LatLong map picker: allow pinch-to-zoom and drag-to-pan on mobile

AppSheet AppSheet Q&A
1

When entering a LatLong value in a form, the map picker opens so the user can place the pin. On mobile, this map does not respond to standard touch gestures:

  • Pinch-to-zoom does nothing. Zoom is only possible through the + and − buttons.
  • Dragging with a finger does not pan the map.

Every other map on the device, including the Google Maps app itself and AppSheet’s own Map views, responds to these gestures. The picker is the only place where they are unavailable, so it feels broken rather than restricted.

This matters for field data entry. I use the picker to record the location of agricultural parcels, and the pin has to land on a specific point in open terrain with few landmarks. Reaching that point with only the zoom buttons takes many taps, and without panning I cannot move the view to where the parcel actually is.

The underlying Google Maps SDKs expose these gestures as settings that are enabled by default, so this looks like they are being explicitly turned off in the picker rather than being unavailable.

Could pinch-to-zoom and drag-to-pan be enabled in the LatLong picker?

2

Hello @Rausa,

Thanks for reporting this! I tested the behavior on my mobile device using this template app:

On my side, pinch-to-zoom worked as expected. I might be missing a specific configuration or step—could you share a bit more detail? For instance:

  • Your device model and OS version (iOS or Android)

  • Whether this happens on a native Map view or within a Form/LatLong column

  • A quick screen recording or screenshot of what happens when you try to zoom

Looking forward to digging into this with you!

3

Hi Jose,

Thanks for testing this. I think the template app you tried may not reproduce the exact spot I’m describing, so let me narrow it down.

There are two different places a LatLong map can appear in an AppSheet app: a Detail view showing an existing location, and the picker that opens when you tap a LatLong field while filling out a Form (adding or editing a row). On my device, pinch to zoom and drag to pan both work fine in the Detail view. The problem is specific to the Form picker, the small map that pops up so you can place or move the pin while entering data. In that picker, pinch does nothing and dragging does not pan, only the plus and minus buttons move the zoom level.

Could you retest specifically by opening a form to add or edit a record with a LatLong column, tapping the field to open the picker, and trying to pinch zoom and drag pan inside that picker view rather than on a Detail screen? That is the exact spot where it fails for me.

Let me know what you find.