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How to Request and View Desktop Site on Safari iPhone/iPad

Most websites today are developed in a responsive design that adjusts according to the screen resolution. However, a few sites are still old age which gets trimmed in the mobile screen and needs a desktop browser. The Safari browser on iPhone and iPad offers a feature that automatically loads the desktop view on the mobile screen.

When browsing websites on a mobile device, we often feel that some options are unavailable and don’t look familiar compared to a desktop experience. Hence, we log in to the same site using our desktop computers.

What if I say 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? When you’re using the Safari browser on your iPhone, you can quickly request the site’s desktop version.

The other day, my father was browsing an essential official website when he complained that some options were not visible on his mobile. He was upset since the work had to be done quickly, and the laptop was completely drained of battery. Then, I helped him discover how to request a desktop site on his iPhone.

The Safari browser will quickly reload the website page and display the site’s desktop version on the mobile phone. A very similar feature is also available on Chrome Android and Edge Android.

Request Desktop Site

The built-in feature within the Safari browser running on iOS or iPadOS can request desktop site safari on small screens. The feature is convenient when used smartly. Perhaps, this will also eliminate desktop computer usage in some cases.

Here are the steps on how to request a desktop site on iPhone or iPad:

  1. Launch the Safari browser app on iPhone or iPad.
  2. Open the Website URL that you want to request a desktop website.
  3. Tap on the AA icon within the URL bar.
  4. From the available list, select the Request Desktop Website option.
    Request Desktop Site from Safari on iPhone and iPad

This will reload the website page and load the site’s desktop version. You may not be able to see significant differences on the iPad, though, but on iPhone, you will notice the UI changes.

You can also disable the desktop site view by tapping the Request Mobile Site under the same reading icon. The request desktop site safari is helpful 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 on iPhone or iPad, is a great feature. It comes in handy when desktop site features are unavailable on mobile sites.

Requesting a desktop site on the Safari feature will eliminate our urge to access desktop computers for immediate work. Now we can do that from hand-held mobile devices with complete ease.

I use the desktop site view when the content within the mobile site is trimmed. For example, tabular data 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 sites on his iPhone. He could do his work properly without opening 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 website changes in real time.

Let us know your thoughts about getting a desktop site view on your iPhone. Isn’t it cool to use this feature?

Lastly, if you've any thoughts on How to Request and View Desktop Site on Safari iPhone/iPad, then feel free to drop in below comment box.

Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive compensation for your purchases using our links; of course at no extra cost to you (indeed, you may get special discounts).

Kushal Azza

Kushal has a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical; however, his passion for technology and gadgets has made him a digital & tech geek. He has over a decade of experience solving tech problems and creating digital solutions. His favorite browser is Google Chrome. Follow him on Twitter.

8 thoughts on “How to Request and View Desktop Site on Safari iPhone/iPad”

  1. For Facebook I am no longer able to get the desktop version on my iPad running IOS 12.4.8. When I request the desktop site I get a fullscreen version of the mobile site.

    1. Hi James, try removing ‘m’ from ‘m.facebook.com’. This URL is a mobile version that can be even loaded on the computer browser.

  2. Up until 2 months ago I have been happily using my iPad 14.7 to view desktop Facebook. Something changed to remove the menu bar from navigation bar. I have been sending daily error reports to no avail. Does anyone know how I can get that hamburger button back? I miss having features like memories and saved items easily accessed.

  3. I am trying to get my bonus chips and the free 30 spin bonuses freeze as soon as a game hits a bonus and this is the 3rd time I’ve written for help and can’t get it. it tells me how to fix it and that don,mt work. Can anyone o n your team fix it? I,m almost 70 years old and my technical skills are awful. Can someone please fix it so I can get all 30 of my spins instead of nothing?

  4. Safari on IOS is not really just like Safari on a Mac. All the magic is just telling a web site when using iPad Safari that it is really Mac Safari. That way it fools the web site into loading their desktop version rather then a mobile version if they even have one. I do not see a lot of web sites providing both anymore. Even on my iPhone which does not default to a desktop mode. Generally, web sites will mostly load desktop versions. But in the end small screens create resize issues for web sites. So even iPads don’t always provide a great experience with any web browser even Safari.

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