Device Detection overview

Introduction🔗

Device Detection identifies the device, operating system, and browser making a request to your website. It also returns over 250 other details about smartphones, tablets, desktops, TVs, and other connected devices.

Quick Start Guide - Get running in minutes.

How it works🔗

Our patented Hash algorithm uses the User-Agent and other HTTP headers to identify devices. The sections below explain its capabilities and common use cases.

  • Apple devices: We use JavaScript detection to see through Apple's hidden User-Agents and spot specific iPhone/iPad models.
  • Modern browsers: We support User-Agent Client Hints from Chromium browsers to keep detection accurate, even as Google reduces Android User-Agent details.
  • Transcoding browsers: We detect devices using alternative headers when the User-Agent gets rewritten or stripped out.
  • Enhanced accuracy: We can gather client-side evidence for deeper device insights.

Dig deeper in our technical spec and feature overview.

Advanced capabilities🔗

Apple Device Detection🔗

We use client-side JavaScript to identify specific iPhone/iPad models that cannot be distinguished from their User-Agents alone.

Learn more about Apple Detection

User-Agent Client Hints🔗

We support User-Agent Client Hints to identify devices when Chromium browsers reduce the details in their User-Agent headers.

Learn more about User-Agent Client Hints

TAC lookup🔗

Use the Type Allocation Code (TAC) from an IMEI number to identify a mobile device.

Learn more about TAC Lookup

Integration options🔗

Choose what fits your stack:

  • Cloud API: No infrastructure headaches, always updated, with plans sized by monthly requests.
  • On-premise: Run detection on your own servers.
  • Hybrid: Combine cloud and on-premise deployment.

Compare integration options | See how to migrate from Cloud to On-premise

Technical foundation🔗

Our patented Hash Algorithm is built for performance and scale:

  • Speed: Over one million detections per second on an eight-core AWS Graviton3 instance, and over 9 million on a 128-core server, when the data file is loaded into memory (see the hardware benchmarks)
  • Fast startup: Loads the data file into memory and is ready to detect in under 150 milliseconds on the same Graviton3 instance, which matters most where servers start and stop as demand changes
  • Low latency: Each detection takes microseconds when the data file is in memory, and there is no network call
  • Performance-critical ready: Perfect for high-load servers, edge environments, and real-time systems
  • Device details: Returns 250+ device properties
  • Efficiency: Keeps memory and bandwidth usage minimal
  • Deployment flexibility: Runs in-process by default, or deploys out-of-process or on a separate server if needed

Read the full technical specification for implementation details.

Migrating from older versions or other providers🔗

Use our migration guides to compare properties and features when moving from 51Degrees V3 or another device detection tool.

Examples and getting started🔗

Choose an example for your application type and deployment:

💡 Quick start🔗

Web integration examples🔗

Console examples🔗

All examples🔗

Common use cases🔗

📱 Responsive design and user experience🔗

Detect screen size, device type, and input methods to serve layouts and navigation that feel just right on any device.

⚡ Performance optimization🔗

Speed things up. Optimize images, trim down content, or tweak features based on device capabilities and network conditions.

📊 Analytics and business intelligence🔗

Get a detailed picture of your audience's devices, browsers, and operating systems. Use the data to understand behavior, improve user journeys, or enhance programmatic ad analytics, especially with Prebid integrations.

💰 Advertising and monetization🔗

Run device-specific ad formats, fine-tune targeting, and optimize placements to boost revenue. Integrate with Prebid to enrich bid requests and make programmatic smarter.

🛡️ Security and fraud detection🔗

Spot suspicious traffic and potential threats using device characteristics and behavioral signals.

📲 Mobile app development🔗

Identify Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), check feature support, and tailor mobile experiences that feel native.

🔄 Cross-device user journeys🔗

Identify whether each visit comes from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, so each step of a journey works on the device in use.

🎬 Content delivery and media🔗

Detect codecs, screen resolutions, and bandwidth conditions to deliver streaming media without hiccups.

Have a data or code question? Get in touch and explore subscription options.