Identify whether a mobile browser is being used on an iOS or Android phone or tablet

Question

Identify whether a mobile browser is being used on an iOS or Android phone or tablet

Is it possible to determine if a mobile browser is being used (iOS/Android phone/tablet)?

I attempted to achieve this by trying to adjust the width of an element to be half as wide when viewed on a mobile device, but unfortunately it did not work.

width: 600px;
@media handheld { width: 300px; }

Is there a way to accomplish this, and if so, what would be the best approach?

edit: Following the guidance provided in jmaes' response, I have utilized

@media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px)

.

css media-queries

Answer 1

Answer №1

Here is my solution:

@media (pointer:none), (pointer:coarse) {
}

I found some helpful information at

Answer 2

Here is my solution:

@media (pointer:none), (pointer:coarse) {
}

I found some helpful information at

Answer 3

Answer №2

Update (June 2016): In today's evolving device landscape, I have adapted to provide support for both touch and mouse input across all resolutions. With devices like iPad Pros having a touch interface equivalent to a 13" laptop and Windows laptops now commonly equipped with touch screens, it is important to cater to the varying user experiences.

While there are other similar SO responses that offer different methods for identifying user devices, none of them are foolproof. I suggest exploring those answers if determining the device type is crucial for your application.

It is worth noting that iPhones, among others, disregard the handheld query, as detailed in this source. This behavior may extend to other smartphones due to similar considerations.

My current approach to detecting mobile devices involves assessing their width and utilizing corresponding media queries to identify them accurately. The provided link showcases some popular media queries, while additional ones can easily be found through a quick online search.

For more iPhone-specific detection techniques, particularly concerning Retina displays, I recommend referring back to the initial resource mentioned.

Answer 4

Update (June 2016): In today's evolving device landscape, I have adapted to provide support for both touch and mouse input across all resolutions. With devices like iPad Pros having a touch interface equivalent to a 13" laptop and Windows laptops now commonly equipped with touch screens, it is important to cater to the varying user experiences.

While there are other similar SO responses that offer different methods for identifying user devices, none of them are foolproof. I suggest exploring those answers if determining the device type is crucial for your application.

It is worth noting that iPhones, among others, disregard the handheld query, as detailed in this source. This behavior may extend to other smartphones due to similar considerations.

My current approach to detecting mobile devices involves assessing their width and utilizing corresponding media queries to identify them accurately. The provided link showcases some popular media queries, while additional ones can easily be found through a quick online search.

For more iPhone-specific detection techniques, particularly concerning Retina displays, I recommend referring back to the initial resource mentioned.

Answer 5

Answer №3

Avoid targeting mobile devices, focus on desktop screens instead.

In the current year (2016), there exists a method to determine dots per inch/cm/px that functions effectively on most up-to-date web browsers (refer to http://caniuse.com/#feat=css-media-resolution). I required a technique for distinguishing between a relatively small screen regardless of orientation and a fixed desktop monitor.

Given that numerous mobile browsers do not offer support for this feature, it is possible to create general CSS code for all scenarios and use an exception for larger screens:

@media (max-resolution: 1dppx) {
    /* ... */
}

Both Windows XP and 7 are set at default with 1 dot per pixel (or 96dpi). While I cannot confirm its functionality on other OS, this approach suits my requirements perfectly.

Edit: The usage of dppx appears ineffective in Internet Explorer; substitute with (96)dpi instead.

Answer 6

Avoid targeting mobile devices, focus on desktop screens instead.

In the current year (2016), there exists a method to determine dots per inch/cm/px that functions effectively on most up-to-date web browsers (refer to http://caniuse.com/#feat=css-media-resolution). I required a technique for distinguishing between a relatively small screen regardless of orientation and a fixed desktop monitor.

Given that numerous mobile browsers do not offer support for this feature, it is possible to create general CSS code for all scenarios and use an exception for larger screens:

@media (max-resolution: 1dppx) {
    /* ... */
}

Both Windows XP and 7 are set at default with 1 dot per pixel (or 96dpi). While I cannot confirm its functionality on other OS, this approach suits my requirements perfectly.

