No, your website does not have a mobile version

Designers often (if they're nice) design multiple versions of a website. The designs get names like "mobile version", "tablet version" and "desktop version". I appreciate the effort, but I've noticed confusion stemming from these terms. They are often counterproductive.

• The assumptions
  • It's not just touch
  • It's not just small screens
• Alternative terms
• Conclusion

The assumptions

The image that lives in many minds when talking about a "mobile version": "It's what people use on their mobile phone. They're using a device with a small screen and control it with touch."
I'm afraid there are some faulty assumptions in that thought. Let me highlight some of those, and offer ideas for a different term (that hopefully doesn't carry any faulty assumptions).

It's not just touch

While mobile phones often have a touch screen, it's certainly not the only way to control them. People can use external keyboards instead. People can use a screen reader to control their phone. There's Switch Control or Switch Access. All of those rely on being able to operate a website with a keyboard.
And then there's also voice control, which does not rely on the keyboard, but does show there's a whole world beyond touch.
Those are just some (sort of) common ways to control a phone beyond touch. The world of assistive technology is rich and features many more ways and devices.

It's not just small screens

What do phones have these days? About 4-7 inches of screen I guess? But "mobile versions" are not restricted to phones. They are often the version of a website that shows up at a certain resolution, not screen size.
What this practically means that if a user uses a browser on a different device (like a laptop or computer) and they zoom in, they also get this "mobile version"!
And this is also very relevant for accessibility: a lot of users zoom in on websites! And there are plenty of websites that already change their layout and start showing a (more) "mobile version" when zooming in at only 125-150%. That's not a lot! Browsers can easily zoom up to 500%.
So no, your "mobile version" is not restricted to small screens. And when you imagine users with desktops or laptops, it might also be easier to imagine they're not using touch either.

Alternative terms

I'd like to get rid of the term mobile or anything phone-related in this context. Also nothing with "small", as that might create assumptions about the screen size.
I can imagine "zoomed in version" already removing some of the stigma. It still draws attention to a specific use case.
How about "version for low resolutions"? As in the end, that's what determines wether a version gets show or not: the resolution it's presented in. I can use a version for low resolutions on a large display. I can use a version for high resolutions on a small display. It feels like a fitting definition.
Join the Discord community and share what you think is a good term! (Link at the end of this blog)

Conclusion

So a mobile verson is not just for small screens. And even if it were, it's also not restricted to touch only. If you're making a website, and you've got a design for a "mobile version", it should conform to -everything- that all other designs conform to. It should be just as accessible with a keyboard, and it should offer all the same content and functionality.
The fact that not all people can access the fanciest high-resolution version of a website, does not mean they should be missing out on content or functionality.