How to use the favicon generator
- Choose to make the icon from letters or an emoji, or from a picture.
- For letters, pick the shape and the colors. For a picture, choose how to treat a picture that is not square and whether to add a background color.
- Enter the site name, a short name and a theme color for the manifest.
- Check the previews, copy the HTML, and download the ZIP with every file, or only favicon.ico.
What you get
The ZIP holds the files a site normally needs. favicon.ico contains 16, 32 and 48 pixel images for browsers that look for it. Two PNG files, 16 and 32 pixels, are for browser tabs. An apple-touch-icon of 180 pixels is for the home screen on Apple devices, and two PNG files of 192 and 512 pixels are for Android and for app installs. A site.webmanifest file names the site and lists the two larger icons, and head-snippet.html holds the tags that point to everything.
Upload the files to the top folder of your site and paste the HTML into the head of your pages. If you use another folder, change the paths in the HTML and in the manifest to match.
Choosing a good source
Icons are small. At 16 pixels, fine detail disappears, so one or two bold letters, a simple shape or a logo with few details works best. A picture should be square and at least 512 by 512 pixels for the sharpest result. If it is not square, pick Fit inside to keep all of it, or Fill and crop to cover the square.
Emoji are drawn with the fonts of your own device, so they can look different on another computer. If the exact look matters, make the icon from a picture instead. If you only need an ICO from a picture you already have, the PNG to ICO converter does just that, and the image resizer and image converter help with other sizes and types.
Privacy and limits
Pictures are read and resized in your browser, and the ZIP is built there as well. Nothing is uploaded. The picture limit is 25 MB. Check the result in a real browser tab after you publish, since browsers cache favicons for a long time and may show the old one for a while.
Assumptions and limits
- Icons are square. Non-square pictures are fitted or cropped as you choose.
- The ICO holds 16, 32 and 48 pixel images stored as PNG.
- The manifest lists the 192 and 512 pixel icons and the paths assume the top folder of your site.
- Emoji depend on the fonts installed on your device.
Frequently asked questions
What sizes does a favicon need?
Browsers use 16 and 32 pixel images in tabs, Apple devices use 180 pixels for the home screen, and Android uses 192 and 512 pixels. This tool makes all of them and an ICO file.
Where do I put the favicon files?
Put them in the top folder of your site and paste the HTML from the page into the head of your pages. Change the paths if you use another folder.
Can I make a favicon from an emoji?
Yes. Choose letters or an emoji and type it. The look depends on the fonts on your device, so check the preview.
Why does my old favicon still show?
Browsers cache favicons for a long time. Reload the page a few times, or open it in a private window to see the new one.
Are my pictures uploaded?
No. They are processed in your browser and the ZIP is built there.