Often, the mobile versions of websites make drastic compromises to facilitate smoother navigation on our smartphone screens. That means you will likely end up loading certain sites in desktop mode for instances where you want to access web elements that aren't present on their mobile counterparts.
If you have updated your iPhone to iOS 13, Safari won't show the option to launch sites in desktop mode in its usual location any longer. That isn't surprising considering the various features that Apple has moved around in other native apps as well — the missing Updates tab in the App Store comes to mind.
But instead of simply having its Request Desktop Website option relocated, Safari has also gotten a whole lot better in terms of flexibility. You can now configure a site, or all sites in general, to always launch in desktop mode, which should come in quite useful.
Jul 25, 2019 To request a desktop site in Safari on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 13, simply follow these steps. Navigate to a website that you'd like to view the desktop version of. Jul 15, 2019 To make matters even better, Safari in iOS 13 can load all sites in desktop mode by default. Previously, you had to install and use a third-party web browser to gain access to such functionality. Apple has stopped supporting Safari for Windows for quite some time, and there are no updates, bug fixes, or patches available. Besides that, using older versions of Safari on PC might invite malware from certain websites. Given the risk, it is not really advisable to download and use Safari on Windows for regular users. Safari for Windows includes several good features and options behind that really good interface. Tabbed browsing, pop-up blocking, forms autofill, built-in RSS, private browsing.
So without any further ado, let's check out how you go around doing all of that — starting with where the missing option is now located.
Note: If you are on iPadOS, the desktop mode is enabled by default for all sites in Safari. Also on Guiding Tech Top 9 Safari Alternatives for iPhone Read MoreDownload Safari For Desktop
1. Enable Desktop Mode for a Tab Temporarily
Rather than using the Share Sheet or long-pressing the Refresh icon to access the option to launch a site in desktop mode, simply press the aA icon located to the upper-left corner of the screen instead.
On the menu that shows up, tap Request Desktop Website, and Safari will oblige immediately. The setting only applies to the tab that's currently active. However, any links within the tab that you choose to open in new tabs will load in desktop mode as well.
The tab will continue to load sites in desktop mode unless you either close the tab or specify it to load the mobile versions of websites again.
Tip: To make a tab go back to loading the mobile version of a site again, tap the aA icon, and then tap Request Mobile Website.2. Enable Desktop Mode for a Site Permanently
If you would prefer to have a specific site load in desktop mode at all times, you don't have to go around doing that manually anymore. Instead, iOS 13 now lets you configure Safari to automatically render the desktop version of any site always quite easily.
Visit the site that you want to load in desktop mode. Next, tap the aA icon, and then tap Website Settings. On the menu that shows up, turn on the switch next to Request Desktop Website.
Tap Done, and that's it. The site will now load in desktop mode all the time regardless of whichever tab you use. If you want to stop that from happening in the future, open the Website Settings pane while you have the site loaded, and then turn off the switch next to Request Desktop Website.
Also on Guiding Tech #iOS 13 Click here to see our iOS 13 articles page3. Enable Desktop Mode for all Sites Permanently
To make matters even better, Safari in iOS 13 can load all sites in desktop mode by default. Previously, you had to install and use a third-party web browser to gain access to such functionality. Hence, it's terrific of Apple to provide native support for desktop mode everywhere finally.
However, you can't enable desktop mode for all sites via Safari itself. Instead, you need to dive into the Settings app of your iPhone to do that.
Step 1: Tap the Settings icon on the Home screen. After the Settings app shows up, scroll down and tap on Safari.
Step 2: On the Safari Settings screen, scroll down and tap Request Desktop Website. Convert numbers file to excel online. Next, turn on the switch next to Request On All Websites.
Exit the Settings app, and then launch Safari. All sites will now load in desktop mode until you decide to turn the option off via the Settings app.
If you want to exclude certain sites from loading in desktop mode, bring up the aA menu, tap Website Settings, and then turn off the switch next to Request Desktop Website.
