- How do I install phattarachai/laravel-mobile-detect in a Laravel app?
- Install it with Composer by running composer require phattarachai/laravel-mobile-detect. On Laravel 5.5 and newer the service provider is auto-discovered, so no manual provider registration is normally needed. If you are on an older or non-standard bootstrap, register the provider and optionally alias the facade in config/app.php. Check the package README for any publishable config step.
- Which Laravel and PHP versions does laravel-mobile-detect support?
- The package composer.json and Packagist page are the source of truth for exact Laravel and PHP constraints, so confirm them before rollout. Pin to ^1.0 and let Composer resolve a compatible version. Run a CI install or composer why-not against your target Laravel LTS and PHP version to verify compatibility.
- How do I check if a visitor is mobile, tablet, or desktop with the facade?
- Use the facade's device-type checks for mobile, tablet, and desktop as documented by the package; MobileDetect-style wrappers commonly expose methods like isMobile and isTablet. The facade gives you a static, Laravel-friendly entry point anywhere in your app. For testability, prefer injecting the underlying service if the package exposes a resolvable contract.
- Can I use laravel-mobile-detect in Blade templates?
- Yes, the package is described as Blade-friendly, so you can call its facade or helper methods from Blade views to branch on device type. A common pattern is to serve mobile-specific markup or include different partials when the visitor is mobile or tablet. Keep complex detection logic in controllers or services and pass a simple flag to the view when possible.
- Is this package the same as MobileDetect, and what does that mean?
- It is a Laravel wrapper around the MobileDetect user-agent parser, so detection behavior comes from MobileDetect rather than a Laravel-specific algorithm. That gives you a familiar, widely used UA parsing approach with a Laravel facade and Blade-friendly API. It also means detection quality depends on the underlying MobileDetect rules and the user-agent strings you receive.
- How should I test code that uses the laravel-mobile-detect facade?
- Facades can hide dependencies, so avoid calling static facade methods directly in code you want to unit test. If the facade is backed by a resolvable contract or service binding, inject that service and mock it in tests. Otherwise mock the facade with Laravel's facade mocking helpers where possible, and add integration tests for the real UA parsing path.
- Do I need to register the facade alias manually?
- On Laravel 5.5 and newer, provider auto-discovery usually handles package registration, and the facade may be usable through its fully qualified class name. Manual aliasing in config/app.php is mainly needed for pre-5.5 apps or non-standard bootstraps. Check the exact facade alias in the package README and confirm it does not collide with an existing alias.
- How does v1.0.2 improve IDE support for the facade?
- The v1.0.2 changelog says it adds IDE support for the facade, typically through docblocks or IDE-helper metadata rather than a runtime change. In PhpStorm or VS Code with Intelephense, make sure vendor docblocks are indexed so the facade methods autocomplete. If you use barryvdh/laravel-ide-helper, regenerate the helper file after installing the package.
- Is user-agent detection reliable enough for production?
- User-agent detection is useful for progressive enhancement, analytics hints, and choosing a default view, but it is not a security or capability boundary. Clients can spoof user agents, and new devices or in-app browsers may be misclassified. Use responsive design and feature detection where possible, and treat mobile detection as a hint rather than a guarantee.
- How does it compare with jenssegers/agent or mobiledetect/mobiledetectlib?
- phattarachai/laravel-mobile-detect is a Laravel-focused wrapper around MobileDetect, so it is closest in spirit to mobiledetect/mobiledetectlib but adds Laravel facade and Blade-friendly ergonomics. jenssegers/agent is another Laravel agent parser with a different API and feature set, so compare method coverage, maintenance, and Laravel version support. Choose based on the device and browser checks you actually need, then verify compatibility and test coverage.