Edit: The usage of dppx appears ineffective in Internet Explorer; substitute with (96)dpi instead.

Answer 7

Answer №4

Below are solutions employing 2 distinct methods:

Method 1: CSS

/* If the device is equipped with a touch screen */
@media (any-pointer: coarse) {
    /* Define your customized styles here */
    .yourDiv:active {
        background-color:red; 
    }
}

/* If the device does not have a touch screen */
@media (any-pointer: fine) {
    /* Define your customized styles here */
    .yourDiv:active {
        background-color:green; 
    }
}

Important Reminder:
To ensure compatibility across all devices, use any-pointer instead of pointer

Method 2: JavaScript

/* Returns true if the device has a touch screen regardless of its type */
var isTouchScreen = 'ontouchstart' in window || navigator.msMaxTouchPoints;

if(isTouchScreen === true) {
alert("You are using a touch screen")
} else {
 alert("You are not using a touch screen")
}

Answer 8

Below are solutions employing 2 distinct methods:

Method 1: CSS

/* If the device is equipped with a touch screen */
@media (any-pointer: coarse) {
    /* Define your customized styles here */
    .yourDiv:active {
        background-color:red; 
    }
}

/* If the device does not have a touch screen */
@media (any-pointer: fine) {
    /* Define your customized styles here */
    .yourDiv:active {
        background-color:green; 
    }
}

Important Reminder:
To ensure compatibility across all devices, use any-pointer instead of pointer

Method 2: JavaScript

/* Returns true if the device has a touch screen regardless of its type */
var isTouchScreen = 'ontouchstart' in window || navigator.msMaxTouchPoints;

if(isTouchScreen === true) {
alert("You are using a touch screen")
} else {
 alert("You are not using a touch screen")
}

Answer 9

Answer №5

Identifying mobile devices

For those looking to identify mobile devices, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to utilize a combination of methods and techniques to effectively detect a wider array of handheld devices. Check out the provided link for a variety of options to consider.

Answer 10

Identifying mobile devices

For those looking to identify mobile devices, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The key is to utilize a combination of methods and techniques to effectively detect a wider array of handheld devices. Check out the provided link for a variety of options to consider.

Answer 11

Answer №6

With the advancement of technology, many mobile devices now boast resolutions that blur the line between them and larger screens. In order to address this issue, there are two strategies you can employ:

One option is to utilize HTML code to adjust the pixel scale by grouping smaller pixels into units equivalent to the standard pixel size of 96dpi. This will ensure that px units maintain a consistent physical size across all screens. Keep in mind that implementing this approach may result in an overall scaling effect on your website, but it is generally recommended for achieving mobile-friendly designs.

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

Alternatively, you can determine the screen width through @media queries using cm measurements instead of px. This method allows you to discern if you are working with a physically compact screen irrespective of its resolution.

Answer 12

With the advancement of technology, many mobile devices now boast resolutions that blur the line between them and larger screens. In order to address this issue, there are two strategies you can employ:

One option is to utilize HTML code to adjust the pixel scale by grouping smaller pixels into units equivalent to the standard pixel size of 96dpi. This will ensure that px units maintain a consistent physical size across all screens. Keep in mind that implementing this approach may result in an overall scaling effect on your website, but it is generally recommended for achieving mobile-friendly designs.

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

Alternatively, you can determine the screen width through @media queries using cm measurements instead of px. This method allows you to discern if you are working with a physically compact screen irrespective of its resolution.

