Mobile-Friendly Test

Most visits now come from smartphones, and Google evaluates websites based on their mobile version. The test opens your page in a real browser at smartphone size, shows you a screenshot in a phone frame and checks the points where mobile visitors most often get stuck: text that is too small, tap targets that are too small, horizontal scrolling and banners covering the content.

We load the page in a real browser, which takes 15 to 30 seconds.

How to read the result

We load your page at a width of 390 pixels, as wide as a current smartphone, and measure the visible elements. The screenshot is created in memory only and sent exclusively to your browser. We do not store it.

OK
This point is implemented correctly.
Review
Not an acute error, but room for improvement.
Problem
Likely has a negative effect and should be fixed.
Info
For information, without rating.

01
Viewport and zoom
Without a viewport meta tag, the smartphone shows a shrunken desktop page. We check whether the tag is present and whether zooming remains allowed. Settings such as user-scalable=no or a low maximum-scale prevent people with poor eyesight from enlarging the text.
02
Horizontal scrolling
If content is wider than the screen, the page can be moved sideways and looks broken. We report this and list the widest elements, usually images, tables, embedded content or containers with a fixed width.
03
Font size
We determine what share of the text is smaller than 12 pixels. Such text can only be read on a smartphone by zooming in. For body text we recommend 16 pixels.
04
Tap targets
According to WCAG 2.2, links and buttons should be at least 24 × 24 pixels or have enough space around them. We show which elements are smaller or so close together that it is easy to tap the wrong one.
05
Popups and load time
We check whether a banner or popup covers a large part of the screen right after loading. Cookie banners count, too: they are necessary but should stay compact. We also measure how long the page takes to load at smartphone size.

Why the mobile version matters most

On many websites, more than two thirds of visits come from smartphones. Yet design and testing often happen on a large screen, and the mobile view is whatever is left over. But that is exactly where people decide whether to call, book or leave.

For several years Google has indexed websites mobile-first: the mobile version is what gets evaluated, even for searches on desktop. Google retired its own Mobile-Friendly Test in 2023. The criteria still apply, and these are exactly what our test checks.

Mobile problems are often small things with a big impact: an image without a maximum width, a menu with tiny links, a cookie banner that fills half the screen. Each of them costs visitors, who have little patience on a smartphone.

Most points can be fixed in the theme with reasonable effort. The screenshot helps you discuss the same picture with your team or agency.

Frequently asked questions about the mobile test

Why 390 pixels wide?

That matches the screen width of many current smartphones, such as popular iPhone models. Smaller devices with 360 pixels are also common. Something that just fits at 390 pixels may already overflow there.

The screenshot looks different from my phone.

We load the page as a first-time visitor, without stored cookies and with a specific browser. Your phone already knows the page, may have accepted the cookie banner and uses a different screen size. Small differences are therefore normal.

Our cookie banner is reported as a problem. Does it have to go?

No, a cookie banner is usually necessary. It should be compact, though, for example as a bar at the bottom, and not cover large parts of the content. Popups for newsletters or promotions right after loading are particularly annoying on a smartphone.

Why does zooming matter so much?

Many people enlarge text on their smartphone because they have poor eyesight or the surroundings are too bright. If zooming is blocked, they cannot use the page. That is a clear violation of the WCAG accessibility guidelines.

Is the screenshot stored?

No. The screenshot is created in memory, sent directly to your browser and then discarded. Nothing of it remains on our server.

Is my input stored?

We store the checked address and the result anonymously for statistical purposes. Your IP address is not stored. More in our privacy policy.

Websites that work in every hand

We design and develop websites for the smartphone first and then for every other screen. We also make existing sites mobile-ready without rebuilding everything.

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