A mobile-optimized site hides menus, filters, or downloads you actually need on your iPhone or iPad. The desktop version usually has all of it, but Safari will not load it unless you ask.
You can flip the view from the Page Menu next to the address bar for one site, or turn on All Websites in Settings so every tab uses the desktop layout. The steps below cover both, plus how to put a single site back on mobile when you are done.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Use the Page Menu to load a site’s desktop version
Some websites hide menus, filters, or download links behind their mobile layout. Safari can reload the same page as the desktop version, and the switch sits one tap away in the Page Menu.
That button lives on the left side of the address bar and shows a two-letter glyph. Tap it and a sheet slides up with the page-level controls, including the desktop toggle.
- Open the Safari app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Load the website you want to see in its desktop layout.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left side of the address bar.
- Tap Request Desktop Website in the pop-up sheet.
The page reloads in its desktop form. You’ll know it worked when the full-width layout appears with the menu or filter you came for. That choice sticks for the one site until you clear Safari’s website data or turn the toggle off again.
If the Request Desktop Website line is greyed out, the site is forcing a mobile view through server-side logic and Safari cannot override it. A stale cached mobile copy can also be the culprit. In that case, clearing the site’s stored data in Safari often helps.
Turn on the desktop view for every website at once
Requesting the desktop version site by site gets tedious fast. Safari has a single switch that turns the desktop layout on everywhere, so new sites load in desktop form without a tap.
- Open the Settings app. On iOS 18 and newer, go to Apps then Safari. On older versions, tap Safari directly.
- Tap Request Desktop Website.
- Tap All Websites at the top of the page.
- Turn the All Websites toggle on so it turns green.
- Open a new tab in Safari and reload the site. Safari now asks every server for the desktop version automatically.
Turn the same toggle off when you want the per-site Page Menu method back. If you also want a say in what Safari allows on every site, the privacy and security settings in Safari cover the rest.
Switch a single site back to the mobile view
Older Safari builds had a separate Request Mobile Site entry in the Page Menu. That entry is gone in current iOS and iPadOS, so you undo the change with the same option that made it.
- Open the site you want back on mobile.
- Tap the Page Menu button on the left of the address bar.
- Tap Request Desktop Website again. The checkmark next to the label clears and Safari reloads the page in its mobile layout.
The site returns to mobile for that one tab. If you turned on All Websites earlier, flip it off under Settings → Apps → Safari → Request Desktop Website → All Websites to bring the whole browser back to mobile.
What to do when the desktop version does not show up
Sometimes the page stays mobile no matter how many times you tap the toggle. Work through these fixes before you assume the site is broken.
- Hard refresh the tab. Close the tab, open a new tab, and load the URL again. A cached mobile copy can survive a soft reload.
- Clear stored website data. If the site keeps reverting to mobile, clear its data so Safari forgets the old mobile cache.
- Update iOS or iPadOS. Apple keeps changing how servers detect mobile devices, so an older OS release can fail to request the desktop layout on sites that updated their detection script.
- Check the URL bar. Some sites serve entirely separate mobile URLs (the classic m.example.com redirect). If the URL does not change after a reload, you are still on the mobile version.
If one site stays stuck on mobile after all of that, the site itself is forcing a mobile experience for your device class. No browser setting will override it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Request Desktop Website button in Safari on iPhone?
It sits inside the Page Menu, the small button on the left side of the address bar. Tap that button and choose Request Desktop Website from the sheet that slides up.
Why is Request Desktop Website greyed out for some sites?
Those sites use server-side logic to detect an iPhone or iPad and force a mobile layout, and Safari does not expose an override for that. Clearing the site’s cached data can help if Safari is replaying an old mobile copy.
How do I make every Safari tab open in the desktop view?
On iOS 18 and newer, open Settings → Apps → Safari → Request Desktop Website and turn on All Websites. Every new tab and reload then asks for the desktop version. On older iOS the same option lives under Settings → Safari → Request Desktop Website.
How do I switch a single site back to the mobile view?
Tap the Page Menu button while the site is open, then tap Request Desktop Website again. The checkmark clears and Safari reloads the mobile version.
Does requesting the desktop site change anything on iPad?
Not much visually. iPad Safari already shows a desktop-style layout for most responsive sites. The toggle matters when you need options that only exist in the desktop build, such as advanced filters, full data tables, or admin tools. Request it when a site hides something you need, and switch it back when the desktop layout feels cramped.
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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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.
Hi Karen, it might be the case that FB has removed the feature or updated its interface.
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.
Hi James, try removing ‘m’ from ‘m.facebook.com’. This URL is a mobile version that can be even loaded on the computer browser.
Actually, the way to do it on iPad is in Safari settings