Media Queries
Understand media queries clearly: how breakpoints work, what to change, and how to write clean mobile-friendly CSS without confusion.
David Miller
January 7, 2026
1.3k45
Media queries let you apply CSS only when conditions match (mostly screen width).
## Why they matter
Without media queries, a 3-column layout may look perfect on desktop but unreadable on mobile.
## Most common pattern
Desktop default, then adjust for smaller screens:
```css
.cards {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
gap: 16px;
}
/* Mobile */
@media (max-width: 600px) {
.cards {
grid-template-columns: 1fr;
}
}
```
## UI imagination
Desktop: 3 cards in one row
Mobile: cards become a single vertical list
## Which widths should you use?
Instead of memorizing many breakpoints, use a simple approach:
- 600px: phones
- 900px: tablets
- 1200px+: large screens
But the best breakpoint is:
“when your layout looks broken”.
## Graph: breakpoints
```mermaid
flowchart TD
A[Layout looks fine] --> B[Screen shrinks]
B --> C{Layout breaks?}
C -->|No| D[No need breakpoint]
C -->|Yes| E[Add media query]
```
## Remember
- Media queries are for layout fixes, not decoration
- Keep them minimal and purposeful
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