This question relates to a mango device (HTC titan), and IE9..
Bing is useless in the UK - I understand that it's pretty good in the USA, but rest of the world..it's terrible for search. So as a result, if I want to search on my phone I have to load IE9 and go to google..fine, no problem. I can cope with that until we can unlock the titan to the point where I can remap the search button.
The problem I have is that whenever I go to google, it always takes me to google mobile..never to the "full" version. The mobile google is not very good at all, as it automatically reformats all the websites you visit from it, stripping the formatting and often breaking the sites. That's fine if you are on GPRS, but on a full 3G signal with unlimited data (and a large screen!), I want the full websites.
I presume this is to do with the user-agent of IE9 mobile, but does anyone know a way around this in Mango? It's not just google that does it, many other websites force me into the mobile version too (meaning an exta click to get to the "real" websites). I have set the preference in the IE9 options to "desktop" website versions, but this has no effect whatsoever.
Curious to know if this is a bug (and that setting should work?) or if its something that we'll be able to change once we get a full unlock for mango? Or if there is another solution anyone is aware of?
Spud1 said:
The problem I have is that whenever I go to google, it always takes me to google mobile..never to the "full" version. The mobile google is not very good at all, as it automatically reformats all the websites you visit from it, stripping the formatting and often breaking the sites. That's fine if you are on GPRS, but on a full 3G signal with unlimited data (and a large screen!), I want the full websites.
I presume this is to do with the user-agent of IE9 mobile, but does anyone know a way around this in Mango? It's not just google that does it, many other websites force me into the mobile version too (meaning an exta click to get to the "real" websites). I have set the preference in the IE9 options to "desktop" website versions, but this has no effect whatsoever.
Curious to know if this is a bug (and that setting should work?) or if its something that we'll be able to change once we get a full unlock for mango? Or if there is another solution anyone is aware of?
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If you set IE9 to view desktop sites and not mobile sites, This is an issue I ran into as well.
Google finds IE9 as a mobile browser and defaults to a mobile version (this is a google problem, not IE9 problem). If you look on the google page, there is a settings, go in there and change it to a full browser and it should reslove your problem.
This is a google detecting the browser issue, not a IE 9 one. I have not seen this with any other page I have gone to.
Related
when i click on certain links on certain sites like ebay googlemail and recently freeware site the browser shuts down automaticly.i use opera even with internet explorer the same thing happens.im using tmobile sim.i was wondering is it the network.
might happen because of video plugins
Hi, it happens to me when the page in question has embedded video. Not necessarily all the browsers will automatically shut themselves, so far only happened to me when using Opera
i have understood the problem i changed the sim to another network it runs fine.
because it was originaly launched as contract i had problems using a pay and go sim.this depends on the network how well there service is.i think contract sim is best to use .i tested certain networks
It happens to me with some sites even via WiFi, so I think it's site related.
Nick
It might be better with the Skyfire browser
On my rooted Desire i never had an issue, the roms I used included the user agent option in the browser and changing that to desktop ensured that every site I visited was the full desktop version and I was never forced to view mobile versions. The Sensation seems to be a problem though. I am able to activate the user agent setting in the browser but even when I change it to desktop there are still sites that insist on displaying mobile versions (mainly adult video sites but the odd betting site and i'm sure there are more). Is there anything else I can do to fix this? I have even tried typing various custom user agent strings, nicked from other browsers, in there but this still doesn't work. I cant help but think these sites are using some other information received from the browser to determine that it is a mobile device!
Dude, you read my mind, I was just about to post here after spending an hour or so messing around trying to stop the damn mobile view from showing!
Even if you change the setting in about:debug, going to www.google.com still gives me the stupid mobile version. This never happened on my Desire either! I think the Sensation is just bugged and changing the UAString doesn't actually do anything.
Im sure changing the User agent does do something, as it did stop some sites. Also if you got to http://whatsmyuseragent.com/ then change the useragent and go back, you can see the changes! I have changed my useragent to exactly the one that my chrome desktop browser sends, and still some websites dont work. There must be something else determining which site is shown.
Just out of interest, what is your Chrome UA string that you've used? Does it stop www.google.com from defaulting to Mobile view?
My User agent string is set as
Mozilla/5.0 Windows NT 6.0 AppleWebKit/535.1 KHTML, like Gecko Chrome/14.0.835.202 Safari/535.1
But it doesnt sort out google.com!
