Understanding Your User Agent

The user agent is a string of text that provides a technical description of your web browser, operating system, and possibly your mobile device. Every time you access a website, your browser sends this string to the site. While most websites ignore it, analyzing the user agent can reveal interesting details about your system.

What Information Does Your User Agent Provide?

You can use tools to parse your user agent and uncover various bits of information, such as:

The web browser you’re using

1. Your operating system
2. Device details
3. The user agent string is part of the HTTP headers your browser sends with each page request. Want to see all the headers your browser is sending?

Decoding the User Agent String

Each part of your user agent string indicates specific details about your system. However, there’s no standard format for writing a user agent string. Different web browsers use different formats, and some cram loads of information into their user agents. This is where tools like WhatIsMyBrowser.com come in handy—they decode your user agent string to reveal everything it’s saying.

Can You Change Your User Agent?

Yes, it is possible to change or “fake” the user agent your browser sends. Some mobile browsers allow you to switch between “Mobile Mode” and “Desktop Mode” to access certain websites that only allow desktop computers. Changing this setting affects the user agent string.