of a select box without removing the right arrow on Mobile Safari

I am trying to update the background color of my select box to a solid color while keeping the right arrow (drop-down arrow) visible.

My current approach is as follows:

select {
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    border: 0;
    background: none;
}

While this method works well in most browsers, Safari on my iPhone 4s with iOS 7 is an exception. In this case, the right-arrow disappears and may confuse users regarding the functionality of the select box.

Removing the -webkit-appearance property does not resolve the issue.

I want to avoid creating a fake arrow, as this could impact other browsers' appearances.

Any suggestions on how to retain the right arrow when changing the background color?

ios css select background safari

Answer 1

Answer №1

Here is the solution I found for iOS8 to eliminate the gradient and allow the dropdown to appear on a non-white background:

To achieve this, I applied background-color: white before adding the image.

I also included a custom arrow using a base64 PNG directly in my CSS.

.uglyselect & select  
{
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    background-color: white;
    background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABIAAAAJCAYAAAA/33wPAAAAvklEQVQoFY2QMQqEMBBFv7ERa/EMXkGw11K8QbDXzuN4BHv7QO6ifUgj7v4UAdlVM8Uwf+b9YZJISnlqrfEUZVlinucnBGKaJgghbiHOyLyFKIoCbdvecpyReYvo/Ma2bajrGtbaC58kCdZ1RZ7nl/4/4d5EsO/7nzl7IUtodBexMMagaRrs+06JLMvcNWmaOv2W/C/TMAyD58dxROgSmvxFFMdxoOs6lliWBXEcuzokXRbRoJRyvqqqQvye+QDMDz1D6yuj9wAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==);
    background-position : right center;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    padding-right: 1.5em;
}

If you're wondering about .uglyselect, it's my Modernizr test specifically designed for iPad devices.

 Modernizr.addTest('uglyselect', function ()
 {
     return navigator.userAgent.match(/(iPad|iPhone|iPod)/g) ? true : false;
 });

Feel free to rename or remove it if not using Modernizr. I chose to target iOS only to simplify testing since the default desktop dropdown style worked fine for me.

(Adjust padding values as needed, especially for longer text inputs).

Answer 2

Here is the solution I found for iOS8 to eliminate the gradient and allow the dropdown to appear on a non-white background:

To achieve this, I applied background-color: white before adding the image.

I also included a custom arrow using a base64 PNG directly in my CSS.

.uglyselect & select  
{
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    background-color: white;
    background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABIAAAAJCAYAAAA/33wPAAAAvklEQVQoFY2QMQqEMBBFv7ERa/EMXkGw11K8QbDXzuN4BHv7QO6ifUgj7v4UAdlVM8Uwf+b9YZJISnlqrfEUZVlinucnBGKaJgghbiHOyLyFKIoCbdvecpyReYvo/Ma2bajrGtbaC58kCdZ1RZ7nl/4/4d5EsO/7nzl7IUtodBexMMagaRrs+06JLMvcNWmaOv2W/C/TMAyD58dxROgSmvxFFMdxoOs6lliWBXEcuzokXRbRoJRyvqqqQvye+QDMDz1D6yuj9wAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==);
    background-position : right center;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    padding-right: 1.5em;
}

If you're wondering about .uglyselect, it's my Modernizr test specifically designed for iPad devices.

 Modernizr.addTest('uglyselect', function ()
 {
     return navigator.userAgent.match(/(iPad|iPhone|iPod)/g) ? true : false;
 });

Feel free to rename or remove it if not using Modernizr. I chose to target iOS only to simplify testing since the default desktop dropdown style worked fine for me.

(Adjust padding values as needed, especially for longer text inputs).

Answer 3

Answer №2

When it comes to styling the select element using CSS, finding a reliable cross-browser implementation can be quite challenging. A more effective approach is to develop your own dropdown menu with JavaScript and apply consistent styles to ensure uniformity across all browsers.

Answer 4

When it comes to styling the select element using CSS, finding a reliable cross-browser implementation can be quite challenging. A more effective approach is to develop your own dropdown menu with JavaScript and apply consistent styles to ensure uniformity across all browsers.

Answer 5

Answer №3

This approach has proven to be effective for me personally.

If you are utilizing modernizr, include the following code in your scripts file:

jQuery(function ($) {
    if (navigator.userAgent.match('iPad|iPhone|iPod') != -1 ) {
        $('select').addClass('iOSselect'); // apply a class for iOS select box
    }
});

Afterwards, implement the specific CSS styles mentioned in other posts.

For instance:

select.iOSselect {
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    background-color: white;
    background-image: url('images/iOS-select-arrow');
    background-position : right center;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    padding-right: 1.5em;
}

I hope this information is helpful. There might be alternative methods, but this one has worked well for me.

Answer 6

This approach has proven to be effective for me personally.

If you are utilizing modernizr, include the following code in your scripts file:

jQuery(function ($) {
    if (navigator.userAgent.match('iPad|iPhone|iPod') != -1 ) {
        $('select').addClass('iOSselect'); // apply a class for iOS select box
    }
});

Afterwards, implement the specific CSS styles mentioned in other posts.

For instance:

select.iOSselect {
    -webkit-appearance: none;
    background-color: white;
    background-image: url('images/iOS-select-arrow');
    background-position : right center;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    padding-right: 1.5em;
}

I hope this information is helpful. There might be alternative methods, but this one has worked well for me.

Changing the background color of a select box without removing the right arrow on Mobile Safari

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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