Question 1

How to detect browser version with Bowser?

Accepted Answer

Use Bowser.getParser() with the user-agent string to create a parser instance, then call getBrowserVersion() or access the parsed object. For example, const browser = Bowser.getParser(navigator.userAgent); console.log(browser.getBrowser().version);

Question 2

Bowser vs ua-parser-js: which is better?

Accepted Answer

Bowser is lighter (4.8kB gzipped) and optimized with Client Hints support, while ua-parser-js might have broader detection. Choose Bowser for modern, minimal setups; ua-parser-js for extensive browser coverage.

Question 3

How to use User-Agent Client Hints with Bowser?

Accepted Answer

Pass the userAgentData object as the second parameter to Bowser.getParser() or Bowser.parse(). This improves accuracy for browsers like DuckDuckGo, as shown in the README examples with navigator.userAgentData.

Question 4

Does Bowser work in Node.js?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Bowser is multi-platform and supports Node.js. You can require it using CommonJS or ES6 imports, making it suitable for server-side detection, as mentioned in the overview.

Question 5

How to filter browsers based on OS using Bowser?

Accepted Answer

Use the .satisfies() method with OS-specific rules. For instance, browser.satisfies({ windows: { 'internet explorer': '>10' } }) checks if the browser is IE above version 10 on Windows, as demonstrated in the filtering section.

Question 6

What are the breaking changes in Bowser 2.0?

Accepted Answer

Version 2.0 completely changed the API, so methods from 1.x are incompatible. Developers must update their code and refer to the new docs, with legacy support available via the 1.x branch.

bowser

What is bowser?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Found a gem we're missing?

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions