How can you test responsive designs across devices?

1 Use browser dev tools

One of the easiest ways to test responsive designs is to use the built-in developer tools in your browser. Most browsers have a feature that allows you to simulate different device viewports, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. You can also change the pixel density, zoom level, and orientation of the simulated device. This can help you check how your website looks and behaves on different screen sizes and ratios. However, browser dev tools are not perfect, as they may not accurately reflect the actual performance, functionality, and user experience of real devices.

2 Use online testing tools

Another option to test responsive designs is to use online testing tools that can generate screenshots or live previews of your website on various devices and browsers. Some examples of online testing tools are Responsinator, BrowserStack, and LambdaTest. These tools can help you see how your website renders on different platforms, operating systems, and versions. They can also help you identify and fix compatibility issues, layout problems, and broken features. However, online testing tools may not be able to capture all the nuances and interactions of real devices, such as touch gestures, animations, and transitions.

3 Use physical devices

The best way to test responsive designs is to use physical devices that your target audience uses. This can help you get a realistic and authentic feedback on how your website performs and feels on actual devices. You can use your own devices, borrow from friends or colleagues, or rent from device labs. You can also use tools like Ghostlab or BrowserSync to synchronize your testing across multiple devices and browsers. Using physical devices can help you ensure that your website meets the expectations and needs of your users, as well as the standards and guidelines of different platforms.

4 Use analytics and feedback

Another important aspect of testing responsive designs is to use analytics and feedback to measure and improve your website's performance and usability. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or UserTesting to collect and analyze data on how your users interact with your website on different devices and browsers. You can also use surveys, polls, or interviews to gather feedback from your users on their satisfaction, preferences, and pain points. Using analytics and feedback can help you optimize your website for speed, accessibility, engagement, and conversion.

5 Use best practices

Testing responsive designs across devices is a crucial part of mobile design, as it can help you ensure that your website is responsive, compatible, and user-friendly. To do so effectively, you need to follow some best practices such as using a flexible grid system that can adjust to different screen widths and heights, applying different styles and rules through media queries based on device characteristics, using relative units like percentages, ems, or rems instead of absolute units like pixels or points, utilizing responsive images and videos that can scale and fit to different screen sizes and resolutions, web fonts that can load fast and render well on different devices and browsers, and progressive enhancement and graceful degradation to provide a core functionality and experience for all users. Through these tips and tools, you can test your website on various devices and browsers, ultimately improving your website's performance and usability.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?