Use Chromium’s mobile-emulation setting before you create the WebDriver session. Then navigate, wait for the page state you need, and call Selenium’s screenshot method. You can select a named device profile or provide explicit viewport metrics such as width, height, and pixel ratio. This produces a mobile-emulated Chrome screenshot for responsive-layout checks; it does not prove that the page behaves identically in a physical iPhone or Android browser.
What Selenium mobile emulation actually changes
Chrome mobile emulation changes the browser context used by your desktop WebDriver session. Depending on the options exposed by your language binding, you can set viewport width and height, device pixel ratio, user-agent information, and touch behavior. Responsive breakpoints, CSS media queries, and many layout decisions can therefore be checked without connecting a handset.
It is still emulation. Native browser differences, operating-system behavior, hardware acceleration, mobile text rendering, sensor APIs, keyboard behavior, and vendor-specific bugs require a real device or a platform simulator. Selenium’s older mobile documentation treats Android and iOS devices and their emulators or simulators as a separate testing path.
Prerequisites and version checks
- Install Selenium for the language you use and a Chromium-based browser.
- Use a ChromeDriver compatible with the browser’s major version. Selenium’s Chrome documentation states that Selenium 4 is compatible with Chrome 75 and later by default and advises matching Chrome and ChromeDriver major versions; verify the versions in your own environment because browser and binding releases change.
- Choose the mobile metrics before constructing the driver. Changing them after the session starts is not the normal Options API workflow.
When startup fails, print the browser version and the driver version from your environment first. A mismatch is more actionable than changing screenshot code at random.
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Choose a named profile or custom metrics
| Approach | Best for | Advantages | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named device profile | A quick check against a recognizable device preset | Convenient dimensions and emulation settings supplied by the browser | The profile name must exist in the browser/driver setup; available profiles can change between versions |
| Custom device metrics | Tests whose viewport assumptions must be explicit and reviewable | You control width, height and pixel ratio directly | Those metrics describe a test viewport, not complete physical-device fidelity |
Use a named profile when its preset matches the target you document. Use custom metrics when a regression test must state exact dimensions. Selenium’s JavaScript example uses width 360, height 640 and pixel ratio 3.0 as an example configuration, not as a universal recommendation.
Python: configure emulation and save a screenshot
This example uses custom metrics, waits for the document to finish loading, and writes a PNG. Adjust the wait for your application rather than assuming that network completion means the UI is ready.
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": 360,
"height": 640,
"pixelRatio": 3.0
}
})
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
try:
driver.get("https://example.com")
WebDriverWait(driver, 30).until(
lambda d: d.execute_script("return document.readyState") == "complete"
)
# Replace this with an application-specific readiness condition when needed.
driver.save_screenshot("mobile-emulated.png")
finally:
driver.quit()The screenshot method captures the current viewport in the Python binding. Full-page output, image format, and element-capture behavior vary by binding and driver; consult the versioned Selenium API for the method you select instead of assuming that every binding implements the same extensions.
Python with a named profile
from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
options = Options()
options.add_experimental_option("mobileEmulation", {
"deviceName": "Nexus 5"
})
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)
try:
driver.get("https://example.com")
driver.save_screenshot("profile.png")
finally:
driver.quit()Use a device name supported by the Chrome version running in your environment. If Chrome rejects the name, switch to custom metrics or choose a profile shown by that browser’s current DevTools device list.
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JavaScript: use setMobileEmulation
In Selenium’s JavaScript Chromium API, the documented method is setMobileEmulation. Call it on the options object before creating the driver.
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const {Builder} = require('selenium-webdriver');
const chrome = require('selenium-webdriver/chrome');
(async function () {
const options = new chrome.Options();
options.setMobileEmulation({
deviceMetrics: { width: 360, height: 640, pixelRatio: 3.0 }
});
const driver = await new Builder()
.forBrowser('chrome')
.setChromeOptions(options)
.build();
try {
await driver.get('https://example.com');
await driver.wait(async () =>
await driver.executeScript('return document.readyState') === 'complete',
30000
);
await driver.takeScreenshot().then(data =>
require('fs').writeFileSync('mobile-emulated.png', data, 'base64')
);
} finally {
await driver.quit();
}
})();Binding syntax differs across Selenium releases. Keep the emulation call before build(), and check the current JavaScript API if your installed version names a method differently.
