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qrtub automatically detects what device someone is using when they scan your QR code. You can use this information to show device-specific Destinations or route users to apps that work best on their platform.

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Why Device Detection Matters

Different devices need different experiences:
  • Mobile users might have your app installed—send them to the app with deep links
  • Desktop users can’t install mobile apps—send them to your web app instead
  • iOS users have different app stores than Android users
  • Tablet users might need a different layout than phone users
One QR code can serve the right experience for everyone.

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Common Use Cases

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1. Mobile App vs Web App

Scenario: You have a mobile app for field staff and a web app for office staff. Setup:
  • Create a “Mobile App” Destination with your app’s deep link
    • Set condition: device.isMobile
  • Create a “Web Portal” Destination with your web app URL
    • Set condition: device.isDesktop
Result: Field staff see “Mobile App” button. Office staff see “Web Portal” button. Same QR code.

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2. Platform-Specific App Downloads

Scenario: You want people to download your app from the right app store. Setup:
  • Create “Download on App Store” Destination
    • URL: https://apps.apple.com/app/yourapp
    • Condition: device.isIOS
  • Create “Get it on Google Play” Destination
    • URL: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yourapp
    • Condition: device.isAndroid
Result: iPhone users see App Store link. Android users see Google Play link. Scenario: SafetyCulture mobile app deep links (iauditor://) only work in Safari on iOS. Users on iOS in Chrome or other browsers need the web version instead. Setup - Create Two Destinations: Destination 1: “Start Inspection (Mobile App)”
  • URL: iauditor://template/new_audit/template_fcbc86fd41a74180921347e4be53bdf2
  • Condition: device.isDesktop || !device.isIOS || (device.isIOS && device.browser == "safari")
Destination 2: “Start Inspection (Web)”
  • URL: https://app.safetyculture.com/inspection/new?templateId=template_fcbc86fd41a74180921347e4be53bdf2
  • Condition: device.isIOS && device.browser != "safari"
Breaking down the conditions: Destination 1 shows for:
  • device.isDesktop - Desktop users (app links won’t work anyway, but SafetyCulture handles this)
  • !device.isIOS - Non-iOS mobile users (Android, etc. - app links work fine)
  • device.isIOS && device.browser == "safari" - iOS users in Safari (app links work here)
Destination 2 shows for:
  • device.isIOS && device.browser != "safari" - iOS users NOT in Safari (app links blocked, use web)
Result:
  • Desktop users: See mobile app Destination (SafetyCulture redirects appropriately)
  • Android users: See mobile app Destination (opens SafetyCulture app)
  • iOS Safari users: See mobile app Destination (opens SafetyCulture app)
  • iOS Chrome/Firefox users: See web Destination (opens in browser, avoiding iOS restriction)

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4. Tablet-Optimized Experience

Scenario: You have a special interface optimized for tablets. Setup:
  • Create “Tablet Interface” Destination
    • Condition: device.isTablet
  • Create “Standard Interface” Destination
    • Condition: !device.isTablet
Result: Tablet users get the optimized experience automatically.

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5. Browser-Specific Features

Scenario: A feature only works in certain browsers. Setup:
  • Create “Use Advanced Feature” Destination
    • Condition: device.browser == "chrome" || device.browser == "firefox"
  • Create “Standard Version” Destination
    • Condition: device.browser != "chrome" && device.browser != "firefox"
Result: Chrome and Firefox users see the advanced feature. Others see the standard version.

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Available Device Information

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Device Type

Field: device.type Values:
  • 'mobile' - Smartphone
  • 'tablet' - Tablet device
  • 'desktop' - Desktop or laptop computer
Convenience flags:
  • device.isMobile - True if smartphone
  • device.isTablet - True if tablet
  • device.isDesktop - True if desktop/laptop
Examples: 
device.type == "mobile"
device.isTablet
device.isDesktop

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Operating System

Field: device.os Values:
  • 'ios' - iPhone or iPad
  • 'android' - Android device
  • 'windows' - Windows PC
  • 'macos' - Mac computer
  • 'linux' - Linux system
  • 'unknown' - Could not detect OS
Convenience flags:
  • device.isIOS - True if iPhone/iPad
  • device.isAndroid - True if Android
Examples: 
device.os == "ios"
device.isAndroid
device.os == "windows" || device.os == "macos"

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Browser

Field: device.browser Values:
  • 'chrome' - Google Chrome
  • 'safari' - Apple Safari
  • 'firefox' - Mozilla Firefox
  • 'edge' - Microsoft Edge
  • 'opera' - Opera browser
  • 'unknown' - Could not detect browser
Examples: 
device.browser == "safari"
device.browser == "chrome" || device.browser == "edge"
device.browser != "unknown"

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How to Set Up Device Routing

  1. Create your Destinations - One for each device scenario
  2. Add conditions - Use device fields in each Destination’s visibility condition
  3. Test on multiple devices - Scan your QR code from phone, tablet, desktop to verify
Example Profile Page: 
Profile Page: Equipment Inspector
├── "Open Mobile App"
│   └── Condition: device.isMobile
├── "Open Web Portal"
│   └── Condition: device.isDesktop
└── "Equipment Manual" (PDF)
    └── Condition: (none - always visible)

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Combining Device Detection with Item Data

You can combine device detection with Item fields for powerful routing: Example: Mobile crane operators get the mobile app. Desktop users get web portal. But both only see these if the equipment type is “crane”. Mobile App Destination condition: 
device.isMobile && item.type == "crane"
Web Portal Destination condition: 
device.isDesktop && item.type == "crane"

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Important Notes

User-Agent Detection: Device detection uses browser User-Agent strings. These are generally reliable but:
  • Users can modify their User-Agent (rare)
  • Some privacy browsers mask device info
  • New devices/browsers might be detected as “unknown”
Not for Security: Device detection is for routing and user experience, NOT security. Don’t rely on it to restrict access to sensitive data—use proper authentication instead. Fallback Behavior: If device can’t be detected, qrtub assumes:
  • Type: desktop
  • OS: unknown
  • Browser: unknown
Always Provide Options: Consider having at least one Destination without device conditions—a fallback that everyone can access regardless of device.

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Testing Your Setup

Before deploying QR codes with device routing:
  1. Test on iPhone - Verify iOS-specific Destinations appear
  2. Test on Android - Verify Android-specific Destinations appear
  3. Test on Desktop - Verify desktop Destinations appear
  4. Test different browsers - Safari, Chrome, Firefox if you’re using browser conditions
  5. Test tablets - If you have tablet-specific routing
Scan the same QR code from each device. Verify you see the Destinations you expect.

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When NOT to Use Device Detection

Don’t use device detection for:
  • Restricting access to sensitive information (use proper authentication)
  • Forcing users into one specific app (let them choose)
  • Scenarios where showing all options is simpler
DO use device detection for:
  • App store routing (right store for each platform)
  • Mobile app vs web app routing
  • Platform-specific deep links
  • Optimized experiences per device type