Note: If you enjoy this post, please Digg it, subscribe to the iPad Guru RSS feed and follow me on Twitter! Thanks!
Safari mobile is a fantastic browser, one of the fastest and well written mobile browsers ever, but it still can’t do everything that it’s desktop big brother can. Like search for one stinking word on a page!
One of the things that I miss most when I’m browsing on my iPad is the ability to search within a page for a particular word or term. This bugs the heck out of me especially when I’m searching a blog or long list of items in a forum thread for a specific term. Well there is a workaround, and there are two ways to make it work for you. One is easy but requires a Mac, the other is a bit harder, but can be done right from your iPad (good for Windows users).
Ok, first the hard way, for Windows users (sorry!)….
1. Visit this site on your iPad…. go ahead, I’ll wait……you’re still reading this aren’t you…ok, we’ll pretend you did.
2. Click on THIS LINK. Then copy the big scary block of text (just tap on the block until copy comes up, then drag the handle down until the block is highlighted).
4. Ok, now we’re past it, don’t worry, I won’t let it hurt you. Now, hit the bookmark button at the top of the screen in Safari (the little plus) and hit Add Bookmark. Save it.
5. Now hit the bookmarks button, hit edit and tap on the newly created bookmark, the one below the other iPhone Guru Bookmark already in your list! Clear the name by tapping the line, then the grey x button.
6. Name it FindStuff or something else that you’ll remember, then save it, I recommend moving it to the top of your bookmarks section so it’s easier to grab.
6. Now hit edit, edit the bookmark and clear the address (the second line down). Paste the code into the field by holding on the line then hitting paste. Save it!
Now any time you’re on a page and you need to find something on that page, just hit the bookmark button and your “Find” bookmark and follow the instructions!
Now for the easy way (with a Mac)
1. Drag this word up to your Bookmarks Bar in Safari on your Mac: FindStuff. This is called a bookmarklet.
2. Sync your iPad with the “Sync Bookmarks with Safari” Option under Info checked.
That’s all she wrote, aren’t Mac’s grand?
Now you can tap on the newly created bookmark any time you want to search on a page for a particular word or phrase.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mark druziak, mark druziak. mark druziak said: GREAT ADDITION to Safari for #iPAD – Find Text! http://bit.ly/aTlQAL Search for text on webpage. It's FREE too! From iPadGuru.com [...]
Very clever. Thanks for sharing! (the iPad Guru is now in my bookmark
).
However, after the search it’s impossible to post a comment. Probably due to the Js function.
Cheers,
Jk
Thank you… a gr8 feature Apple should be paying a lot of mone for!
Thanks very much!
Amazing! Thanks so much.
My pleasure!
Very nice. Thank you. One suggestion: I have the iPad Keyboard Dock. Since I’m already typing on the physical keyboard (rather than the on-screen keyboard), it would be nice if, rather than having to click the OK button with my finger on the screen, if you made the Return (Enter) key on the keyboard perform that same function (click the OK button). Please E-mail me to let me know what you think. Thanks!
You may also want to try Find In Page LITE: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/find-in-page-lite/id353333765?mt=8
Find In Page LITE is free (as in beer, not as in speech) and lacks some of the negative side effects of the posted bookmark code. I described the differences here: http://findinpage.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-makes-this-find-in-page.html
You can see videos of Find In Page in action here: http://findinpage.blogspot.com/2010/01/video-finding-needle-in-haystack-with.html
Apologies for self-promotion, but I hope this helps someone looking for a reliable find-text-in-webpage tool on the iPad, iPod, and iPhone.
Thanks for posting the link, I don’t mind self promotion if the product is good and this is good! I’m going to do a post on this, I really like the Lite version so far!
Works like a charm! Thanks a lot!
Great, glad it worked for you!
Nice solution. Leads me to wonder what else can be done from JavaScript in bookmarks..
Very useful thanks
You bet!
Great addition. Finding the iPad seriously lacking, more hype than substance. This is great addition, too bad apple did not include the find function as shipped!
Great work and many thanks!
Thank you SO VERY MUCH! I can’t believe Apple made a browser without search capability! I yes search often. Thank you!
You’re quite welcome! I thought it was pretty nice.
Cool, glad you like it!
This is amazing. My love for my Ipad is now complete!
Kayla
There is also the “find on page” feature in the standard search drop down box. After a page loads click the search box, enter the text you are looking for and scroll down to find on page. It brings up an interface, zooms in and highlights matches on the page.
Damn, the final comment by Mike is correct.. We don’t need this java code. To find on a webpage, simply tap the Google search bar, type the word you want to search , and Tap Find “”. It works much better than the workaround this article suggests! It actually zooms into the word. But thanks for publishing this article iPad guru! It was useful!
Nice. You rock!!!!
Brilliant thx. Do you have a solution for searching for specific terms in a PDF doc using the IPad?
Most PDF apps can do this although the default iOS viewer does not. Grab Goodreader, it’s the best out there right now.
I really don’t understand!What’s so cool about Ipad? Why it is better that a laptop?. The notebooks are more much more cheapper and they have a lot of extra features. On the Ipad is just nice. Guys don’t buy it just because they are cool ask yourself if is realy useful and is the right price. But in this period is all about comercials…
Great stuff Thanks.
Safari for iphone/ipaf have it built in:
http://www.ipadforums.net/ipad-help/26307-safari-find-page-function.html
Why do you include unnecessary steps?
Mac user or pc user… Copy, bookmark, edit, paste. That’s it. Sync with Mac is unnecessary step.
Super! Thanks for this. Mindboggling oversight of Apple to leave this function out, imo.
/Soup
Love it! Thank you!
Zoran is right, just click in the search web field and there is a On this page choice!
This article is well dull, I support!
This was great…really really thank you.
Very cool! Works perfect.
I love apple-people that post the windows-user-way-to-go BEFORE the apple-user-way-to-go. Keep up the good work!
I love you. Lol
Great blog. Many websites like yours cover subjects that can’t be found in magazines and newspapers. I don’t know how we got on 15 years ago with just magazines and newspapers.
Please update your post, that new version of IOSR has this function http://www.tipb.com/2010/09/16/ios-42-features-find-text-safari-web-page/
WOW!!! This is F*€¥ing AWESOME!!!!! I did it the “hard” way but it was so clearly explained that it was super easy, took a only a minute & worked like a charm. You are amazing! Thanks SO MUCH!!!!
Actually there is a far easier way if you have iOS 4.2 or higher on any apple device.
When in safari where the google search bar is just type the word you are searching for and where the suggestions appear there will be another section called “on this page” and you just click on the word to search the page.
Thanks. Very good!!
Oh guru I humbly believe that u have already reached unity with the iDivine… Your blessings upon us please.
Great feature. Thanks.
Definitely, what a magnificent website and informative posts, I will bookmark your blog.Best Regards!
Sources…
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]…
Absolutely brilliant, thank you
I think you have observed some very interesting points , thankyou for the post.