I added a few links to a custom sidebar section I have, then realized I should flip two of them, and found that trying to drag a link scrolls the page, and holding → dragging selects the link, doesn’t allow scrolling, but also doesn’t allow moving the link.
AI-generated summary
Users report significant difficulties when attempting to rearrange links within custom sidebar sections on mobile and tablet devices. Firepup650 notes that dragging links on touchscreens often results in unintended page scrolling or text selection rather than moving the item. Lilly confirms the inconsistency, stating that while reordering sometimes works on an iPad, it is more reliable via the desktop customize modal by dragging the equals sign. Moin provides a video demonstration of the issue, and Jagster reiterates that the problem persists on iPads.
Moin suggests that the ember-sortable library, which handles touch interactions effectively, could be a potential solution for improving the user experience on touch devices. Although Moin acknowledges recent improvements to desktop drag-and-drop functionality for sidebar content, they emphasize that rearranging links on tablets remains impossible. The discussion highlights a disconnect between the platform’s desktop capabilities and its mobile usability, with users requesting that the new desktop features be extended to touch interfaces to make the experience more “born to touch.”
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yea it seems to work sometimes and not others. i can get it to work on my ipad in mobile view and (desktop). however you can also reorder links in the customize pop up modal by click and dragging the equals sign on the left side up and down in desktop view.
i can do the menu drag rearrange much easier on my ipad in both desktop and mobile than with a mouse in windows chrome.
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I ran into that problem today too. But even with your explanation, I still don’t get how it works on touch devices.
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And this is still an issue, with iPad anyway.
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I’ve been exploring ways to allow users to reorder items in a theme component I’m working on. ChatGPT suggested ember-sortable, and I was surprised at how well it works on my tablet.
That made me wonder if that could help to improve reordering sidebar links on touch devices.
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There are now super cool new features for rearranging sidebar links on desktop devices New drag-and-drop support for managing custom sidebar content. But rearranging sidebar links on my tablet is still impossible.
Is there any chance this will be improved now too? Discourse doesn’t feel that “born to touch” in this context at the moment.