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What are the benefits and drawbacks of using browser devtools device emulation over real devices?

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As a front-end developer, you probably use browser devtools to inspect and debug your web pages. But did you know that you can also use them to emulate different devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops? This feature can help you test how your website looks and behaves on various screen sizes, orientations, and resolutions. However, it is not a perfect substitute for testing on real devices. In this article, we will explore the benefits and drawbacks of using browser devtools device emulation over real devices.

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1 What is browser devtools device emulation?

Browser devtools device emulation is a feature that allows you to simulate the characteristics of different devices in your browser. You can access it by opening the devtools panel, clicking on the toggle device toolbar icon, and selecting a device from the list or creating a custom one. You can also adjust the device pixel ratio, the network throttling, the user agent, and the touch events. This way, you can see how your website adapts to different viewport sizes, pixel densities, network conditions, and input modes.

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2 Why use browser devtools device emulation?

Browser devtools device emulation can be useful for several reasons. First, it can save you time and money by allowing you to test your website on multiple devices without having to own or rent them. Second, it can help you identify and fix responsive design issues, such as layout, typography, images, and media queries. Third, it can help you optimize your website performance by simulating slow network speeds and testing your caching and loading strategies. Fourth, it can help you improve your user experience by emulating touch events and gestures and testing your accessibility and usability features.

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3 What are the limitations of browser devtools device emulation?

Browser devtools device emulation is not a flawless solution, however. It has some limitations that you should be aware of. First, it does not replicate the exact hardware and software specifications of real devices, such as the CPU, the GPU, the memory, the battery, the camera, the sensors, the OS, the browser, and the apps. Therefore, it may not reflect the true performance, functionality, and compatibility of your website on real devices. Second, it does not account for the human factors, such as the user preferences, the behavior, the expectations, and the feedback. Therefore, it may not capture the real user satisfaction, engagement, and retention of your website on real devices.

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Santhosh Palanisamy

UI Staff Software Engineer at Realtor.com. Experience in Architecting UI solutions for Financial, Telecom and Insurance Enterprise clients
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I agree that it is not a perfect substitute for testing on real devices. While browser dev tools device emulation can give a good idea of how a website will look and feel on different devices, there are often subtle differences between the emulation and the actual device that can affect the user experience. For example, the performance and behavior of touch events may vary between a real device and the emulation.

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4 How to use browser devtools device emulation effectively?

Browser devtools device emulation is a handy tool, but it should not be the only one. You should use it as a complement, not a replacement, for testing on real devices. Here are some tips on how to use it effectively. First, choose a representative sample of devices to emulate, based on your target audience, your analytics data, and your design goals. Second, test your website on different scenarios, such as landscape and portrait modes, high and low pixel densities, fast and slow network speeds, and touch and mouse inputs. Third, compare your results with testing on real devices and fix any discrepancies or errors that you find.

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5 What are the alternatives to browser devtools device emulation?

Browser devtools device emulation is not the only option for testing your website on different devices. There are some alternatives that you can consider. One of them is using online tools or services that offer device emulation or simulation, such as BrowserStack, LambdaTest, or Responsinator. These tools can provide you with more devices, more features, and more accuracy than browser devtools device emulation. However, they may also require a subscription fee, an internet connection, and a learning curve. Another option is using physical devices or emulators that run on your local machine, such as Android Studio or Xcode. These devices or emulators can give you more control and realism than browser devtools device emulation. However, they may also require more resources, more setup, and more maintenance.

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Santhosh Palanisamy

UI Staff Software Engineer at Realtor.com. Experience in Architecting UI solutions for Financial, Telecom and Insurance Enterprise clients
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In my experience, Ultimately it comes down to the use cases and budget when deciding on an alternative to browser dev tools. While online tools provide good accuracy in page render - they still lack the perfect simulation of human interaction. when it comes to Emulators, they simulate the exact device that's being tested but it requires better device resources - memory and hard drive. Which might raise the cost of the testing

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6 What are the best practices for testing your website on different devices?

Testing your website on different devices is an essential part of front-end development. It can help you ensure that your website is responsive, performant, accessible, and user-friendly on various screen sizes, orientations, resolutions, and input modes. Here are some best practices for testing your website on different devices. First, test early and often throughout your development process, not just at the end. Second, test on a range of devices that cover the most common and the most extreme cases for your target audience. Third, test on both browser devtools device emulation and real devices to get a comprehensive and accurate picture of your website. Fourth, test on different browsers and platforms to check for compatibility and cross-browser issues. Fifth, test on different network conditions to check for speed and reliability issues.

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7 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?

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Paul Sweatte
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For accessibility testing, browser devtools offer some features which are not available on emulators or real devices, such as detailed warnings about accessibility issues related to the page markup. Device specific accessibility cannot be tested, so a screen reader is still necessary for comprehensive testing.

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What are the benefits and drawbacks of using browser devtools device emulation over real devices?

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1 What is browser devtools device emulation?

2 Why use browser devtools device emulation?

3 What are the limitations of browser devtools device emulation?

4 How to use browser devtools device emulation effectively?

5 What are the alternatives to browser devtools device emulation?

6 What are the best practices for testing your website on different devices?

7 Here’s what else to consider

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