How To Change Your Browser’s User Agent Without Installing An Extension

Get rid of bloat and enhance security

The user-agent string is a little-known line of information with a very big impact on how browsers see the web. We recently discussed thebenefits of a user-agent switcherand how it can enhance your browsing experience.

However, switching your browser’s user agent no longer requires that you install third-party software, such as extensions. Over the past few years, mainstream browsers have all started including such functionality as a part of their developer console or within standard menus.

Although uncommon, there is a chance for browser extensions to become hijacked for malicious purposes, which could be a risk to your security. They can also add unnecessary bloat to the browser and eventually cause it to slow down.

In this article, let’s go over how you can change your user agent in today’s most popular browsers without an extension.

How To Change Your User Agent In Google Chrome

Here, you can select from a set of defined user agents or even enter your owncustom user agent string. It’s that simple.

How To Change Your User Agent In Mozilla Firefox Or

Opera

Without using a browser add-on, changing Firefox’s user agent is a tricky task that requires you to delve deep into the browser’s configuration. For Opera users, you can follow these same instructions – the process is identical.

The string will remain in your settings, but setting it to a blank value has the same effect as deleting it.

How To Change Your User Agent In Microsoft Edge

Edge is the new browser that Microsoft has been trying to shine a spotlight on lately, but if you still prefer Internet Explorer, the process to change your user agent is the same.

Edge’s emulation options are quite robust, allowing you to change your device, display orientation/resolution, geolocation, and user-agent string.

Like many other browsers, Edge supportscustom user-agent strings.

How To Change Your User Agent In Safari

Safari allows you to change your user agent from the menu bar, but you’ll first need to enable the developer menu.

If you’re not afraid to go under the hood, changing the user-agent string via the preferences or developer console of your browser is a great way to skip out on one extra browser extension. There are millions of valid user-agent strings out there, so keep in mind that using a custom string is usually an option in the case that the presets don’t offer what you’re looking for.

Also, remember to clear or undo all changes made to your user-agent string if you want to browse the internet as intended. Many websites will alter the way content is delivered to you based on your user agent, so forgetting this can cause you to view websites in a suboptimal way.

Craig is a long-time writer, coder, and marketer with years of experience in the technology and gaming spaces. Since 2008, he’s worked remotely with some of the most notable publications in these industries, specializing in Windows, PC hardware and software, automation, and the like.Read Craig’s Full Bio

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