How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on Android & iOS

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When you browse the internet on an Android or iOS device, you almost always interact withmobile-friendly versions of websitesoptimized for the smaller screen real-estate on your smartphone. However, these sites often lack various features present in their desktop counterparts.

So if you want to access the full-fledged desktop version of a website on a mobile device, you must manually configure the browser to load it in desktop mode. Some browsers also feature the ability to always load sites in desktop mode.

The instructions in this tutorial will demonstrate what you must do to activate desktop mode in all major browsers for iOS and Android devices—Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc.

Tip: Desktop versions of websites are often difficult to navigate on mobile devices. Try zooming in—pinch out with two fingers—to make viewing and interacting with web elements easier.

How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on Android

Android, Google Chrome, Samsung Internet Browser, and Mozilla Firefox let you quickly enable desktop mode for any open tab. A tab with desktop mode active will continue to load sites and web pages in desktop mode until you close it or re-activate mobile mode.

The same applies to Microsoft Edge and Opera Browser, but these browsers also allow you to always load the desktop versions of sites across all tabs.

In the Google Chrome browser, start by opening theChromemenu (tap the icon with three dots on the top right corner of the screen). On the menu that then shows up, tap the box next toDesktop siteto activate the desktop mode.

If you want to deactivate the desktop view for a tab, simply re-open theChromemenu and uncheck the box next toDesktop site.

While having a site open in Samsung Internet Browser, simply select theMenuicon (three stacked lines) on the bottom right of the tab and tapDesktop siteto launch its desktop version.

Want to go back to the mobile version? Just tap theMenuicon again and selectMobile site.

To activate desktop mode in any tab on Mozilla Firefox, open theFirefoxmenu (tap the three dots next to the address bar) and turn on the switch next toDesktop site.

To deactivate desktop mode for the tab, re-open theFirefoxmenu and turn off the switch next toDesktop site.

You can activate desktop mode for a tab inMicrosoft Edge for Androidby tapping theView desktop site optionon theEdgemenu (tap icon with three dots on the bottom of the screen). Conversely, tapMobile siteon the same menu to deactivate the function.

Optionally, you can configure Edge to work as a desktop browser on your Android phone. To do that, tapSettingson theEdgemenu. Then, tapGeneral>Site Display Settingsand activate the radio button next toShow desktop site as default.

To activate desktop mode for a tab in Opera Browser, just open theOperamenu (tap three dots to the right of the URL bar) and turn on the switch next toDesktop site. Disable it whenever you want to deactivate desktop mode.

Opera also allows you to configure all sites to load in desktop mode. To do that, tap the profile icon at the bottom right of the screen and selectSettings. Then, scroll down to theContentsection and tapDefault user agent. Follow that by turning on the radio button next toDesktopon the pop-up that shows up.

How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on iOS

Apple Safari—the native browser built into iOS—allows you to temporarily activate desktop mode for a tab and lets you load the desktop version of any site. You can even configure the browser to open all sites in desktop mode.

If you use a third-party browser such as Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Opera Browser on your iPhone, you can only configure individual tabs to load sites in desktop mode. An exception is Microsoft Edge, which allows you to view the desktop versions of all sites by default.

While using Safari, open theSafarimenu (tap theaAicon) and selectRequest Desktop Websiteto load any site on the tab in desktop mode. TapRequest Mobile Siteto disable desktop mode for the tab.

If you always want the Safari browser to load a site in desktop mode, tap theWebsite Settingsoption and turn the switch next toRequest Desktop Website.

If you want to configure Safari to load all sites in desktop mode, open the iPhone’sSettingsapp, scroll down and tapSafari, selectRequest Desktop Website, and turn on the switch next toAll Websites.

In Google Chrome for iOS, open theChromemenu (tap the three dots on the navigation bar), scroll down the list of options, and tapRequest Desktop Site.

If you want to make the tab load sites in mobile mode again, just re-open theChromemenu and tapRequest Mobile Site.

In Firefox, you can activate desktop mode for a tab by tapping theMoreicon (three dots next to the address bar) and selectingRequest Desktop Siteon the drop-down menu.

To make the tab load in mobile mode again, simply re-open theMoremenu and selectRequest Mobile Site.

While viewing a site in Microsoft Edge, open theEdgemenu (tap icon with three dots at the bottom-center), scroll down the list of options, and tapView desktop siteto load its desktop version. To disable desktop mobe, just tapView mobile siteon the same menu.

You can also configure Edge to load all sites in desktop mode on your iPhone by default. To do that, tap the three-dot button and selectSettings. Then, tapGeneral>Site Display Settingsand activate theShow desktop site as defaultoption.

In Opera Browser, you can load a site in desktop mode for a tab by opening theOperamenu (tap icon with three stacked lines) and enabling the switch next toDesktop Site.

To deactivate desktop mode for the tab, simply re-open theOperamenu and turn off the switch next toDesktop Site.

Use Your Mobile Device to Browse Like on a Desktop

If your preferred browser for Android or iOS doesn’t appear above, you’ll most likely find the option to load sites in desktop mode somewhere within the browser’s menu or settings page. Just do some digging around, and you’ll surely come across it.

On tablet devices, the chances are that your browser already comes with desktop mode active as the default. For example, the tablet versions of Safari and Chrome load sites in desktop mode (similar to a Windows 10/11 PC or Mac), so you don’t have to do anything extra.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on Android & iOS#

How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on Android#

How to Activate Desktop Mode in Any Browser on iOS#

Use Your Mobile Device to Browse Like on a Desktop#