Also on Guiding TechHow To Install Safari
Top 5 Browsers on iPhone with Ad Blocking Support Read MoreDesktop-Like Experience on Mobile
As you just found out, you can make a tab load in desktop mode while using Safari, and also configure select sites or all websites to do that. The desktop sites don't really look all that good on the iPhone, and also there are interaction challenges involved. That said, the additional flexibility that the browser now provides means that you can have desktop mode enabled just for those sites that you visit often. Kudos, Apple!
Next up: Brave is a fascinating privacy-oriented web browser that's been gaining a lot of traction across all major platforms in recent times. Find out if it's good enough to make you ditch Safari on the iPhone for good.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextSafari vs Brave: Which Browser Should You Use on iPhoneAlso See#iphone #safari
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When we are browsing through websites on a mobile device, we often feel that some options are not available and they don't look familiar compared to a desktop experience. Hence, we log in to the same site using our desktop computer.
What if I say that you no longer need to start your computer for this purpose? Yes, that's true. The Safari browser does support a feature called Request Desktop Site view. Sounds interesting, right? Basically, when you're using the Safari browser on your iPhone, you can quickly request the desktop version of the site.
The other day, my father was browsing through an important official website when he complained that some options were not visible on the mobile. He was upset since the work had to be done quickly and the laptop was completely drained out of battery. Then, I helped him discover how to request desktop site on iPhone.
Related: How to View Mobile Site in Safari on Mac Computer?
The Safari browser will quickly reload the website page and display the desktop version of the site on the mobile phone. A very similar feature is also available on Chrome Android and Edge Android.
How to Request Desktop Site on Safari iPhone or iPad?
The built-in feature within the Safari browser running on iOS or iPadOS has the ability to request desktop site safari on small screens. The feature is very handy when used smartly. Perhaps, this will also eliminate desktop computer usage in some cases.
Here are the steps on how to request desktop site on iPhone or iPad:
Safari For Desktop Download
- Launch the Safari browser app on iPhone or iPad.
- Open the Website URL that you want to request a desktop website.
- Tap on the AA icon within the URL bar.
- From the available list, select the Request Desktop Website option.
This will reload the website page and load the desktop version of the site. You may not be able to see major differences on the iPad though but on iPhone, you will notice the UI changes.
You can also disable the desktop site view by simply tapping on the Request Mobile Site under the same reading icon. The request desktop site safari is an effective feature when you do not have a computer or laptop handy to load a desktop site.
Bottom Line: Desktop Site on Safari iOS
The Request the Desktop site view on the Safari browser within iPhone or iPad is a great feature. It comes in handy when any desktop site features are not available on mobile sites.
The request desktop site safari feature will also eliminate our urge to access desktop computers for any immediate work. Since now we can do that from hand-held mobile devices with complete ease.
I do use the desktop site view when the content within the mobile site is getting trimmed. For example, tabular data that's not visible on the phone can be loaded on a full-screen computer site view. This way I'm able to read the trimmed out data.
I helped my father figure out the same by teaching him how to request desktop site on iPhone. He could do his work properly without having to open the laptop or computer now.
Similarly, you can also request the mobile site on a safari mac computer using the developer tools. The developer tools allow us to manage the screen size and watch the changes on websites in real-time.
Let us know what you think about getting a desktop site view on your iPhone? Isn't it cool to use this feature?
Lastly, here are the recommended web browsers for your computer and mobile phone that you should give a try.
| Windows | MacOS | iOS | Android | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome Windows | Chrome Mac | Chrome iOS | Chrome Android | Firefox Linux |
| Firefox Windows | Safari Mac | Safari iOS | Edge Android | Chrome Linux |
| Edge Windows | Firefox Mac | Edge iOS | Samsung Internet | Edge Linux |
If you've any thoughts on How to Request and View Desktop Site on Safari iOS/iPadOS?, then feel free to drop in below comment box. Also, please subscribe to our BrowserHow YouTube channel for videos tutorials. Cheers!
