How to find your browser's reported platform information

A website says you are using the wrong operating system, or you need to check what platform your browser is reporting. The value comes from information the browser makes available to web pages. It can be useful, but it is not always a complete or exact description of your device.

Use TooLab's Browser Info to inspect browser details, including its version and engine, along with privacy information and supported features. Then compare the platform information with your computer's own system settings.

Find the platform information

1. Open Browser Info in the browser you want to check. Browser details depend on the browser and device you are using, so open the tool in the same browser that showed the unexpected platform.
2. Look through the browser details for an operating system or platform value. The exact wording can vary. If a browser identity string is shown, it may include a platform token as part of a longer string.
3. Note the reported value, as well as the browser version and engine. The browser version and engine help you distinguish a platform mismatch from an outdated or unusual browser environment.
4. Compare the result with the operating system shown in your device settings. On Windows 11, open Settings › System › About. On a Mac, open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.

Check that you are comparing like with like. A browser on a phone may offer a desktop-site mode, and a managed work browser may use compatibility settings. A site can also show information from a different browser profile than the one you checked.

What the result means

The reported platform matches your device

The browser is reporting a platform value that agrees with the operating system you checked. This is a useful confirmation of what a web page is likely to see, but it does not prove every site receives or interprets the information identically. Websites can use different browser signals and may display a simplified label.

The reported platform names a different system

This does not automatically mean your computer has been identified incorrectly. A browser may use a compatibility value, a privacy feature may reduce identifying details, or an extension or managed setting may change what sites receive. If you use a virtual machine or remote desktop, the browser reports the environment it runs in, which may differ from the physical computer.

For more help investigating an OS mismatch, see Website identifies my OS incorrectly: what to check.

The platform value is missing or generic

Some browsers limit or generalize information to reduce device fingerprinting. A site may receive only a broad platform category, or may not receive a value it can use. Missing detail does not mean the operating system is broken. Read Which computer details are hidden from websites? for more about what a web page can and cannot learn.

The platform looks right, but a website still gets it wrong

The website may be using a cached result, a different browser profile, or another signal to guess your operating system. Browser Info describes what the current browser reports to the tool. It cannot guarantee that another site uses the same method or displays the information correctly.

How to check a mismatch

1. Confirm the operating system on the device. Use Settings › System › About on Windows 11 or the Apple menu and About This Mac on macOS. If the operating system shown there is not what you expected, resolve that difference before troubleshooting the browser.
2. Open the same browser profile. If the mismatch appeared in a work profile, private window, or second browser, check Browser Info in that exact environment. Different profiles can have different extensions, privacy settings, and policies.
3. Check for desktop-site mode on a phone. A mobile browser can ask a website to display its desktop version. Turn that mode off for the site, reload the page, and check the reported value again. The setting name and location vary by browser.
4. Review extensions and privacy controls. Browser add-ons and privacy settings can affect what information a website receives. Temporarily test in a clean browser profile or with extensions disabled, then compare the result. If it changes, re-enable extensions one at a time to identify the cause.
5. Compare with another browser. Open Browser Info in a second browser on the same device. If only one browser reports a different platform, focus on that browser's profile, settings, or management policy. If both report a broad or limited value, privacy restrictions may be expected.
6. Ask your administrator before changing a managed setting. A work or school device may have policies that control browser identity and privacy. Do not remove management settings just to make a website display a different platform.

What a platform report cannot prove

A browser-reported platform is an identifier, not a hardware inspection. It cannot verify the exact computer model, prove which physical device is in front of you, or confirm that every system component matches the reported operating system. Browsers deliberately limit some device details, and privacy features can make values less specific.

Use the report to understand what the current browser exposes, then use the device's system settings to confirm its operating system. Nothing you enter into Browser Info is needed to check these details.