CSS Media Queries

The @media rule, introduced in CSS2, made it possible to define different style rules for different media types.

Media queries in CSS3 extended the CSS2 media types idea: Instead of looking for a type of device, they look at the capability of the device.

Media queries can be used to check many things, such as:

• width and height of the viewport
• orientation of the viewport (landscape or portrait)
• resolution

Using media queries are a popular technique for delivering a tailored style sheet to desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones (such as iPhone and Android phones).

CSS Media Types

CSS Common Media Features

Here are some commonly used media features:

Media Query Syntax

A media query consists of a media type and can contain one or more media features, which resolve to either true or false.

@media not|only mediatype and (media feature) and (media feature) {
CSS-Code;
}

The mediatype is optional (if omitted, it will be set to all). However, if you use not or only, you must also specify a mediatype.

The result of the query is true if the specified media type matches the type of device the document is being displayed on and all media features in the media query are true. When a media query is true, the corresponding style sheet or style rules are applied, following the normal cascading rules.

You can also link to different stylesheets for different media and different widths of the browser window (viewport):

<link rel="stylesheet" media="print" href="print.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" media="screen" href="screen.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" media="screen and (min-width: 480px)" href="example1.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" media="screen and (min-width: 701px) and (max-width: 900px)" href="example2.css">
etc....

Media Queries Simple Examples

One way to use media queries is to have an alternate CSS section right inside your style sheet.

The following example changes the background-color to lightgreen if the viewport is 480 pixels wide or wider (if the viewport is less than 480 pixels, the background-color will be pink):

@media screen and (min-width: 480px) {
  body {
    background-color: lightgreen;
  }
}

@media screen and (min-width: 480px) {
  #leftsidebar {width: 200px; float: left;}
  #main {margin-left: 216px;}
}

@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  body {
    background-color: lightblue;
  }
}

CSS Syntax

@media not|only mediatype and (mediafeature and|or|not mediafeature) {
  CSS-Code;
}

You can also have different stylesheets for different media, like this:

<link rel="stylesheet" media="screen and (min-width: 900px)" href="widescreen.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" media="screen and (max-width: 600px)" href="smallscreen.css">
....

@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  div.example {
    display: none;
  }
}

body {
  background-color: lightblue;
}

@media screen and (min-width: 400px) {
  body {
    background-color: lightgreen;
  }
}

@media screen and (min-width: 800px) {
  body {
    background-color: lavender;
  }
}

@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  .topnav a {
    float: none;
    width: 100%;
  }
}

/* On screens that are 992px wide or less, go from four columns to two columns */
@media screen and (max-width: 992px) {
  .column {
    width: 50%;
  }
}

/* On screens that are 600px wide or less, make the columns stack on top of each other instead of next to each other */
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
  .column {
    width: 100%;
  }
}

@media only screen and (orientation: landscape) {
  body {
    background-color: lightblue;
  }
}

@media screen {
  body {
    color: green;
  }
}

@media print {
  body {
    color: black;
  }
}

/* When the width is between 600px and 900px OR above 1100px - change the appearance of <div> */
@media screen and (max-width: 900px) and (min-width: 600px), (min-width: 1100px) {
  div.example {
    font-size: 50px;
    padding: 50px;
    border: 8px solid black;
    background: yellow;
  }
}