My job requires company access to an intranet site that requires IE for access. Their solution for mobile needs is to haul an IE-equipped laptop around, but I obviously would rather connect in the field with my tablet via VPN.
All the solutions I've found via searching online have ranged from "you can't do that" to a virtual desktop that's way out of reach for in individual user. And due to the way the sites are built, only IE will work. This is not about choosing a different browser.
So does anybody know if any work is being done for those of us needing to use/emulate IE on our tablets? I know from my google searches that this is a common problem, so hopefully somebody is working on it.
I think that the only thing you can do is to have a laptop or a desktop at home with IE and access it through something like Splashtop.
You can also enable Wake-on-Lan on that PC so that it can stay off and it turns on only when you need it.
Check out Opera. I'm not sure about the Android version, but the desktop versions allow you to change the user agent (a string included with every page request that includes the OS you are using, browser, browser version, rendering engine, etc.) so that it looks to other websites like you're using IE. I'm pretty sure Dolphin also has this, and I know that there is an extension for Firefox that can do this, too. Whether or not it will work in your case, I can't guarantee, but it's worth a shot.
Solution!
The "desktop user agent" in the Dolphin browser app did the trick. Thanks to those who replied with suggestions.
Really?! People still tolerate watching YT videos at regular speed? You have to be out-yer-ever-lovin' minds? And yet there is a Boote-sized void of search results on this topic and little in the way of any substantive discussions. Not even Google's own YT Forum generates any results.
If you have watched YT videos on a desktop or laptop, you may have stumbled upon the variable speed feature. It's a huge (yes, even, yuuuuge) time saver and once you have learned how and when to use it, you will find it hard to be on YT without it (both pleasure and work related). And yet that's exactly what happens when accessing YT with a mobile device. This has been a known 'issue' for many years. But I haven't read anything that discusses why mobile phones don't have access to that feature. Does any one know?
I have tried six or seven different browsers; no luck. The only workaround I could come up with was to remotely log in to my workstation. This setup, however, suffers from severe video degradation (though audio is fine). I am also aware of the approach of downloading the YT video and watching it through a player that has variable speed capabilities. That however is not a complete solution (e.g., inability to download private channel videos). I'd love hear about other approaches or solutions. And spare me ignit suggestions like using YT's skip feature.
Why does this seem to be such an intractable problem? It works fine on a desktop...it works fine on a laptop...but no luck on any mobile device (and I have tried multiple different devices and apparently this is also an issue with iphones). If it's a technical issue, I'd like to read up on it...then clean house with introducing a new app.
Did you try using a browser in desktop mode?
Desktop mode
Yes. Tried desktop mode on the following browsers: stock, chrome, firefox, opera and dolphin. The Variable Speed control cog does not present itself whether in mobile or desktop mode. But go to the same video on a laptop or workstation and the cog is there. And it makes no difference whether accessing via wifi or data. So I interpret this as YT somewhere being able to see that the play request is coming from a mobile and, as such, the cog is coded for 'disable'. That said, I would tend to think there is a solution to be had. But I'm not an expert.
I just tested on my phone, using Chrome in Desktop mode. The cog is there for me and I was able to change speed.
S3 / Note 4 + Chrome = No luck. But...
I just picked up a new Note 4 and just like with my S3, Chrome will not accommodate variable speed. A quick correction to my last post though; the cog does appear when accessing YT through a browser in desktop mode. If accessing YT through the app or through a browser on the mobile site the cog is not available.
While viewing YT in desktop mode through Chrome you can press on the cog after a single touch of the video (it's at the bottom off to the right) and it will bring up several options...one of them being Speed. However, in selecting a different speed Chrome won't actually make any change. You can confirm this by setting it 2x and then to .25x speed (the difference should be quite obvios). At least this is what I found testing it with a fully updated S3 running 4.3 as well as on my Note running 6.0.
But...fortunately I do now find that Firefox, viewing YT in desktop mode, provides the solution I have been wanting so badly. Click on the cog and variable speed becomes a reality on a mobile device. I found this solution works on both my S3 and Note 4. Que bueno!
That said, I still would be interested in knowing why that feature is not available through the YT app or its mobile website. Is it a resource issue? Or...?
Thank for your involvement Scotsman. I am one happy hombre.
