Top 3 Ways to Enable Desktop Mode in Safari on iOS 13

Often times, mobile versions of websites make big compromises to facilitate smoother navigation on our smartphone screens. This means that you will likely load certain sites in desktop mode in cases where you want to access web elements that are not available in their mobile counterparts.

If you’ve updated your iPhone to iOS 13, Safari no longer shows the option to launch sites in desktop mode in its normal location. That’s not surprising given the variety of features Apple carries with it in other native apps as well – the missing Updates tab in the App Store comes to mind.

But Safari has also gotten a lot better in terms of flexibility, rather than replacing the Request Desktop Website option. You can now configure a site, or all sites in general, to start in desktop mode which should always be pretty handy.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at how you did all this – starting from where the missing option is now.

1. Temporarily Enable Desktop Mode for a Tab

Instead of using the Share Sheet or long-pressing the Refresh icon to access the option to launch a site in desktop mode, one Instead its icon located in the upper left corner of the screen.

In the menu that appears, tap Request Desktop Website; Safari will be liable immediately. The setting only applies to the currently active tab. However, any links you choose to open in new tabs within a tab will also load in desktop mode.

The tab will continue to load sites in desktop mode unless you close the tab or specify it to reload mobile versions of websites.

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2. Permanently Enable Desktop Mode for a Site

If you always prefer a particular site to load in desktop mode, you no longer have to do it manually. Instead, iOS 13 now lets you configure Safari to always automatically create a desktop version of any site pretty easily.

Visit the site you want to load in desktop mode. Then tap . one Tap then tap Website Settings. In the menu that appears, turn on the switch next to Request Desktop Website.

Tap Done and that’s it. No matter which tab you use, the site will now always load in desktop mode. If you want to stop this from happening in the future, open the Website Settings pane while the site is loading, and then turn off the switch next to Request Desktop Website.

3. Permanently Enable Desktop Mode for All Sites

To make matters even better, Safari on iOS 13 can load all sites in desktop mode by default. Previously, you had to install and use a third-party web browser to access such functionality. That’s why it’s terrific for Apple to finally have native support for desktop mode anywhere.

Note:

However, you cannot enable desktop mode for all sites via Safari itself. Instead, you have to dive into your iPhone’s Settings app to do so.

Stage 1: Tap the Settings icon on the home screen. Once the Settings app appears, scroll down and tap on Safari.

Step 2: On the Safari Settings screen, scroll down and tap Request Desktop Website. Next, turn on the switch next to Claim All Websites.

Exit the Settings app and then launch Safari. All sites will now load in desktop mode until you decide to turn the option off via the Settings app.

If you want to prevent certain sites from loading in desktop mode, one menu, tap Website Settings, and then turn off the switch next to Request Desktop Website.

Desktop-Like Experience on Mobile

As you just learned, you can do a tab load in desktop mode while using Safari, and you can also configure specific sites or entire websites to do so. Desktop sites don’t really look that good on the iPhone, and there are also interaction challenges. However, the added flexibility the browser provides means you can only enable desktop mode for sites you visit frequently. Congratulations, Apple!

Next: Brave is a fascinating privacy-focused web browser that has been gaining traction on all major platforms lately. Find out if it’s good enough to make you give up on Safari forever on iPhone.