Answer 13

Answer №7

In my opinion, one of the most effective methods for identifying mobile devices is by analyzing the navigator.userAgent string. Take, for instance, the user agent string on my iPhone:

Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 10_3_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/603.2.4 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.0 Mobile/14F89 Safari/602.1

This user agent string includes crucial keywords like iPhone and Mobile. If you're interested in exploring user agent strings for other devices, a comprehensive list can be found at:

To utilize this information, I established a JavaScript Boolean variable named bMobile on my website with the capability to switch between true or false based on this code snippet:

var bMobile =   // will be true if running on a mobile device
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Mobile" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "iPhone" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Android" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Windows Phone" ) !== -1 ;

Answer 14

In my opinion, one of the most effective methods for identifying mobile devices is by analyzing the navigator.userAgent string. Take, for instance, the user agent string on my iPhone:

Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 10_3_2 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/603.2.4 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.0 Mobile/14F89 Safari/602.1

This user agent string includes crucial keywords like iPhone and Mobile. If you're interested in exploring user agent strings for other devices, a comprehensive list can be found at:

To utilize this information, I established a JavaScript Boolean variable named bMobile on my website with the capability to switch between true or false based on this code snippet:

var bMobile =   // will be true if running on a mobile device
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Mobile" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "iPhone" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Android" ) !== -1 || 
  navigator.userAgent.indexOf( "Windows Phone" ) !== -1 ;

Answer 15

Answer №8

After considering the options, I have decided that using a JavaScript approach would be more effective in this case. It appears that achieving this with pure CSS may not be consistent or reliable across different browsers.

To detect whether a device is mobile or not, you can utilize JavaScript - as demonstrated in this helpful guide: How to Detect Mobile Devices

Once you have detected the device, you can easily incorporate the following code snippet into your client-side scripting:

$("div").addClass("Mobile-Detection-Class");

Answer 16

After considering the options, I have decided that using a JavaScript approach would be more effective in this case. It appears that achieving this with pure CSS may not be consistent or reliable across different browsers.

To detect whether a device is mobile or not, you can utilize JavaScript - as demonstrated in this helpful guide: How to Detect Mobile Devices

Once you have detected the device, you can easily incorporate the following code snippet into your client-side scripting:

$("div").addClass("Mobile-Detection-Class");

Answer 17

Answer №9

Utilize CSS Level 5 Media Queries for optimal results

The following code customizes the css for touch screen devices, excluding older androids and windows touch screens since they function as hover-able devices with mouse pointers...

@media (hover: none) { /* Custom css for touch screen devices, except old androids and windows touch screens because windows touch screens are hover-able devices with mouse pointer... */ }

Answer 18

Utilize CSS Level 5 Media Queries for optimal results

The following code customizes the css for touch screen devices, excluding older androids and windows touch screens since they function as hover-able devices with mouse pointers...

@media (hover: none) { /* Custom css for touch screen devices, except old androids and windows touch screens because windows touch screens are hover-able devices with mouse pointer... */ }

Answer 19

Answer №10

Although this discussion is dated, I wanted to share some insights that could benefit others:

It's worth noting that mobile devices typically have a greater height than width, whereas computers tend to have a greater width than height. For instance:

@media all and (max-width: 320px) and (min-height: 320px)

Therefore, adjustments may need to be made for each specific width.

Answer 20

Although this discussion is dated, I wanted to share some insights that could benefit others:

It's worth noting that mobile devices typically have a greater height than width, whereas computers tend to have a greater width than height. For instance:

@media all and (max-width: 320px) and (min-height: 320px)

Therefore, adjustments may need to be made for each specific width.

Answer 21

Answer №11

Easy-peasy! Add this snippet to the end of your CSS document and watch as this specific section of the CSS is tailored for mobile devices:

/* FOR MOBILE */
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { /* CUSTOM CSS FOR MOBILE HERE */ }

Et voila!

Answer 22

Easy-peasy! Add this snippet to the end of your CSS document and watch as this specific section of the CSS is tailored for mobile devices:

/* FOR MOBILE */
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { /* CUSTOM CSS FOR MOBILE HERE */ }

Et voila!

Identify whether a mobile browser is being used on an iOS or Android phone or tablet

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

Answer №5

Answer №6

Answer №7

Answer №8

Answer №9

Answer №10

Answer №11

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