How to hide scroll bar, but while still being able to scroll ?

Here’s a comprehensive guide with multiple methods, detailed explanations, and real-world examples to hide scrollbars while maintaining scrolling functionality:

1. Modern CSS Approach (Recommended)

The most efficient method for modern browsers using CSS scrollbar properties.

Implementation:

.scroll-container {
  overflow: auto; /* Enable scrolling */
  -ms-overflow-style: none;  /* IE/Edge */
  scrollbar-width: none;  /* Firefox */
}

/* Hide scrollbar for Chrome/Safari/Opera */
.scroll-container::-webkit-scrollbar {
  display: none;
}

Example Usage:

<div class="scroll-container" style="height: 300px; border: 1px solid #ccc;">
  <div style="height: 800px"> <!-- Long content -->
    <p>Scrollable content with hidden scrollbar...</p>
  </div>
</div>

Key Points:

• Works in 95%+ of modern browsers
• No layout shifts (scrollbar space remains reserved)
• Zero JavaScript required

2. Container Offset Technique

A cross-browser solution using nested containers.

Implementation:

.outer-wrapper {
  width: 300px;
  height: 400px;
  overflow: hidden; /* Hide overflow */
  position: relative;
}

.inner-container {
  width: calc(100% + 17px); /* Compensate for scrollbar width */
  height: 100%;
  overflow-y: scroll; /* Enable scrolling */
  padding-right: 17px; /* Prevent content clipping */
}

HTML Structure:

<div class="outer-wrapper">
  <div class="inner-container">
    <!-- Long content here -->
  </div>
</div>

Visual Explanation:

[Outer Container]        [Inner Container]
|---------------|        |------------------|
| Hidden Overflow| <---- | Actual Content + |
|               |        | Scrollbar (pushed|
|               |        | outside parent)  |
|---------------|        |------------------|

3. Custom Scrollbar Styling

Make scrollbars invisible instead of hiding them:

.invisible-scroll {
  scrollbar-width: thin;
  scrollbar-color: transparent transparent;
}

/* WebKit Browsers */
.invisible-scroll::-webkit-scrollbar {
  width: 0;  /* Zero width but still functional */
  background: transparent;
}

4. Framework-Specific Solutions

React Component:

import React from 'react';

const HiddenScroll = ({ children, height }) => (
  <div style={{
    height,
    overflow: 'auto',
    scrollbarWidth: 'none',
    msOverflowStyle: 'none'
  }}>
    {children}
    <style>{`
      ::-webkit-scrollbar { display: none }
    `}</style>
  </div>
);

// Usage:
<HiddenScroll height="400px">
  {/* Long content */}
</HiddenScroll>

Tailwind CSS:

<div class="overflow-auto [scrollbar-width:none] 
           [-ms-overflow-style:none] 
           [&::-webkit-scrollbar]:hidden">
  <!-- Content -->
</div>

5. Advanced Techniques

Horizontal Scroll Example:

.horizontal-scroll {
  overflow-x: auto;
  scrollbar-width: none;
  -ms-overflow-style: none;
}

.horizontal-scroll::-webkit-scrollbar {
  height: 0 !important;
}

Conditional Scrollbar Visibility:

/* Show scrollbar on hover */
.scroll-container:hover::-webkit-scrollbar {
  display: block;
}

Real-World Use Cases

1. Chat Application

<div class="chat-window">
  <div class="messages-container">
    <!-- Messages -->
  </div>
</div>

<style>
  .chat-window {
    height: 500px;
    overflow: hidden;
  }

  .messages-container {
    height: 100%;
    overflow-y: scroll;
    padding-right: 17px;
    width: calc(100% + 17px);
  }
</style>

2. Full-Page Scroll

body {
  overflow: hidden;
}

html {
  scrollbar-width: none;
  -ms-overflow-style: none;
}

html::-webkit-scrollbar {
  display: none;
}

Critical Considerations

1. Scrollbar Width Variations:

• Windows: 17px
• macOS: 7-15px (depends on trackpad settings)
• Use scrollbarWidth: 'thin' for consistent behavior

1. Accessibility Concerns:

• Provide alternative navigation (arrow keys, scroll indicators)
• Consider reduced motion preferences

1. Mobile Behavior:

   /* Enable iOS momentum scrolling */
   -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch;

4. Browser Support Table:

Browser	CSS Method	Container Offset
Chrome	✅	✅
Firefox	✅	✅
Safari	✅	✅
Edge	✅	✅
IE 11	❌	✅

Troubleshooting Guide

Problem: Content jumps when scrolling
Solution: Use scrollbar-gutter: stable (CSS property)

Problem: Horizontal layout shift
Fix: Add padding-right: 17px to maintain spacing

Problem: Mobile inertial scrolling not working
Fix: Add -webkit-overflow-scrolling: touch

Performance Comparison

Method	Layout Shifts	GPU Usage	Mobile Performance
CSS Hide	No	Low	Excellent
Container Offset	Yes	Medium	Good
Custom Scrollbar	No	Low	Excellent

Choose the method based on your browser support requirements and performance needs. The CSS method is recommended for most modern applications, while container offset provides better legacy browser support.