Why Do Non-Media Queries Sometimes Override Media Queries in CSS?

Media Queries vs. Non-Media Queries: Understanding CSS Specificity

In CSS, media queries are utilized to apply styles based on device screen size or other viewport characteristics. However, it's often observed that media queries appear to have lower priority compared to regular CSS declarations.

Reason for Lower Priority

This behavior stems from the concept of CSS cascade. When multiple rules target the same element, the browser prioritizes the rules based on their specificity. Selectors with a higher specificity will override those with lower specificity.

Media queries do not inherently enhance the specificity of selectors. Therefore, if a non-media query selector and a media query selector have the same specificity, the non-media query selector will take precedence when the media query is irrelevant.

Example:

Consider the following CSS snippet:

.logo img {
    width: 100%;
}

@media screen and (min-width: 100px) and (max-width: 1499px) {
  .logo img {
     width: 120%;
  }
}

In this example, the non-media query rule defines a default width of 100% for the logo image. However, when the screen width falls within the specified range, the media query is activated and sets the width to 120%.

However, if the screen width is outside this range, the non-media query rule will take precedence, overriding the media query's width setting.

Solutions to Increase Priority

To elevate the priority of media queries:

1. Swap the Order of Rulesets:

   • Move the media query rule below the non-media query rule to take advantage of the cascading order.

2. Increase Selector Specificity:

   • Enhance the specificity of the media query selector by adding additional tag or attribute selectors. For instance, changing it to .logo a img would increase its specificity.

3. Use !important (Caution):

   • This method involves adding "!important" to the media query rule. However, it's discouraged due to its potential to cause maintenance issues.

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