How To Check Browser For Touchstart Support Using Js Jquery

One useful feature to consider when developing websites is touch event support in browsers. Touch event support makes websites more user-friendly for devices like smartphones and tablets that have touchscreens. In this article, we'll discuss how to check a browser for touchstart support using JavaScript and jQuery.

To start, you may wonder why it's essential to check for touch event support. Well, different browsers and devices may behave differently when it comes to touch events. By detecting touch event support in a browser, you can tailor your website's functionality accordingly.

Now, let's dive into the code. First, we'll use JavaScript to check for touch event support. Here's a simple function that does the job:

function isTouchSupported() {
  return 'ontouchstart' in window || navigator.maxTouchPoints;
}

In this code snippet, we are checking if the 'ontouchstart' property is present in the global window object or if the device has touch points using the navigator.maxTouchPoints property. If either condition is true, it indicates that touch events are supported.

If you prefer using jQuery, you can achieve the same result with the following code:

function isTouchSupported() {
  return 'ontouchstart' in window || navigator.maxTouchPoints;
}

$(document).ready(function() {
  if(isTouchSupported()) {
    // Touch events are supported
    console.log('Touch events are supported.');
  } else {
    // Touch events are not supported
    console.log('Touch events are not supported.');
  }
});

In this jQuery version, we first define the isTouchSupported() function to check for touch event support. Inside the document ready function, we call this function and log a message indicating whether touch events are supported or not.

By incorporating this code into your website, you can determine whether the user's browser supports touch events. This information can be valuable when designing interactive features that rely on touch input.

Remember, always consider graceful degradation for users on devices without touch support. By checking for touch event support upfront, you can provide a better user experience for all visitors to your site.

In conclusion, detecting touch event support in browsers is a crucial aspect of modern web development, especially for responsive and touch-friendly designs. With the JavaScript and jQuery snippets provided in this article, you can easily check for touchstart support and enhance your website's functionality accordingly.