User agent switch-up

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31-05-2018

Developers everywhere will understand the pain of having to test a website on multiple devices. How many times have we heard ‘…has anyone got an iPad I can borrow?’ shouted across the office, from a developer looking to test a new site. Well, now you don’t have to.
At Oxygen we’ve started using a helpful add-on to our browsers, which enables us to emulate different platforms. The names vary for different browsers, but for Firefox we’ve been using User Agent Changer by Security Lab. It’s a free add-on, and enables you to switch which user agent you use.
Essentially, you’re convincing your browser that you’re viewing that website on a different device, or even a different browser. I could be using Firefox on my PC, but by using the add-on I can convince the browser that I’m actually using Chrome on my Android mobile – clever right?

Testing  

The add-on is brilliant for testing sites, as you can do it all without moving from your desk. Test on various browsers, on various devices to ensure that your site is looking as good as it should be.

Posting

Most Instagram users will understand the frustrations of needing to use a mobile to post on the app. Copying pre-drafted posts from the body of emails and pasting them into the app can be time-consuming…so why not use the add-on to convince your browser that you are actually using a mobile device?
By switching the add-on to a mobile setting, you can log in to Instagram and post from your browser. A helpful trick that’s sure to save you plenty of time sending content between your PC and your phone.

Have you got any helpful tricks or advice? Share them with us!