What device am I using?

Your Device

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How device detection works

The detected device type is how your browser presents itself to websites: as a desktop, mobile phone or tablet. Websites use it to choose a layout, size buttons for touch and suggest the right app or download.

How websites detect your device

Most device detection reads the user agent. Phones include a Mobile token, Android tablets usually leave it out, and desktop browsers report a desktop operating system. Chromium-based browsers also send a Sec-CH-UA-Mobile header that says directly whether the device is mobile.

Detection databases match these patterns against thousands of known devices, browsers and bots to decide on a type. Most report categories such as desktop, smartphone, tablet, smart TV, console, wearable and bot.

Responsive design vs. device detection

Modern websites mostly use responsive design: the same page adapts its layout to the screen width, regardless of the device. Device detection is still used where the screen size doesn’t tell the whole story:

  • offering the iOS or Android version of an app
  • serving smaller images and videos to phones on mobile networks
  • adapting features for touch screens, TVs or game consoles
  • analytics: knowing what share of visitors use phones

When the result looks wrong

  • Desktop on a phone: “Request desktop site” is switched on.
  • Mac on an iPad: expected, because iPadOS Safari identifies itself as macOS.
  • Unknown or generic: an uncommon browser, a privacy extension, or a modified user agent.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my iPad show up as a Mac?

Since iPadOS 13, Safari on iPad requests desktop websites by default and sends the same user agent as a Mac. To websites, an iPad looks like a desktop computer unless it uses other signals, such as touch support.

Why does my phone show as a desktop?

Request desktop site is probably turned on in your browser. Turn it off in the browser menu, or in Safari’s page settings on iPhone, and reload the page.

Can websites see my exact phone model?

Less and less. Chrome on Android no longer includes the model in its default user agent. Sites can request it through User-Agent Client Hints, and some apps and older browsers still send it.