What is my user agent?

A user agent is a short line of text your browser sends with every request. It tells websites which browser, version, and operating system you're using, so they can send pages that work on your device.

Why does it mention other browsers?

Almost every user agent starts with "Mozilla/5.0", and Chrome's includes "Safari". That's left over from the 1990s and 2000s, when websites only sent full features to certain browsers. New browsers copied the older names so they wouldn't be turned away, and the habit stuck.

Why is my operating system version wrong?

Chrome, Edge, and other browsers now freeze some details in the user agent to make it harder to identify individual devices. For example, every Windows 10 and 11 computer reports "Windows NT 10.0", and Macs report the same older macOS version. Browsers that support Client Hints can share more accurate details when a site asks, shown above as "platform details".

Can I change my user agent?

Yes. Most browsers let you change it temporarily in their developer tools, usually under a device or network conditions setting, and extensions can switch it automatically. Changing it can make some websites behave oddly, so it's mainly useful for testing.