How to STOP droid browsers self-identify as mobile?

[sc98007]

I was frustrated in more than one occasion with mobile sites that display on my stock browser. It ranges from a minor annoyance, when I have to click to see the desktop version of the site, to a major problem, when it is impossible NOT to get the mobile version of the site.

For example try googling any movie title and the word "ebert" and you get a result on top to read famous critics' review, however when you click on it you get to a strip down mobile site with no way to read any but most recent reviews. Google doesn't offer cache for Ebert website either. Opera mini browser displays full version though. I guess Roger would rather have people buy his books than access the reviews on the go :-(

Not even Opera mini browser allows access to the desktop version to many amateur adult sites. These try to make users pay money for content they can access free on their desktops! That's outrageous: if I am not willing to pay for the adult videos on my 20 inch screen, I am certainly not going to pay for the same content on a 3 inch screen !!

There should be a way to bring power to the people to access the content their device is able to display without resorting to rooting and complicated hacks to change own's browser signature. Are there not? How about any browser that mimics a desktop browser by design (or gives the user an option to control its signature) ? I'd gladly pay for such!

 

[dlwhtrose]

Welcome to the Forum.

You can set your browser to think your Droid is a desktop. To do this go into your browser, go to settings, then go to Agent, and change it to desktop. With this setting when you surf the internet your browser thinks your droid is a desktop and you get full sites not the mobile sites.

 

[Martin030908]

I'm not sure how it works on the D2, but on the original Droid you need to do the following...

open the browser
in the address bar type (with no quotations) "about:debug" and hit enter
.... nothing will appear to have happened.
then hit menu, go into settings, and scroll all the way down to where you see "UA String"
select that, from there you can select desktop instead of mobile (Android)

 

[dlwhtrose]

Martin you had to do that to get your browser to give you full sites not just the mobile ones??? Wow I guess I am lucky cuz I have the Droid 1 and I just went into the browser settings and set my agent to desktop and I do not get mobile sites anymore I get the full site.

 

[Martin030908]

Yea, I've never even seen "agent" as an option in my settings, and I'm on my 3rd D1 since last November.

I've always had to enable desktop thru the UA String after entering about:debug.

 

[dlwhtrose]

Oooopss my bad. I forget that I use a different browser. You are correct about the stock browser not having that option. I am sorry for the confusion but thanks for teaching me something new!! I guess the old saying is true, you do learn something new every day!!!

 

[Martin030908]

Yea I'm using the stock browser, and as far as I know the way I wrote out is the only way to change the browser to identify as 'desktop'

what browser are you using? might as well put it out there so someone can use your information for reference

 

[dlwhtrose]

I have Dolphin Browser on both mine and hubby's phone and to change it you go into the browser > menu > more > settings > scroll down to "User Agent" and set it for desktop. Its real easy and works like a charm.

 

[Fonzz]

I'm not sure how it works on the D2, but on the original Droid you need to do the following...

open the browser
in the address bar type (with no quotations) "about:debug" and hit enter
.... nothing will appear to have happened.
then hit menu, go into settings, and scroll all the way down to where you see "UA String"
select that, from there you can select desktop instead of mobile (Android)

Thank You very much for this. I'm now downloading again from a site that suddenly stopped working for me a while back. I knew it had something to do with the site knowing I was using a phone. It's so easy clear cookies, grab a new ip and download the next file without waiting as a free user with the phone. Now my phone appears as a home pc to them I guess...
Worked on stock and dolphin browser, D1

 

[sc98007]

I'm not sure how it works on the D2, but on the original Droid you need to do the following...

open the browser
in the address bar type (with no quotations) "about:debug" and hit enter
.... nothing will appear to have happened.
then hit menu, go into settings, and scroll all the way down to where you see "UA String"
select that, from there you can select desktop instead of mobile (Android)

Thank You! It does work on Droid 2 too! Now I don't feel like a second class citizen when browsing the web with my phone!

Intrestingly, flash quality on xtube was much better than on youporn (on the desktop is the other way around)

Alas I tried watching office on hulu and it did not work. I guess hulu is the ultimate challenge. Anyone knows a browser/app that circumvents hulu?