iPad browser: forced to mobile version of websites

Question

Level 1

6 points

iPad browser: forced to mobile version of websites

Is this a common annoyance with others? Websites forcing the iPad to a mobile (and sometimes malfunctioning) version of the site?

It has always been an mild annoyance for me, but it seems that just recently something changed with a lot of websites in the past few weeks. Browsing with the iPad is forced to a mobile version, and refuses to go back to desktop version even if that link is available at the bottom of the page. And some websites like Yahoo mail even come up completely blank, even though they show up fine on a PC or even the iPhone browser! Only the iPad browser shows the site blank.

This makes me think that some common update to web server software may be the culprit?(Apache?) Maybe it was updated to "help" by making iPad browser go to mobile site by default, but is actually causing problems instead.
Is there a way to change the default browser from identifying itself as iPad or mobile browser?

iPad

Posted on Mar 4, 2011 7:49 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 24, 2011 12:51 AM in response to Hans Walitzki

Hans Walitzki wrote:
APPLE needs to fix this. Have iPad Safari report as regular PC/Mac browser. I don't want to use another browser. FIX IT. PLEASE!

There is no point in ranting about it here. We are all just users trying to help each other.
The only thing you can do is leave feedback for Apple http://www.apple.com/feedback/iPad.html
You also know what the solution to your problem is, but like William, you choose not to use other (better than Safari) browsers like Atomic or iCab.

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Answer 2

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Nov 30, 2011 6:47 PM in response to DonnaLN

DonnaLN wrote:

Over 9k people have viewed this topic. Hopefully Safari gets the message that they need to make an update

...

Come on Safari, make the change.

???

Uh, Safari is an application, made by Apple Inc.

Suggestions here -> http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 3

Feb 16, 2012 11:20 AM in response to jenhi

Lets do ourselves a favor and start requesting this feature be added to mobile safari. This thread has been view 14k times, now imagine 10k requests for a feature that takes very little effort to implement.

Lets all request this be add as a feature: to be able to SELECT mobile or desktop versions, with absolute disregard to what the website wants to display use.

There are just to many websites doing this, and thinking their mobile version is whats BEST FOR US. Sorry we know whats best for us, the majority of these websites worked fine before they started forcing their users to the Dumbed down, limited accessiblity mobile version.

Please Everyone make the request to apple

http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 4

Mar 4, 2011 7:55 AM in response to jenhi

The simple answer to this is to use a different (better) browser than Safari.
Try iCab or Atomic. Either of them can identify themselves as desktop versions, and they have a lot more facilities and functionality than Safari.

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Answer 5

Mar 4, 2011 8:31 AM in response to jenhi

It is the website that determines, based on the browser, what version to serve. As mentioned, other browsers allow you to "disguise" themselves as non-mobile browser.

Yes, it's becoming increasingly common. And annoying. You may also want to drop a line to any websites you use that do this.

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Answer 6

Mar 4, 2011 8:39 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg, two of the most annoying aspects of this are that, firstly, Apple won't allow Safari to be recognised as a desktop version, and secondly, that Apple won't allow the default browser to be changed within iOS.

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Answer 7

Mar 4, 2011 8:44 AM in response to igmackenzie

I've never found either of those to be especially annoying. When required, I simply use another browser. But different things rub different people the wrong way. 😉 As the OP noted, this is an increasing trend. When I first bought my iPad, it rarely got redirected. For reasons beyond my ken, more and more websites are forcing me to the mobile site.

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Answer 8

Mar 4, 2011 8:50 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

The problem is that when you have a link within the Mail app, for example, iOS will always use Safari, which, as you have experienced, quite often is identified as a mobile browser.
The entire problem would go away if Apple did one of the 2 things I mentioned previously.

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Answer 9

Mar 4, 2011 4:39 PM in response to igmackenzie

Or, the entire problem would go away if website developers stopped redirecting iPads to mobile sites. Of course, if Apple allowed Flash on the iPad, there would be no problems and wb browsing would be perfect! 😉

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Answer 10

Mar 4, 2011 11:28 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St._Clair wrote:
Or, the entire problem would go away if website developers stopped redirecting iPads to mobile sites.

Very true Meg, but allowing the default browser to be selectable would be a lot easier to implement!

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Answer 11

jenhi Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 5, 2011 9:16 AM in response to igmackenzie

I like that solution of having a selectable option for the default browser. I'll submit a request/feedback to Apple.

It is a shame that as more and more websites become iPad aware, that the browsing experience actually degrades. Such is progess... I was perfectly fine and happy before, at least most of the time, with the default browser. Tried Atomic Lite but miss some of the familiar look and feel of Safari, and the auto-fill suggestions.

I hope the ultimate solution to the forced mobile website issue for iPad browsing is not just to abandon the default browser.

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Answer 12

interact

Level 1

50 points

Mar 6, 2011 7:30 PM in response to jenhi

This is one aspest of the iPad that infuriates me- the iPad being re-directed to dumbed down "mobile" sites. I wish Apple would make an option in the preferences that allowed the iPad/Safari to browse as a computer, rather than a mobile device. This isn't an iPhone. I got the iPad to be able to use the web and it isn't allowing me to do that.

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Answer 13

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 18, 2011 3:04 AM in response to jenhi

FWIW I sold my iPad 1 and have not yet purchased an iPad 2 for just this reason.

Safari for Mac OS X has a "debug" menu in which you can make it lie to web servers as to what kind of browser it is; there's no good reason the same functionality can't be made available in Safari fot iOS.

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Answer 14

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 18, 2011 3:06 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St._Clair wrote:
Or, the entire problem would go away if website developers stopped redirecting iPads to mobile sites. Of course, if Apple allowed Flash on the iPad, there would be no problems and wb browsing would be perfect! 😉

It's only partially web developers' fault; Safari for iOS reports itself as a mobile browser in its user agent field.

The problem is web developers who make the assumption that a "mobile" browser has lower functionality and thus must be served a dumbed-down version of the site.

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Answer 15

Mar 18, 2011 3:44 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

William Kucharski wrote:
FWIW I sold my iPad 1 and have not yet purchased an iPad 2 for just this reason.

Safari for Mac OS X has a "debug" menu in which you can make it lie to web servers as to what kind of browser it is; there's no good reason the same functionality can't be made available in Safari fot iOS.

William, you've seen the solution to this several times in this thread. Selling your iPad instead of spending £0.59 on an alternative browser which has the functionality you mention seems a little extreme

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