Other binding patterns
Java
ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
Map<String, Object> metrics = new HashMap<>();
metrics.put("width", 360);
metrics.put("height", 640);
metrics.put("pixelRatio", 3.0);
Map<String, Object> emulation = new HashMap<>();
emulation.put("deviceMetrics", metrics);
options.setExperimentalOption("mobileEmulation", emulation);
WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
try {
driver.get("https://example.com");
((TakesScreenshot) driver).getScreenshotAs(OutputType.FILE);
} finally {
driver.quit();
}.NET
The .NET Chromium options API documents dimensions, pixel ratio, UserAgent, and EnableTouchEvents. Its settings class documents touch events as enabled by default. Do not transfer that exact default to another language binding without checking its reference.
var options = new ChromeOptions();
options.EnableMobileEmulation("Nexus 5");
using var driver = new ChromeDriver(options);
driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("https://example.com");
driver.GetScreenshot().SaveAsFile("mobile-emulated.png");If you need a custom .NET configuration, use the mobile-emulation options type documented for the Selenium version you installed and set the metrics, user agent, and touch behavior explicitly.
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document.readyState only indicates that the document load event has completed. Modern applications can still be rendering data, images, menus, or fonts. Prefer an explicit wait for a meaningful selector:
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
WebDriverWait(driver, 30).until(
lambda d: d.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "main[data-loaded='true']")
)- Wait for a stable application marker, not an arbitrary long sleep.
- Scroll or interact before capture when lazy content appears only after user action.
- Hide test-only overlays or dismiss consent UI only when that behavior is part of the test you intend to record.
- Record the URL, viewport metrics, browser version, and commit alongside the image so a visual change is reproducible.
Viewport emulation versus a real device
| Question | Desktop Chrome emulation | Real phone or simulator |
|---|---|---|
| Responsive layout and CSS breakpoints? | Well suited for fast checks | Also possible, with more setup |
| Exact mobile OS/browser behavior? | Not established | Appropriate evidence |
| Physical touch, keyboard, sensors and hardware? | Only the emulated capabilities you configure | Tests actual platform behavior |
| Maintenance burden? | Usually a simple WebDriver session | Requires device, simulator or device-lab management |
Do not describe an emulated PNG as proof that Safari on iOS or Chrome on Android produced the same pixels. When platform fidelity is the requirement, run Selenium tests on real mobile devices or an appropriate simulator.
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- MEMORIES MADE PICTURE PERFECT: Capture every angle in stunning clarity, from wide family photos to close-ups of friends, with the triple-lens camera on Galaxy A17 5G.
- NEED MORE STORAGE? WE HAVE YOU COVERED: With an improved 2TB of expandable storage, Galaxy A17 5G makes it easy to keep cherished photos, videos and important files readily accessible whenever you need them.³
- BUILT TO LAST: With an improved IP54 rating, Galaxy A17 5G is even more durable than before.⁴ It’s built to resist splashes and dust and comes with a stronger yet slimmer Gorilla Glass Victus front and Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer back.
Why Chrome Options is the normal choice
Selenium recommends Chrome Options for ordinary Chrome mobile emulation and generally prefers it over setting device metrics through the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP). Selenium describes CDP as temporary, version-dependent support pending broader WebDriver BiDi implementation. Its CDP documentation warns: “This is not designed for testing, nor to have a stable API, so functionality is highly dependent on the version of the browser.”
Use CDP only as a specialized fallback when a capability you need is not exposed by your binding’s Options API, and pin and verify browser versions if you do. WebDriver BiDi is the W3C-standard bidirectional direction Selenium identifies as the cross-browser replacement for CDP; implementation details continue to evolve.
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Session will not start
Cause: Chrome and ChromeDriver major versions do not match, or the driver is not on the path. Fix: inspect both versions, install a compatible driver, and retry with a minimal non-emulated session to isolate setup from emulation.
Unknown device name
Cause: the profile is unavailable in this Chrome build. Fix: use the current DevTools device list or replace the profile with explicit width, height, and pixelRatio.
Layout is desktop-sized
Cause: mobile emulation was added after driver creation, the wrong options object was passed, or the page cached a desktop decision before navigation. Fix: set options before session construction, create a fresh driver, and navigate only after it starts.
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Screenshot is taken too early
Cause: the load event fired before client-side rendering completed. Fix: wait for a stable selector or application-ready flag.
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Images or sections are missing
Cause: lazy loading waits for scrolling or intersection with the viewport. Fix: scroll deliberately, wait for image completion, and capture the state your test specifies.
Touch or user-agent assumptions fail
Cause: support and defaults differ by binding. Fix: configure user agent and touch behavior explicitly where the binding documents them, then verify the resulting values in the page.
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FAQ
Does mobile emulation test Safari?
No. It tests an emulated Chromium context. Use an iOS device or simulator for Safari-specific behavior.
Should I always use a named phone profile?
No. Custom metrics are preferable when exact viewport assumptions are part of the test contract.
Can I change emulation during one session?
Plan each target as a separate driver session unless your binding explicitly documents a supported runtime change.
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