SEO27 July 20266 min read

Free mobile-friendly test: what to use now Google retired theirs

Google removed its mobile-friendly test in 2023. The requirements did not change, and mobile-first indexing means the mobile version is the one being ranked.

By Sapun Lamichhane · Arcetis

Google retired its mobile-friendly test at the end of 2023, and the resulting confusion has been unhelpful: the tool went away, the requirements did not, and mobile-first indexing means the mobile rendering of your site is the version being assessed.

The viewport meta tag

One line, and without it a mobile browser assumes a desktop-width layout and zooms out to fit. Everything is technically present and nothing is readable.

<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">

Horizontal overflow

The most common mobile failure and the easiest to miss on a desktop monitor. One wide table, one fixed-width image or one long unbroken string, and the whole page scrolls sideways.

The fix is to let wide content scroll inside its own container rather than allowing the page body to. Tables, code blocks and diagrams should each own their overflow.

Tap targets

Around 44 by 44 pixels, with enough space that a thumb cannot hit two at once. Navigation links set close together for a mouse become a guessing game on a phone.

Content parity, the one that quietly costs rankings

Under mobile-first indexing, the mobile version is what gets indexed. Content hidden on mobile is content not indexed. Structured data omitted from the mobile template is structured data that does not count.

This catches sites that built a deliberately lighter mobile experience for good reasons and did not realise they had made the lighter version the canonical one.

What free means here

Our mobile-friendly test is free, with no account needed for your first scan. It renders at a mobile viewport rather than inferring from your CSS, and reports viewport configuration, overflow, tap target sizing and text legibility.

Frequently asked

What replaced Google's mobile-friendly test?

Google retired the standalone tool in December 2023 and folded mobile usability signals into Search Console and Lighthouse. There is no direct one-to-one replacement from Google, so the requirements have to be checked directly — viewport, horizontal overflow, tap target size, font size and content parity.

What makes a page mobile-friendly?

A viewport meta tag, no horizontal overflow at typical phone widths, tap targets around 44 by 44 pixels with enough spacing, body text at 16px or larger, and the same content and structured data served as on desktop.

Is there a free mobile-friendly test?

Yes. Ours is free and needs no account for your first scan. It renders at a mobile viewport and reports viewport configuration, horizontal overflow, tap target sizing and text legibility.