How to force a site to give you the desktop version Android

haaammit · 12 Sep 2017 at 19:16

As per title - I want to access a couple of sites that flatly refuse to load the desktop version via Firefox 55.0.2 on Android 6.0. There is a request desktop option in the browser, but it does nothing.

So, I've had a day of Googling and I've added general.useragent.override to about:config. I've also changed layout.css.devPixelsPerPx to 1 from -1. This has resulted in one site working, but the other doesn't try to redirect me any more, but hides the content behind, I don't know, a cover? Scrolling in and out you can see the actual site behind it, but can't access it.

So - using this https://jeffersonscher.com/res/jstest.php it comes back as the OS is indeed Windows, however, the javascript Browser test shows navigator.appVersion = 5.0 (Android 6.0) I guess I need to also spoof the javascript browser test somehow. Any ideas on how to do this?

Alternatively, are there any browsers that will force a site to give me the desktop version out of the box?

Many thanks

Big Elf · 12 Sep 2017 at 19:41

You could try the Samsung Internet Beta?

Dirk Diggler · 12 Sep 2017 at 23:10

Chrome has a "Request Desktop" toggle.

bowey · 12 Sep 2017 at 23:34

Yea I use request desktop on chrome always works for me anyhow.

Rimsy · 13 Sep 2017 at 15:16

Same - always works

haaammit · 13 Sep 2017 at 19:03

As I said in the op - the request desktop button doesn't work, or on Chrome for that matter, on this address specifically

https://open.spotify.com

Cheers

Edit - the desktop version looks like this:

The request desktop via FF or Chrome or whatever on a mobile device is this:

d_brennen · 13 Sep 2017 at 19:06

The Web player won't work, but I can log in with Request Desktop Site

Orcvader · 13 Sep 2017 at 19:08

I don't know how Spotify works (don't use it), but some sites don't use the user agent and instead checks your browser's width and DPI settings and uses that to decide what UI to show you.

haaammit · 13 Sep 2017 at 19:12

d_brennen said:
The Web player won't work, but I can log in with Request Desktop Site

Yes you can log in, but it then redirects to the page shown above

Orcvader said:
I don't know how Spotify works (don't use it), but some sites don't use the user agent and instead checks your browser's width and DPI settings and uses that to decide what UI to show you.

I've changed the settings to show 1080x1920 screen and 1080 x 1704 browser size

d_brennen · 13 Sep 2017 at 21:58

It's the web player that won't run on Android (and ios I suspect), so it redirects the page. They want you to use the app after all

haaammit · 13 Sep 2017 at 22:28

d_brennen said:
It's the web player that won't run on Android (and ios I suspect), so it redirects the page. They want you to use the app after all

It will work - if you scroll in and out (after spoofing various settings) you can see the proper site behind that holding thing. After all the settings I've changed, I should be getting the desktop version for ME to decide what works and doesn't. You are totally correct though - they do want you to use an app, but quite frankly, I don't want to.

Anyhoo - I'm sure it's just the Javascript stuff I need to spoof now - any helpers?

Mart2912 · 14 Sep 2017 at 08:02

Try opening a new tab, then hiting request desktop, then paste in your url. Some sites won't respond to request desktop when you are on their site, but you can sometimes trick them beforehand.