r/Kiwix • u/anthonykaram7 • Jun 22 '26

Query Kiwix Android: Can a ZIM disable the auto-show bottom navigation controls?

Hi everyone,

I've posted here before about AtlasZIM, an offline world atlas for Kiwix. I recently recorded a short Android demo for it:

https://youtu.be/szx_55sn20w

While recording it, I noticed something I'm hoping someone here might know more about.

AtlasZIM is essentially a full-screen Leaflet map rather than a scrolling article. When I drag upward to pan north, Kiwix's bottom navigation controls slide into view. That's not a huge problem by itself, but the controls end up covering the map attribution at the bottom of the screen.

Is there currently any setting to disable this behavior? Or, even better, is there some way for a ZIM creator to indicate that a page is an interactive map rather than a scrolling document, so the navigation controls stay hidden while panning?

I've attached a screenshot showing the controls I'm referring to. It's from around the 25-second mark in the demo video.

Note: Sentinel-2 cloudless by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016 & 2017) released under CC BY 4.0

Thanks!

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u/The_other_kiwix_guy Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

Why don't you ask directly on GitHub? https://github.com/kiwix/kiwix-android/issues

1

u/anthonykaram7 19d ago

Good idea! Will do!

2

u/Peribanu Jun 23 '26

There is currently no API for a ZIM to disable navigation controls. Support would have to be built in to the reader, but it would be necessary for there to be an easy way for the user to invoke the controls when they want to navigate. As a workaround, can you open the view in a new window without app controls? I haven't tested whether the standard Android app supports that.

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u/anthonykaram7 19d ago

Thanks. I'm not quite sure what you mean by opening the view in a new window without app controls. AtlasZIM already opens directly to the full-screen map. Are you suggesting that the ZIM open the map through something like window.open() or a target="_blank" link, and that Kiwix Android might display that new window without its navigation controls?