What Is the List of navigator.platform Possible Values? Complete Updated List (2024)

Table of Contents#

1. What Is navigator.platform?
2. Why navigator.platform Still Matters (Even Today)
3. Deprecation Status & Modern Alternatives
4. Complete List of navigator.platform Possible Values (2024)
   • Desktop Platforms
   • Mobile Platforms
5. How to Test navigator.platform Values
6. Common Misconceptions & Limitations
7. Conclusion
8. References

What Is navigator.platform?#

navigator.platform is a property of the Navigator interface in JavaScript, part of the Web API. It returns a string indicating the operating system platform on which the browser is running. Historically, it was used to detect whether a user was on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, or other systems.

Example Usage:#

// Log the platform to the console
console.log("Your platform:", navigator.platform); 
// Output (e.g., "MacIntel" on an Intel-based Mac, "Win32" on Windows 11)

Unlike navigator.userAgent (which is a long, complex string), navigator.platform was designed to return a short, standardized value. However, its lack of standardization and privacy concerns have led to its deprecation.

Why navigator.platform Still Matters (Even Today)#

Despite being deprecated, navigator.platform hasn’t disappeared overnight. Here’s why it’s still relevant:

• Legacy Codebases: Thousands of websites and libraries (e.g., older analytics tools, plugins) rely on navigator.platform for platform detection. Updating them to use modern APIs is often time-consuming.
• Debugging: Developers still use navigator.platform to diagnose platform-specific bugs (e.g., “Why does this feature break on Linux but work on Windows?”).
• Browser Compatibility: Not all browsers support modern alternatives like User-Agent Client Hints (UACH) yet (e.g., older versions of Safari).

Deprecation Status & Modern Alternatives#

Deprecation Notice#

navigator.platform is officially deprecated in the W3C specification and marked as “non-standard” by MDN Web Docs. Browsers are gradually phasing it out, with many now returning generic or misleading values to protect user privacy.

Why It’s Deprecated:#

• Privacy Risks: navigator.platform can be used to fingerprint users (e.g., distinguishing between 32-bit vs. 64-bit systems, or rare hardware).
• Inconsistency: Values vary widely across browsers and OS versions, leading to unreliable detection.
• Lack of Standardization: No single body (e.g., W3C) governs navigator.platform values, so browsers historically invented their own.

Modern Alternatives: navigator.userAgentData.platform#

The replacement for navigator.platform is the User-Agent Client Hints (UACH) API, specifically navigator.userAgentData.platform. UACH is a privacy-focused, standardized way to request platform information with user consent.

Example:#

// Check if UACH is supported
if (navigator.userAgentData) {
  navigator.userAgentData.getHighEntropyValues(["platform"])
    .then(data => console.log("UACH Platform:", data.platform)); 
  // Output (e.g., "windows", "macos", "linux", "ios", "android")
}

UACH returns standardized values like "windows", "macos", or "android", avoiding the ambiguity of navigator.platform. Most modern browsers (Chrome 89+, Edge 89+, Firefox 103+) support UACH, but Safari (as of 2024) still lacks full support.

Complete List of navigator.platform Possible Values (2024)#

Below is the most up-to-date list of navigator.platform values, organized by device type. Note: The values listed below are verified to still be visible in modern browsers, while other unlisted platforms may return generic or empty values.

Desktop Platforms#

Mobile Platforms#

Mobile values are more fragmented, as device manufacturers and browsers (e.g., Safari, Chrome, Samsung Internet) often return unique strings.

How to Test navigator.platform Values#

To see what navigator.platform returns on your device, use one of these methods:

1. Browser Console#

Open your browser’s developer tools (F12 in Chrome/Firefox, Cmd+Opt+I in Safari) and run:

console.log(navigator.platform);

2. Simple HTML Snippet#

Create a minimal HTML file to display the value:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <h1>Your navigator.platform Value:</h1>
    <script>
      document.body.innerHTML += navigator.platform; 
      // Displays the platform directly on the page
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

3. Cross-Browser Testing Tools#

Use tools like BrowserStack or Sauce Labs to test navigator.platform on rare platforms (e.g., Smart TVs, old Android devices).

Common Misconceptions & Limitations#

Misconception 1: “Win32 Means 32-Bit Windows”#

False. Modern browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) return Win32 for both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows (e.g., Windows 10/11 64-bit). The Win64 value is legacy and rarely used today.

Misconception 2: “It Reliably Detects Mobile vs. Desktop”#

Not always. For example:

• iPads running iPadOS 13+ may return MacIntel in some browsers (mimicking macOS to enable desktop-class websites).
• Some Android tablets return Linux armv8l (same as Android phones), making it hard to distinguish tablets from phones.

Limitation: Values Are Not Standardized#

There’s no official list of navigator.platform values, so browsers and OSes invent their own. For example:

• Both Safari and Chrome on Apple Silicon Macs return MacIntel (they do not distinguish between Intel and Apple Silicon).
• Some Linux distributions return Linux x86_64, others Linux i686, and ARM-based Linux returns armv7l/armv8l.

Limitation: Deprecation Risks#

Major browsers (Chrome, Firefox) plan to phase out navigator.platform entirely. By 2025, it may return generic values like "unknown" or be removed.

Conclusion#

navigator.platform remains a useful tool for debugging and legacy code, but its days are numbered. While this guide lists the most common 2024 values, always verify results with modern tools like User-Agent Client Hints (navigator.userAgentData.platform) for new projects.

Key takeaways:

• Use navigator.platform sparingly and only for legacy support.
• Adopt navigator.userAgentData.platform for standardized, privacy-respecting platform detection.
• Test rigorously across browsers—values vary widely!

References#

• MDN Web Docs: navigator.platform
• W3C Deprecation Notice for navigator.platform
• User-Agent Client Hints Specification
• Chrome Platform Status: Deprecate navigator.platform
• Safari Release Notes

Let us know in the comments if you’ve encountered a rare navigator.platform value we missed! 🚀