Can You Detect Device
Can websites detect your device?
Checking…
Simulates what a normal website can learn from your browser — not a stealth audit.
How to use
- Open the page on the phone, tablet, or computer you want to evaluate.
- Read the Yes headline and bullets under What sites can see.
- Compare devices by opening the same URL on each and clicking Refresh.
FAQ
Can websites detect my device model?
Sometimes. Phones and tablets may expose model tokens in the user agent or Client Hints `model` field. Desktops often report only desktop without a brand or serial — but class (mobile vs desktop) is still visible.
Can sites see my IMEI or serial number?
No. Browsers do not expose hardware serials. Sites see coarse class, optional model hints, and fingerprinting surfaces like screen size and touch capability.
Why does my phone show model not reported?
Some browsers and privacy settings withhold model Client Hints. Device type (mobile) may still be detectable from UA and touch signals.
Is this the same as What Device Am I Using?
[What device am I using](/tools/what-device-am-i-using) labels your device for you; this page emphasizes that websites can harvest the same categories.
Do sites use screen size to detect devices?
Yes — many scripts combine viewport, DPR, and touch points with UA data. This tool lists UA/CH fields; screen checks appear in broader fingerprinting.
Is anything uploaded?
Detection uses JavaScript in your tab only. Model and type fields come from APIs available to any page you visit.
Introduction
Can You Detect Device shows what device class and model hints a website can learn without installing an app — mobile, tablet, or desktop, plus vendor and model tokens when the browser provides them. The usual answer is Yes, at least for device type; exact phone models appear when Client Hints or UA tokens allow it.
Retail sites, ad networks, and support portals use this to tailor layouts, offers, and troubleshooting. Privacy advocates use the same page to see how “just browsing” still leaks hardware context.
What websites can read
| Signal | Typical use |
|---|---|
| UA device type | mobile / tablet / desktop classification |
Client Hints model |
Phone or tablet model on supported Chromium builds |
Client Hints mobile |
Boolean mobile flag separate from screen width |
| Touch & pointer heuristics | Combined with screen size in fingerprint scripts |
| OS family | Often paired with device class (iOS + mobile) |
This page surfaces UA and Client Hints rows. Aggressive fingerprinting may combine them with what is my screen resolution and what is my fingerprint data.
Phone vs desktop expectations
Phones often expose the richest model hints. Desktops frequently report “desktop” only — still enough for sites to skip mobile layouts. Tablets sit in between; iPad and Android tablet UAs differ in how much model detail leaks.
Common use cases
- Responsive QA — verify your site’s mobile detection matches real devices, not only CSS breakpoints.
- Ad and analytics audits — see what device bucket your traffic would fall into.
- Privacy comparison — open on phone vs laptop and compare model fields.
- Support — confirm whether a user’s browser reports mobile when a desktop site loads incorrectly.
Best practices
- Test on real hardware, not only DevTools device emulation — some hints differ.
- Pair with am I on mobile or desktop for a user-centric classification check.
- For OS-level detail, open can you detect OS.
- Remember device detection is not GPS — location is a separate permission and API surface.