If you’re like most people, you probably use a desktop browser to access the web. But if you’re a business or individual who needs to access mobile websites, there are a few ways to do it. The first way is to use a mobile app. There are many free and paid mobile apps that allow you to access mobile websites. Some of the best ones include:

  • Google Maps: This app allows you to see where your business is located, as well as find nearby restaurants and attractions. You can also view real-time traffic information and get alerts for when there’s an event near by.
  • Facebook Messenger: Facebook Messenger is great for staying connected with friends on the go. You can send them messages, photos, and videos while on your phone. Plus, they can easily join in on conversations using their own messaging apps like WhatsApp or Instagram.
  • Twitter: Twitter is another great way to stay connected with your followers on the go. You can follow other people’s updates, see what they’re talking about, and even share your own thoughts using the hashtag #mobilewebbing!

Many websites offer specific interfaces for smartphones, iPads, and other mobile devices. Whether you need to test mobile websites or you’re just curious to see what they look like, you can access them in your desktop browser.

You can do this by changing your browser’s user agent — we’ve previously explained what a browser user agent is. Accessing a website with an iPad user agent may also force it to serve you HTML5 video, which is nice if you’re trying to avoid Flash.

Image Credit: Jon Fingas on Flickr

User Agent Switcher Extensions

We have covered how to change your browser’s user agent without installing any other software. However, for ease-of-use, you will probably want to install a browser extension that lets you quickly and easily change your browser’s user agent.

You will want to install either User-Agent Switcher for Chrome or User Agent Switcher for Firefox, depending on which browser you use. For Internet Explorer, you may want to try the UAPick User-Agent Switcher add-on.

Setting a Mobile User Agent

To change your user agent, locate the User Agent Switcher extension icon on your browser’s toolbar, click it, and select a mobile user agent in the list.

(You may need to add the User Agent Switcher icon to Firefox’s toolbar after installing it. To do so, right-click the toolbar, select Customize, and drag and drop the User Agent Switcher icon onto Firefox’s toolbar.)

Refresh the page you are currently on (click the Refresh icon on the toolbar or just press F5) and you will see its mobile version. You can access other websites and you will see their mobile versions for as long as your user agent is set to a mobile user agent.

When you’re done, select the Default User Agent option.

The process is similar in other extensions. Even if you are using your browser’s built-in user agent switcher, it should be a fairly simple process.

Additional User Agents

Some user agent switchers don’t come with a comprehensive list of user agents. For example, the User Agent Switcher extension for Firefox doesn’t include an option that allows you to set your user agent to an iPad’s.

You can download additional user agents by clicking the User Agent Switcher icon and selecting Edit User Agents. Click the Download lists of user agents to import link and you will be able to download and import a more comprehensive list of user agents.

If you would rather enter a user agent string manually, you can find them on websites like the Mobile Browser ID (User-Agent) Strings website.

For example, the user agent for an iPad with Safari and iOS 6 is:

Changing your user agent can also be used for other purposes. For example, you could set your browser’s user agent to Googlebot and bypass the occasional newspaper paywall or use an Internet Explorer-only website without being redirected. Thankfully, IE-only websites aren’t very common anymore.