Compatibility of window.crypto.getRandomValues()
cryptography, javascript, random, web-applications
Solution
Can I safely assume window.crypto.getRandomValues is present
As always it depends on your target market and will change over time. caniuse.com lists which browsers support it and calculates the browser marketshare.
Here is a summary:
- IE 11: w/ prefix
IE Mobile 11: w/ prefix
Firefox: 21+
Firefox Mobile: 21+
Safari: from 6.1
Safari Mobile: 7.1
Chrome: 11+
- Chrome for Mobile: 23+
Android browser: 4.4
Opera: 15+
- Opera Mobile: 36+
- Opera Mini: no
Problem
I need to generate cryptographically secure pseudorandom numbers, in Javascript. I know about the `window.crypto.getRandomValues` API, which does exactly what I want. However, I also know it was introduced relatively recently (in 2011 or so). Can I safely assume `window.crypto.getRandomValues` is present, or will using it introduce compatibility problems on some browsers? Are there any major (widely used) browsers which do not support `window.crypto.getRandomValues` (including mobile or desktop browsers), and if so, which ones do I need to worry about? I would be delighted to learn that there is enough support that I no longer need to worry about fallback methods, if that is indeed the case.