Safari is fast and optimized for mobile devices. That’s usually a good thing. But there are still a few websites that refuse to adapt to mobile Safari or provide an inferior experience on their mobile site. In times like these, you can switch to the desktop version of the website.
How to View Desktop Site in Safari
Like many iOS features, especially ones for Safari, the Request Desktop Site feature is hidden. With iOS 13, Apple has changed the placement of this option, which makes it a bit easier to find. As iPadOS 13 automatically loads desktop websites, iPad users won’t need to look for this feature after updating.
Here’s how this feature works on devices running iOS 12 and iOS 13.
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iOS 12 and Below
Open the Safari app on your iPhone or iPad and load a website. Now, tap and hold on the “Refresh” button next to the URL bar.
You’ll see a popup at the bottom of the screen. From here, select “Request Desktop Site.”
The website will reload, and you’ll now see the desktop version of the site. To go back to the mobile version, tap and hold on the “Refresh” button again and select “Request Mobile Site.”
iOS 13 and Above
With the iOS 13 update, Apple has improved the Safari browser in a couple of important ways. While most improvements are seen on the iPad version, iPhone users get access to the new Safari Download Manager as well as a new customization menu for websites.
Tap on the “Aa” icon to see a couple of new menu options. From here, select the “Request Desktop Website” button to open the desktop version of the website.
Come back to the same menu to switch back to the mobile version.
And that’s it. You now know how to access desktop websites on your iPhone and iPad using mobile Safari.
