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How to Capture a Webpage Screenshot at Mobile Viewport Size with Selenium

Set Chrome mobile emulation before starting Selenium, wait for the page content your test needs, and save the current viewport as a PNG.

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To capture a webpage at mobile viewport size with Selenium and Chrome, configure Chrome’s mobile emulation before creating the WebDriver session, load the page, wait for the content you need, then save the current browser window as a PNG. Setting a window’s dimensions alone is useful for responsive-layout checks, but it does not configure mobile device metrics such as pixel ratio.

Configure Chrome mobile emulation before starting Selenium

Set the emulated device metrics in Chrome options before creating the driver. The dimensions below are illustrative CSS viewport values, not a universal phone profile. Choose width, height, and pixel ratio to match your test case.

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from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
from selenium.webdriver.support.ui import WebDriverWait

options = Options()
options.add_experimental_option("mobileEmulation", {
    "deviceMetrics": {
        "width": 390,
        "height": 844,
        "pixelRatio": 3.0,
    }
})

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
try:
    driver.get("https://example.com")
    # Replace this with a condition for the page's real ready state/content.
    WebDriverWait(driver, 10).until(
        lambda d: d.execute_script("return document.readyState") == "complete"
    )
    ok = driver.save_screenshot("mobile-viewport.png")
    if not ok:
        raise RuntimeError("Screenshot file could not be saved")
finally:
    driver.quit()

The example waits for the document load event, but that may not mean an app’s later-rendered content or images are ready. Replace the wait with a condition for the specific element or state your test needs. Selenium’s Chromium Options reference describes mobile emulation as configuring the browser to emulate a mobile device: Selenium JavaScript Options API.

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Choose between a narrow window and mobile emulation

Use set_window_size(width, height) when you need to inspect a page in a browser window of particular dimensions, such as a desktop responsive-layout check. Use Chrome mobile emulation when the test requires mobile device metrics. Resizing the window does not, by itself, configure those metrics.

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For mobile emulation, configure explicit metrics when you need exact CSS viewport dimensions and pixel ratio. A named device preset is another option, but its availability can depend on the installed Chrome and ChromeDriver versions. Explicit values can be more predictable when your test requires particular dimensions.

Save the viewport screenshot

driver.save_screenshot("mobile-viewport.png") saves the current window as a PNG. Selenium’s Python API returns a boolean, so check it and handle a failed save rather than assuming the file was written. Use an element screenshot API only when you want a particular element, not the full current viewport.

Always close the driver in a finally block. This ensures the browser process is cleaned up if navigation, waiting, or saving raises an error.

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Verify the result against your test target

  • Check that the page uses the intended mobile layout and that the content you needed is visible.
  • Inspect the saved image dimensions. The configured width and height are device viewport metrics; output raster dimensions can also reflect pixel ratio and browser or driver behavior.
  • If the image dimensions differ from expectations, verify your CSS viewport values, pixel ratio, and Chrome/ChromeDriver versions. The configuration references do not guarantee identical raster dimensions across every environment.
  • Treat the image as evidence of the configured emulation, not proof of how every physical phone or mobile browser will render the page. Validate separately on an actual device when that fidelity matters.

JavaScript Selenium configuration

In Selenium’s JavaScript API, configure Chrome mobile emulation with setMobileEmulation before creating the driver:

const chrome = require('selenium-webdriver/chrome');
const options = new chrome.Options().setMobileEmulation({
  deviceMetrics: { width: 360, height: 640, pixelRatio: 3.0 }
});

You can also provide a supported device preset with setMobileEmulation({deviceName: '...'}). Check the preset against your installed browser and driver versions. See the Selenium JavaScript Options API.

Troubleshooting

The screenshot has desktop styling

Check that mobile emulation is configured on Chrome options before the driver session starts. Setting only the window size does not apply the mobile device metrics used by emulation.

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The page is missing content

A completed navigation does not guarantee that scripts, lazy-loaded images, or asynchronous components have finished rendering. Wait for a page-specific element or condition instead of relying only on document.readyState.

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The image dimensions do not match the viewport numbers

Confirm whether you are comparing CSS viewport dimensions with raster image pixels, and account for the configured pixel ratio. Browser and driver versions may also affect output; the API references do not promise identical image dimensions in every environment.

A named device preset is unavailable

Preset availability can vary with Chrome and ChromeDriver versions. Use explicit device metrics when the exact viewport dimensions are more important than a named preset.

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The screenshot file was not saved

Check the boolean returned by save_screenshot, confirm the process can write to the target path, and handle a false result as a failure. Keep driver shutdown in finally so a save error does not leave the browser running.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Selenium’s Python screenshot method save a PNG?

Yes. `driver.save_screenshot()` saves the current window image as a PNG and returns a boolean indicating whether the save succeeded.

Does an emulated mobile screenshot prove what a physical phone will show?

No. It records the configured emulation; it is not proof of rendering on every physical device or mobile browser.

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