Alternate Browsers on a Chromebook?

General Discussions
,
1

I’m a nerd and often switch between DuckDuckGo, Firefox, Chrome, and Brave on my Lenovo Chromebook. However, I’ve noticed that all these browsers open as “Tablet” or “Phone” versions instead of regular desktop browsers.

This makes them feel clunky, especially when I’m using them for web development and scripting to check page designs across devices. Any way to make these browsers act more like full desktop browsers and avoid the clunky Android app-like interface?

2

So, if you’re looking to bypass the mobile-like behavior of browsers on your Chromebook, you could set up a Linux environment via Crostini. Once that’s done, you can install desktop versions of browsers like Firefox or Chrome.

These versions are free from the constraints that Android apps usually have on Chrome OS. It’ll give you that full desktop experience, just like on a traditional Linux system. It’s great for when you want more control over your browsing, especially if you’re into development or testing.

3

Another option is to go for browsers like Firefox, which have their own web app versions specifically for Chrome OS. These versions are designed to run directly within Chrome OS and won’t feel like you’re using a mobile or tablet browser. Instead of relying on the Play Store, just download them directly from their official websites.

This method ensures that they behave just like desktop browsers, which is key if you’re after a more traditional browsing experience on your Chromebook.

4

Here’s another approach if you’re already using jQuery, which simplifies the event handling for you. I love using .on('load') because it helps prevent old handlers from being fired. This is my take:

function changeImage(newSrc) {
  const $img = $("#id1");
  $("#loader").show();
  $img.hide();

  $img.off("load").on("load", function () {
    $("#loader").hide();
    $(this).show();
  }).attr("src", newSrc);
}

By using jQuery’s .off("load"), we remove any lingering old load events and set the new one, making the process smooth and clean if you’re already working with jQuery.