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

83 replies

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 18, 2011 2:23 PM in response to igmackenzie

I don't want to use an alternative browser, I want to use Safari, for a wide variety of reasons.

This is akin to telling people who find Safari on Mac OS X broken to go use Firefox or Opera instead.

Mar 18, 2011 2:42 PM in response to Dogcow-Moof

William Kucharski wrote:
I don't want to use an alternative browser, I want to use Safari, for a wide variety of reasons.

Would you like to inform us what those reasons are?

This is akin to telling people who find Safari on Mac OS X broken to go use Firefox or Opera instead.

If it's a solution to their problem, then I see no issue with that.
As a bonus, iCab and Atomic are better browsers than Safari in my opinion with much more functionality on the iPad and other iOS devices.

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 18, 2011 3:23 PM in response to igmackenzie

I don't care about or use tabs.

Safari uses graphics acceleration in iOS 4.3, other browsers don't (yet.)

I can trust Apple; I have no idea who wrote the other browsers so if they cached all https traffic and sent passwords to a remote site, I'd never know.

Who knows what the future development plans are for those browsers; if I learn to prefer iCab then the developers feel like it's not fun to work on any more, I'm hosed.

Not the most earth-shattering reasons, but (good to me) reasons nevertheless.

Mar 18, 2011 4:41 PM in response to Dogcow-Moof

There is a lot more to iCab than tabs. Although on that subject, Safari requires 2 taps to move from tab (page) to tab whereas other browsers need just one.
Other advantages of iCab include full screen option, huge number of gestures supported, download manager, quick start pages, and many more.
But, each to his own, I guess.

jenhi Author

Level 1

6 points

Mar 19, 2011 8:04 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

Actually, I feel the same way.

I don't trust putting my credit card numbers and numerous passwords into some obscure fly by night programmer's browswer. Apps are one thing, a cool utility here, angry birds there. But personal secure information is best handled through reputable browsers like Safari, IE, Firefox, etc. Have enough to worry about with data mining and phishing without worrying about the actual underlying browser application itself!

Still using Safari mainly, even though have to deal with mobile site issues from time to time. I did complain to a few websites that changed recently and they fixed whatever it was that causing the issue. Not sure if was due to my complaint, more likely due to multiple complaints by other users.

William Kucharski wrote:

I can trust Apple; I have no idea who wrote the other browsers so if they cached all https traffic and sent passwords to a remote site, I'd never know.

Who knows what the future development plans are for those browsers; if I learn to prefer iCab then the developers feel like it's not fun to work on any more, I'm hosed.

Not the most earth-shattering reasons, but (good to me) reasons nevertheless.

Mar 21, 2011 11:55 AM in response to boymacwerter

No, it's not been 'fixed' in 4.3. It's also not 'a problem'. It behaves in the way Apple designed it.
As has been said several times now, use a different browser to Safari that can identify itself as desktop versions of various browsers if you want to avoid the 'problem'.

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 21, 2011 8:09 PM in response to igmackenzie

To be clear, it's not Apple's problem, it's the fault of websites that force you into their mobile sites without a way to access their full site.

But for me that makes an iPad less than useful; it's as if I wanted to use an iPad to access Flash content.

Not Apple's problem, but a problem for me nevertheless.

Mar 22, 2011 12:43 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

I didn't say it was a problem at all, far less Apple's problem. However, the 'problem' is easily solved for you but you choose not to accept the solution.
Additionally, Apple could resolve this by allowing Safari to have an option to identify itself as another browser as the desktop version and other iOS browsers do.

Mar 23, 2011 11:08 PM in response to jenhi

This is a major issue for me.
One reason for me to use an iPad is the capability to ZOOM and SCROLL on any webpage so I don't have to squint my eyes to read content. This is not possible any more on pages like news.google.com or yahoo.com. These pages worked fine until recently. Now I only get the mobile version that won't allow zooming. 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!

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Mar 24, 2011 7:31 AM in response to igmackenzie

Please stop saying Atomic or iCab are "better" than Safari; I get that's your opinion but it's no different than getting into a discussion of whether Firefox or Opera are "better" than Safari on Mac OS X.

Mar 26, 2011 11:47 PM in response to igmackenzie

I did not want to rant, just voice my frustration that things that worked fine suddenly change to the worse. I think Apple should offer the option to get the full html version instead of the mobile version of a webpage by disguising the browser as a regulat Mac OS x browser on sophisticated devices like iPad and iPhone 4. I tested the iPad2 and it (still) works like the iPad1 used to work - zooming and scrolling are just fine on news.google and yahoo.com to name a few. Changing to a different browser is only a partial solution. I don't care if other browsers are better, I want Safari to work as advertised. I don't want Google or Yahoo to force a different behavior just because some webmasters decide a smart phone is not so smart after all. On the iPhone4 and the iPad1 the display is good enough to pass as a regular PC browser. In fact for people like me with poor eyesight the iPad way of zooming in and out is actually better - much better to read than the small default small font used in the mobile version of the same webpage.

Aug 27, 2011 4:06 PM in response to igmackenzie

Think that I want to use Firefox but still the version for iPad doesn't exist! Btw we should not be obliged to buy another browser to have it properly working, Safari should work-full stop.

I'm thinking about returning my iPad in the next few days.

Aug 28, 2011 2:13 AM in response to Superanna incazzata

Superanna incazzata wrote:

Safari should work-full stop.

It does work, just maybe not exactly how you want it to!

So, your choice is to use another browser (iCab, Atomic) that does what you want, or return your iPad.

Hmmm... you can't really want your iPad much if you choose the latter.

Dogcow-Moof

Level 8

36,815 points

Aug 30, 2011 12:33 AM in response to igmackenzie

igmackenzie wrote:

Hmmm... you can't really want your iPad much if you choose the latter.

That's not really true; you can really, really like the device but if it won't allow you to do what you bought it for, then you have to return it or sell it.

A great example are the uninformed consumers who purchase an iPad 2, then find out it doesn't run Flash. If you have a Flash-embedded site you just have to visit regularly, you have no choice.

One example of this is Jenn-Air's website; if you're a kitchen designer who wants to use an iPad 2 in your work, you can't, as Jenn-Air stupidly just puts up a "You must install Flash" window on any system without it.

I wonder how many sales they've lost to under brands that way?

Aug 30, 2011 12:40 AM in response to Dogcow-Moof

I'm talking about features that have a simple workaround. In this case using a different browser to Safari. If a user is not prepared to accept a simple solution then, clearly, they can't want there iPad much at all!

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iPad browser: forced to mobile version of websites