disable text highlighting on double click in jQuery

I solved this using the non-standard CSS keyword user-select:

.unselectable {
  -moz-user-select: none;
  -webkit-user-select: none;
  -ms-user-select: none;
}

I'm writing on iPhone, while away from the desk, but a quick Google turned up this page: disable text selection with jQuery.


Edited in response to the 'dead link' comment (from @Herb Caudill). While the original link is, indeed, dead, it appears to be due to a site restructuring (rather than removal) and the new location for the article can be found here: http://chris-barr.com/index.php/entry/disable_text_selection_with_jquery/

And the code provided in that article is reproduced below:

$(function(){
    $.extend($.fn.disableTextSelect = function() {
        return this.each(function(){
            if($.browser.mozilla){//Firefox
                $(this).css('MozUserSelect','none');
            }else if($.browser.msie){//IE
                $(this).bind('selectstart',function(){return false;});
            }else{//Opera, etc.
                $(this).mousedown(function(){return false;});
            }
        });
    });
    $('.noSelect').disableTextSelect();//No text selection on elements with a class of 'noSelect'
});

jQuery snippet written by Chris Barr, of chris-barr.com, as accessed on Friday, 21st of January, 2011.


If you use jQuery UI you can disable text selection as simple as that:

$("body").disableSelection();