description: Breakpoints are the triggers in Bootstrap for how your layout responsive changes across device or viewport sizes.
group: layout
aliases: "/docs/4.3/layout/"
toc: true
---
## Core concepts
- **Breakpoints are the building blocks of responsive design.** Use them to control when your layout can be adapted at a particular viewport or device size.
- **Use media queries to architect your CSS by breakpoint.** Media queries are a feature of CSS that allow you to conditionally apply styles based on a set of browser and operating system parameters. We most commonly use `min-width` in our media queries.
- **Mobile first, responsive design is the goal.** Bootstrap's CSS aims to apply the bare minimum of styles to make a layout work at the smallest breakpoint, and then layers on styles to adjust that design for larger devices. This optimizes your CSS, improves rendering time, and provides a great experience for your visitors.
## Available breakpoints
Bootstrap includes six default breakpoints, sometimes referred to as _grid tiers_, for building responsively. These breakpoints can be customized if you're using our source Sass files.
<tableclass="table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Breakpoint</th>
<th>Class infix</th>
<th>Dimensions</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>X-Small</td>
<td><em>None</em></td>
<td>0–576px</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Small</td>
<td><code>sm</code></td>
<td>≥576px</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Medium</td>
<td><code>md</code></td>
<td>≥768px</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Large</td>
<td><code>lg</code></td>
<td>≥992px</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Extra large</td>
<td><code>xl</code></td>
<td>≥1200px</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Extra extra large</td>
<td><code>xxl</code></td>
<td>≥1400px</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Each breakpoint size was chosen to be a multiple of 12 and to be representative of a subset of common device sizes and viewport dimensions. They don't specifically target every use case or device, but the provide ranges provide a strong and consistent foundation to build on for any nearly device.
These breakpoints are customizable via Sass—you'll find them in a Sass map in our `_variables.scss` stylesheet.
For more information and examples on how to modify our Sass maps and variables, please refer to [the Sass section of the Grid documentation]({{< docsref "/layout/grid#sass" >}}).
## Media queries
Since Bootstrap is developed to be mobile first, we use a handful of [media queries](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Media_Queries/Using_media_queries) to create sensible breakpoints for our layouts and interfaces. These breakpoints are mostly based on minimum viewport widths and allow us to scale up elements as the viewport changes.
### Min-width
Bootstrap primarily uses the following media query ranges—or breakpoints—in our source Sass files for our layout, grid system, and components.
{{<highlightscss>}}
// Source mixins
// No media query necessary for xs breakpoint as it's effectively `@media (min-width: 0) { ... }`
@include media-breakpoint-up(sm) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-up(md) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-up(lg) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-up(xl) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-up(xxl) { ... }
// Usage
// Example: Hide starting at `min-width: 0`, and then show at the `sm` breakpoint
.custom-class {
display: none;
}
@include media-breakpoint-up(sm) {
.custom-class {
display: block;
}
}
{{</highlight>}}
These Sass mixins translate in our compiled CSS using the values declared in our Sass variables. For example:
{{<highlightscss>}}
// X-Small devices (portrait phones, less than 576px)
// No media query for `xs` since this is the default in Bootstrap
// Small devices (landscape phones, 576px and up)
@media (min-width: 576px) { ... }
// Medium devices (tablets, 768px and up)
@media (min-width: 768px) { ... }
// Large devices (desktops, 992px and up)
@media (min-width: 992px) { ... }
// X-Large devices (large desktops, 1200px and up)
@media (min-width: 1200px) { ... }
// XX-Large devices (larger desktops, 1400px and up)
@media (min-width: 1400px) { ... }
{{</highlight>}}
### Max-width
We occasionally use media queries that go in the other direction (the given screen size *or smaller*):
{{<highlightscss>}}
@include media-breakpoint-down(xs) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-down(sm) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-down(md) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-down(lg) { ... }
@include media-breakpoint-down(xl) { ... }
// No media query necessary for xxl breakpoint as it has no upper bound on its width
// Example: Style from medium breakpoint and down
@include media-breakpoint-down(md) {
.custom-class {
display: block;
}
}
{{</highlight>}}
These mixins take those declared breakpoints, subtract `.02px` from them, and use them as our `max-width` values. For example:
{{<highlightscss>}}
// X-Small devices (portrait phones, less than 576px)
@media (max-width: 575.98px) { ... }
// Small devices (landscape phones, less than 768px)
@media (max-width: 767.98px) { ... }
// Medium devices (tablets, less than 992px)
@media (max-width: 991.98px) { ... }
// Large devices (desktops, less than 1200px)
@media (max-width: 1199.98px) { ... }
// X-Large devices (large desktops, less than 1400px)
@media (max-width: 1399.98px) { ... }
// XX-Large devices (larger desktops)
// No media query since the xxl breakpoint has no upper bound on its width