Browser detection in JavaScript? [duplicate]

Question

This question already has an answer here:

• How can you detect the version of a browser? 23 answers

How do I determine the exact browser and version using JavaScript?

Answer 1

It is usually best to avoid browser-specific code where possible. The JQuery $.support property is available for detection of support for particular features rather than relying on browser name and version.

In Opera for example, you can fake an internet explorer or firefox instance.

A detailed description of JQuery.support can be found here: http://api.jquery.com/jQuery.support/

Now deprecated according to jQuery.

We strongly recommend the use of an external library such as Modernizr instead of dependency on properties in jQuery.support.

When coding websites, I always make sure, that basic functionality like navigation is also accessible to non-js users. This may be object to discussion and can be ignored if the homepage is targeted to a special audience.

Answer 2

I found something interesting and quicker way. IE supports navigator.systemLanguage which returns "en-US" where other browsers return undefined.

<script>
    var lang = navigator.systemLanguage;
    if (lang!='en-US'){document.write("Well, this is not internet explorer");}
    else{document.write("This is internet explorer");}
</script>

Answer 3

I recommend using the tiny javascript library Bowser, yes no r. It is based on the navigator.userAgent and quite well tested for all browsers including iphone, android etc.

https://github.com/ded/bowser

You can use simply say:

if (bowser.msie && bowser.version <= 6) {
  alert('Hello IE');
} else if (bowser.firefox){
  alert('Hello Foxy');
} else if (bowser.chrome){
  alert('Hello Chrome');
} else if (bowser.safari){
  alert('Hello Safari');
} else if(bowser.iphone || bowser.android){
  alert('Hello mobile');
}

Answer 4

//Copy and paste this into your code/text editor, and try it

//Before you use this to fix compatability bugs, it's best to try inform the browser provider that you have found a bug and there latest browser may not be up to date with the current web standards

//Since none of the browsers use the browser identification system properly you need to do something a bit like this

//Write browser identification
document.write(navigator.userAgent + "<br>")

//Detect browser and write the corresponding name
if (navigator.userAgent.search("MSIE") >= 0){
    document.write('"MS Internet Explorer ');
    var position = navigator.userAgent.search("MSIE") + 5;
    var end = navigator.userAgent.search("; Windows");
    var version = navigator.userAgent.substring(position,end);
    document.write(version + '"');
}
else if (navigator.userAgent.search("Chrome") >= 0){
document.write('"Google Chrome ');// For some reason in the browser identification Chrome contains the word "Safari" so when detecting for Safari you need to include Not Chrome
    var position = navigator.userAgent.search("Chrome") + 7;
    var end = navigator.userAgent.search(" Safari");
    var version = navigator.userAgent.substring(position,end);
    document.write(version + '"');
}
else if (navigator.userAgent.search("Firefox") >= 0){
    document.write('"Mozilla Firefox ');
    var position = navigator.userAgent.search("Firefox") + 8;
    var version = navigator.userAgent.substring(position);
    document.write(version + '"');
}
else if (navigator.userAgent.search("Safari") >= 0 && navigator.userAgent.search("Chrome") < 0){//<< Here
    document.write('"Apple Safari ');
    var position = navigator.userAgent.search("Version") + 8;
    var end = navigator.userAgent.search(" Safari");
    var version = navigator.userAgent.substring(position,end);
    document.write(version + '"');
}
else if (navigator.userAgent.search("Opera") >= 0){
    document.write('"Opera ');
    var position = navigator.userAgent.search("Version") + 8;
    var version = navigator.userAgent.substring(position);
    document.write(version + '"');
}
else{
    document.write('"Other"');
}

//Use w3schools research the `search()` method as other methods are availible

Answer 5

Here is how I do custom CSS for Internet Explorer:

In my JavaScript file:

function isIE () {
      var myNav = navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase();
      return (myNav.indexOf('msie') != -1) ? parseInt(myNav.split('msie')[1]) : false;
}

jQuery(document).ready(function(){
    if(var_isIE){
            if(var_isIE == 10){
                jQuery("html").addClass("ie10");
            }
            if(var_isIE == 8){
                jQuery("html").addClass("ie8");
                // you can also call here some function to disable things that 
                //are not supported in IE, or override browser default styles.
            }
        }
    });

And then in my CSS file, y define each different style:

.ie10 .some-class span{
    .......
}
.ie8 .some-class span{
    .......
}

Answer 6

Sadly, IE11 no longer has MSIE in its navigator.userAgent:

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; Trident/7.0; SLCC2; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30729; Media Center PC 6.0; OfficeLiveConnector.1.5; OfficeLivePatch.1.3; .NET4.0C; BRI/2; BOIE9;ENUS; rv:11.0) like Gecko

As to why you want to know which browser you're using, it's because every browser has its own set of bugs, and you end up implementing browser and version specific workarounds, or tell the user to use a different browser!