What Is My User Agent?
Every website you visit receives a short text string describing your browser. Here is exactly what yours says right now:
Your user agent string
Reading your browser info...
Reading your user agent string
The string looks like gibberish, but each part means something. Mozilla/5.0 is a historical handshake every browser still sends. After that come your operating system, the browser engine (AppleWebKit, Gecko), and your actual browser and version. Phone browsers add Mobile and the device model. Sites parse this to decide which layout to show you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a user agent?
A user agent is a text string your browser sends to every website you visit. It names your browser, version, operating system and device type so the site can serve the right version of its pages.
Does my user agent reveal my IP address?
No. The user agent describes your software, not your network. Your IP address, which can reveal your location and ISP, is sent separately.
Can I change my user agent?
Yes. Browsers let you override it in developer tools, and extensions can spoof it. Web developers do this to test how sites look on other devices. It does not hide your IP or make you anonymous.
Why do websites want my user agent?
Mostly for practical reasons: showing you the mobile or desktop layout, warning you about an outdated browser, and collecting statistics on which browsers people use.
Can websites track me with my user agent?
It is one ingredient in browser fingerprinting, where many small signals are combined to recognize you. A VPN hides your IP but does not change your user agent. How to hide your IP.