Is there a way to go past the website's UA checks and always load their desktop versions instead of mobile? Asking because I already set in the preferences of all my phone browsers to always load the full desktop version and still, many websites somehow know I'm using a mobile device and force the mobile version.
Anyone found solution for Dolphin or Boat browsers? I've read about "about:debug" and "about:useragent" showing extra UA menu elements which in my case does nothing (android 6). I was also unable to find an user agent switching app that could always force Desktop parameters to the websites.
Even if there's no immefiate solution, I would like to know the principle websites choose which version to load irrespective to browser settings. Is it network/data/service provider settings, or specific browser/resolution signature? Thanks a lot for any ideas.
Menergy said:
Is there a way to go past the website's UA checks and always load their desktop versions instead of mobile? Asking because I already set in the preferences of all my phone browsers to always load the full desktop version and still, many websites somehow know I'm using a mobile device and force the mobile version.
Anyone found solution for Dolphin or Boat browsers? I've read about "about:debug" and "about:useragent" showing extra UA menu elements which in my case does nothing (android 6). I was also unable to find an user agent switching app that could always force Desktop parameters to the websites.
Even if there's no immefiate solution, I would like to know the principle websites choose which version to load irrespective to browser settings. Is it network/data/service provider settings, or specific browser/resolution signature? Thanks a lot for any ideas.
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If the problem is website's UA check, often you can choose an AdWay or something similar, on my phone i'm surprised to see as "auto check" some pop up, check and box.
But for what never stop working, that's need update every day...
There isn't much you can do in this case.
Sometimes in some browsers you've an option with whitelist or other but I do believe they can be related to the mobile display or desktop of a particular site.
Maybe there is an add-on xposed or plugin that I don't know
My problem is that some websites force the mobile version no matter what, as well as lack on services that I need in there, and you couldn't circumvent that in any way.
Yesterday I had to verify an email address and tried with all the browsers I have on my phone (like 5 different). They were all set to display the desktop version and all were forced into the mobile. But on the mobile you couldn't verify the link, probably on purpose (security if on mobile device), and I would not have access to laptop/desktop browser by the evening. The same is with many other features/missing services on forced mobile websites so I want to find a way to have full functionality when on the go.
Does AdWay have options for influencing data the browser notifies to the websites? Anything similar to Mozilla-code based Random Agent Spoofer browser add-on where you can basically force the browser to inject any incorrect data and prevent other data leaking while browsing? Any special cookie mechanisms inherent to mobile browsers only?
Alternatively, can I access browser settings with something like about:config/debug or else? Dolphin, Boat, others? I am sure the browser notifies the correct desktop user agent, there's something else, probably very simple, that tells websites the connection is from a portable device...
Menergy said:
My problem is that some websites force the mobile version no matter what, as well as lack on services that I need in there, and you couldn't circumvent that in any way.
Yesterday I had to verify an email address and tried with all the browsers I have on my phone (like 5 different). They were all set to display the desktop version and all were forced into the mobile. But on the mobile you couldn't verify the link, probably on purpose (security if on mobile device), and I would not have access to laptop/desktop browser by the evening. The same is with many other features/missing services on forced mobile websites so I want to find a way to have full functionality when on the go.
Does AdWay have options for influencing data the browser notifies to the websites? Anything similar to Mozilla-code based Random Agent Spoofer browser add-on where you can basically force the browser to inject any incorrect data and prevent other data leaking while browsing? Any special cookie mechanisms inherent to mobile browsers only?
Alternatively, can I access browser settings with something like about:config/debug or else? Dolphin, Boat, others? I am sure the browser notifies the correct desktop user agent, there's something else, probably very simple, that tells websites the connection is from a portable device...
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I use "user agent switcher" for chrome and it always works. It requires root though.
Can you provide an example of a website that refuses to show the desktop version?
And additionally, your build.prop contains your device's information. The browser might be transmitting that information to the website.
Thank you, the build.prop info was very helpful. I am not rooted yet as I've got my new phone just less than a month ago so still exploring, but can't really find the file, even among the hidden files on the internal memory. I will explore more and see how it goes.
