How to Open Google Desktop Version on Mobile Devices

When you use Google Search on an iPhone, iPad, or Android mobile device, regardless of the browser app (Chrome, Safari, Opera, etc.), the mobile version of Google Search is displayed by default. This guide will show you how to open the Google Desktop version on mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.

While Google Mobile Search offers a sleek interface and enhanced user experience on mobile devices, it isn’t always the best option. Sometimes it provides different search results than Google Desktop Search. If you prefer to use the Google Desktop version on mobile devices, follow these steps to switch to the Google Desktop version in your browser.

Also see: Force Google Search Dark Mode on Windows or Android

Google Desktop Version on Mobile

Google Search on mobile used to have a link at the bottom of the page to switch to the desktop version. This link has since been removed, showing Google’s preference for users to use the mobile search version. However, you can use your browser app to force the desktop view mode on any webpage. Here’s how.

How to open Google desktop version on iPhone or iPad (Safari)

If you’re using Safari to browse the web, follow these steps to open the Google Desktop version on iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the Safari app.
2. Click on the Share button.
3. Scroll to the right until you see Request Desktop Site.
4. Tap to enable it.
5. Now, try to visit Google.com again in Safari.

Update: For Safari on newer iPhones or iPads running the latest iOS version, the “Request Desktop Site” option has been moved to the “aA” icon. Refer to the screenshot below to see where you can request the Google Desktop version on the newer version of Safari.

Once enabled, the Google Desktop version should open on your iPad or iPhone. You can use the Request Desktop Site option to open any website or webpage in desktop mode, such as Facebook. Safari will force the page to load as if you’re browsing from a desktop computer.

Open Google desktop mode on Android mobile devices (Chrome)

Numerous browser apps are available on Android, most of which have an option to force a webpage to load in desktop version. In this guide, we’ll focus on the Chrome app. To open the desktop version on an Android mobile device using Chrome:

1. Open the Chrome app on your Android device.
2. Click on the triple-dotted icon, usually at the top right corner of the screen, to open Chrome’s options menu.
3. Scroll down until you see an option called Desktop site.
4. Click to enable it.

After enabling the desktop site option, try opening Google Search again. It should now load in the Google Desktop version on your Android mobile device.

Accessing Google Desktop version on alternative mobile browsers

While the guide above focuses on Safari for iOS devices and Chrome for Android devices, there are alternative mobile browsers that also offer the option to access the Google Desktop version. Below are instructions for two popular mobile browsers: Firefox and Opera.

Open Google Desktop version on Firefox (iOS and Android)

1. Open the Firefox app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Navigate to Google.com.
3. Tap on the triple-dotted icon at the bottom-right corner (iOS) or top-right corner (Android) of the screen to open Firefox’s options menu.
4. From the menu, select Request Desktop Site.

Firefox will now load the Google Desktop version on your mobile device.

Open Google Desktop version on Opera (iOS and Android)

1. Open the Opera app on your iOS or Android device.
2. Navigate to Google.com.
3. Tap on the red “O” icon at the bottom-right corner (iOS) or bottom-center (Android) of the screen to open Opera’s options menu.
4. From the menu, select Desktop Site.

Opera will now load the Google Desktop version on your mobile device.

Troubleshooting Google Desktop version issues

If you encounter any issues when attempting to access the Google Desktop version on your mobile device, try the following steps:

1. Clear your browser’s cache and cookies. This can often resolve any issues caused by stored data affecting the way websites load.
2. Make sure your browser app is up-to-date. Outdated versions may not support the latest features or may have known bugs that could cause issues.
3. If you still experience issues, try an alternative browser app, as mentioned above.