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You are here: Home / iPad / How to quickly view a desktop version of a site in Safari on iPhone or iPad

How to quickly view a desktop version of a site in Safari on iPhone or iPad

By Elizabeth Jones 0 comments Last updated August 27, 2019

Using a website on Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod but not finding the same features available as you do when using the site on your MacBook, desktop Mac, or Windows computer? What you need is to switch to the desktop version of the site–but just how do you do that?
A lot of websites offer different versions of their sites for mobile devices, usually smaller, limited, and stripped-down versions that run faster when using your cellular data plans. Oftentimes, features we really need are only available when using the Desktop version of a site and it’s frustrating to not find these options when using our iPhones, iPads, and iPods that default to the mobile site.
The good news is that it’s easy to switch from mobile to desktop site versions (and vice-versa.)

Quick tips AppleToolBox Quick Tips logo

Follow these quick tips to see desktop versions of your websites in Safari on iPhone, iPad, and iPod

  • For iPads using iPadOS, Safari defaults to desktop versions so you don’t need to do anything!
  • For iPhones and iPods using iOS 13+, tap the AA icon next to the website address and choose Request Desktop Site
  • To change sites to desktop mode permanently in iOS 13+, tap the AA icon and choose Website Settings–toggle on Request Desktop Site
  • Change all sites to default to desktop mode in Settings > Safari > Request Desktop Website
  • For iOS 12 and below, tap the refresh symbol next to the web address and choose Request Desktop Website or tap the share button and choose the Request Desktop Website from the Share Sheet

Related articles

  • You can now use Quick Actions and Peek on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 13
  • Get a desktop-like browsing experience in the new iPadOS version of Safari
  • New Safari Download Manager feature in iOS 13 will make you more productive
  • Webpage using significant energy in Safari? Here’s what you should know
  • Allow pop-ups in Safari on macOS or iOS
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How to request desktop site in Safari with iOS 13 and iPadOS

For iPads using iPadOS, there’s awesome news: Safari automatically defaults to the desktop versions of all websites you visit!

Because iPads offer larger screen sizes that rival and sometimes beat our MacBook’s screen sizes, Apple decided to default our iPads running iPadOS to the desktop versions of sites! However, iPhones and iPods using iOS 13+ still default to mobile versions–due to their smaller screens.

Manually change Safari’s settings to see desktop versions of sites on your iPhone or iPod

  1. Open Safari
  2. Locate a site that you want to view in desktop mode
  3. Tap on the AA icon that’s to the left of the search bar Set a website to request the desktop website version in iOS 13
  4. Choose Request Desktop Website from the Quick Action menu–the site immediately switches to the desktop version, if available
  5. Tap the AA icon again to return to the mobile version or simply close the tab Change a website to request the mobile website version iOS 13

The above steps temporarily change the site to the desktop version. Safari does not save or remember this information. So the next time you visit this site, it shows up as the mobile version.

If you instead want that particular site to have desktop mode as its default, read on!

Want a site to always open the desktop version on your iPhone or iPod?

  1. Open Safari
  2. Locate a site that you want to view in desktop mode
  3. Tap on the AA icon that’s to the left of the search bar
  4. Choose Website Settings from the Quick Action menu Safari options for website settings iOS 13 and iPadOS
  5. Toggle on Request Desktop Website 
  6. Tap Done to save your settingset a website to always default to desktop website version in iOS 13
  7. You can also update any other preferences for this particular website for access to your device’s camera, microphone, and location or set the website to always show up in reader mode
  8. This particular site now always shows up with the desktop version
  9. To set the default back to the mobile version, follow steps 1-4 again but toggle off Request Desktop Website change a website in Safari to turn off requesting desktop website
  10. Press Done to save your preference

Review the sites you set to desktop mode on your iPhone or iPod

  1. Open Settings > Safari
  2. Scroll down to the heading Settings for Websites
  3. Tap Request Desktop Wesbite
    Safari setting for desktop website settings request
  4. Review the list of sites
  5. To change back to the mobile version, toggle off the site from the list turn off specific sites from showing in desktop mode in Safari iOS 13
  6. For multiple sites, press Edit and delete the site from the list remove specific sites in Safari iOS 13 from showing desktop version of websites
  7. To remove all sites from displaying in desktop mode, choose Clear All Settings and confirm clear all sites from showing desktop version iOS 13

Change Safari’s default to desktop versions for all sites on your iPhone or iPod

  1. Open Settings > Safari
  2. Scroll down to the heading Settings for Websites
  3. Choose Request Desktop Website
  4. Toggle on All Websites make Safari show all websites in desktop versions iOS 13

How to request desktop site in Safari with iOS 12 and lower

If your device can’t update to iOS 13 or iPadOS (or you don’t want to update,) there are still options for you!

Since iPads run the same iOS as iPhones and iPods in versions iOS 12 and below, these instructions work for all types of iDevices.

  1. Open Safari
  2. Go to the site you want to view in desktop mode
  3. Press and hold the refresh button and choose Request Desktop Site iOS Safari Request Desktop Site
  4. You can also tap the Share button, scroll the bottom row, and choose the Request Desktop Site button from the Share Sheet Request Desktop Site in Share Sheet in Safari on iPhone

Safari in iOS 13 and iPadOS can do a lot more!

Besides defaulting to desktop website versions, iPadOS has a lot of features to offer!

  • Open multiple instances of Safari in slide-over or split view and get two instances of Safari side-by-side–both in desktop website versions. Plus, you can access the full Safari toolbar in split view
  • Use handy keyboard shortcuts in Safari when you attach an external keyboard
  • Scroll webpages at faster speeds smoothly

And there’s a ton of new iOS 13 & iPadOS Safari features

  • A Safari Download manager: Check the status of a file that’s downloading, access all your Safari downloaded files quickly, and drag and drop them into a file or email you’re working on. Safari even downloads files in the background so you can go about your business
  • Jump to open tab from Smart Search field: when you type an address of a site that’s open, Safari directs you to that open tab instead of creating a new tab
  • Photo upload resize: resize your photos to small, medium, large, or actual size before uploading
  • Page zoom: can’t read a website’s text? Font too small or too large? Quickly and fluidly zoom in and out of any webpage
  • Per website privacy settings: choose to enable camera, microphone, and location access for each website you visit
  • Bookmarks: Need to go? Quickly save a set of open tabs to your Bookmarks and reopen them later, even on another device if using iCloud
  • Email sharing options:  email a webpage as a link, a PDF, or in Reader view–all from your Safari share sheet

To learn more about all the improvements in Safari with iOS 13 and iPadOS see this article Get a desktop-like browsing experience in the new iPadOS version of Safari

liz - apple
Elizabeth Jones

For most of her professional life, Amanda Elizabeth (Liz for short) trained all sorts of folks on how to use media as a tool to tell their own unique stories. She knows a thing or two about teaching others and creating how-to guides!

Her clients include Edutopia, Scribe Video Center, Third Path Institute, Bracket, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Big Picture Alliance.

Elizabeth received her Master of Fine Arts degree in media making from Temple University, where she also taught undergrads as an adjunct faculty member in their department of Film and Media Arts.

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