Most websites now include a mobile version of the site that users will see when they visit the site with a mobile device.
These mobile sites are typically stripped-down versions of the full website, making them load faster and use less cellular data. They are also typically easier to use on the smaller screens on smart phones and tablets.
But occasionally that presents a problem…
The mobile versions of some sites are difficult to use when accessing certain features, and some features are often omitted from the mobile site altogether. That makes it necessary to occasionally display a website’s full desktop interface in order to use an important feature.
Until recently folks using iOS devices had to use one of several unreliable work-arounds in order to display the full version of a website, but iOS 8 and later versions have a handy “Request Desktop Site” feature that works with the Safari web browser.
The Request Desktop Site feature works quite well, and it’s very easy to use. Simply follow the steps listed below for your version of iOS.
To display the desktop version of a website on a device running iOS 8:
1 – With the mobile version of the site displayed on the screen, tap the address bar to display your Bookmarks and Recent History.
2 – Swipe down to reveal the hidden options.
3 – Tap Request Desktop Site. The full version of the website should now load into Safari.
If your device is running iOS 9 the steps required to display the full version of a website are a little different:
1 – With the mobile version of the site displayed on the screen, tap the address bar to display the Action Button at the bottom of the Safari window. The Action Button is a square box with an upwards pointing arrow.
2 – Swipe through the options in the “Activity List” until you see Request Desktop Site.
3 – Tap Request Desktop Site to load the full version of the website into Safari.
That’s all there is to it. From now on you’ll be able to force Safari to load the full desktop version of any website with just a couple of taps and swipes!
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