I am in the UK so for example one of the websites that always loads the limited mobile instead of desktop version is the one of my service provider, EE, ee. co. uk (apologies for the intervals, I'm otherwise not allowed to post it). This mobile version is too basic and 60% of what you could do on a desktop version is cut. I've been on Three Mobile and sometimes I could get their full website working, sometimes not. Other websites are let's say bbc. co. uk and other media/news/bank websites that know, no matter browser settings, you are accessing them from a portable device.
Unfortunately I do not trust Google and any of their products so avoid voluntarily and (un)intentionally handing any personal data over to them. I would have used Mozilla for Android if it was close to the functionality Boat and Dolphin browsers provide. I even contacted the Dolphin team having previously assisted them but have got no feedback whatsoever. There must be a way for editing these unusual browser settings, but as pointed out above, I suspect it has something to do will submitting device ID info from within system folders. Thus probably only browser developers could tell us how the problem could be circumvented (and hopefully at least for now, with no root).
Or the developers of addons such as the Random Agent Spoofer or the user agent switchers.
Menergy said:
Thank you, the build.prop info was very helpful. I am not rooted yet as I've got my new phone just less than a month ago so still exploring, but can't really find the file, even among the hidden files on the internal memory. I will explore more and see how it goes.
I am in the UK so for example one of the websites that always loads the limited mobile instead of desktop version is the one of my service provider, EE, ee. co. uk (apologies for the intervals, I'm otherwise not allowed to post it). This mobile version is too basic and 60% of what you could do on a desktop version is cut. I've been on Three Mobile and sometimes I could get their full website working, sometimes not. Other websites are let's say bbc. co. uk and other media/news/bank websites that know, no matter browser settings, you are accessing them from a portable device.
Unfortunately I do not trust Google and any of their products so avoid voluntarily and (un)intentionally handing any personal data over to them. I would have used Mozilla for Android if it was close to the functionality Boat and Dolphin browsers provide. I even contacted the Dolphin team having previously assisted them but have got no feedback whatsoever. There must be a way for editing these unusual browser settings, but as pointed out above, I suspect it has something to do will submitting device ID info from within system folders. Thus probably only browser developers could tell us how the problem could be circumvented (and hopefully at least for now, with no root).
Or the developers of addons such as the Random Agent Spoofer or the user agent switchers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The build.prop is a text file which should be located in system/ folder. And you usually can't view the contents of that folder without root, so that's why you haven't been able to find it.
I visited ee.co.uk using chrome, and I was able to switch between the mobile and desktop version of the site without any issues, even without using the UA changing app. All I did was select "request desktop site" from the side menu.
I tried using CM's stock browser though, and just like you experienced, the same website refused to load in desktop mode. I even went as far as changing the UA in its settings menu and even that didn't work.
So all that you wrote in the last two paragraphs have been confirmed.
Right now, it's either chrome or root until the devs fix/properly implement their UA changing feature.
I was testing other browsers the whole morning here and finally reluctantly tried Firefox. Somehow its Android version never impressed me or was too buggy for me when tested before. Probably because just before going for it I tried Pale Moon and have seen that I can readily edit just about everything via about:config. The Pale Moon's UI settings menu was however completely missing (probably a bug), along with no other controls, so I had to skip it.
So I am glad to report that using Firefox's "Request desktop website" option I finally was able to load desktop versions of websites that were forcing me to always have their mobile one instead. This means that Firefix for now becomes my main browser. As suggested by you, I tried first with Chrome but with no success (using its internal user agent options). There were a few Chrome user agent switchers in the market but although some of them did not explicitly require root, upon starting them they did so I had to uninstall them.
My question yet remains, what exactly tells websites not to load full version, even if browser's user agent reports the correct values. I will leave this to me as I go deeper into this. Glad to have got what I wanted
Thanks a lot for all your help.
Just to add for all having my problem and using Firefox for Android.
By default Firefox will always load the mobile website version and every time you will need to tick "Request desktop site" if you dislike it. As I do, there is an addon called "Desktop by Default" that will always keep the tick on for you. You may instead try creating a new string called "general.useragent.override" adding a desktop OS signature but it won't work (tested by me) for exactly the same websites I had issues with above, so do use the addon instead. It will however work for all other websites that don't have issues with Desktop mode on other browsers.
There is another string that I disabled also called general.useragent.site_specific_overrides.
Tweaking with the Chrome for Android settings seems to require root so Firefox in my case is a God bless. I hope this is helpful to all others with my issue...