Changing user agent in Mozilla Firefox

Every web browser uses user agent strings to have itself identified. The web servers request these strings to find out if it is Internet Explorer, Opera or Mozilla Firefox etc. The user agent strings are built inside the browser. But in Mozilla Firefox you can spoof the user agent strings. The result being that even if you are using Firefox, the web server would think you are using Internet Explorer or some other browser.

This is very helpful when some site insists on using Internet Explorer. I have seen some university web sites which refuse to work if you are using anything other than Microsoft Internet Explorer. You can spoof the user agent strings to have your way with such sites. This is how :

  1. Start Firefox
  2. Visit https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59 in Firefox.
  3. When Firefox asks your permission, click Install to install this addon. Then restart your Firefox browser.
  4. When Firefox restarts, you would be able to access the User Agent Switcher from the Tools menu.

Please note that just by spoofing the User Agent strings, a browser will not render the sites like a spoofed web browser. If you are doing an important work like filling up an application form, or doing some financial transactions and a site tells you to use a specific web browser, you should do as directed.