Generate Your Favicon
Favicon Best Practices Guide 2026
Everything you need to know about favicons in 2026. From the essential sizes and formats to mobile optimization and implementation code, this guide covers it all.
The Essential Favicon Sizes for 2026
Gone are the days when a single 16x16 icon was enough. In 2026, you need a suite of icons to ensure your brand looks crisp on every device, from 4K monitors to smartwatches.
Standard Sizes
- 16x16Browser Tabs
- 32x32Taskbar Shortcuts
- 48x48Windows Site Icons
High-DPI & Mobile
- 180x180iOS Home Screen
- 192x192Android Chrome
- 512x512PWA / App Store
Preferred File Formats
Scalable Vector Graphics (The Future)
Best for modern browsers. Allows for infinite scaling and dark mode support via CSS.
Portable Network Graphics (The Standard)
Essential for Apple touch icons and as a fallback for browsers that don't handle SVG.
Microsoft Icon (The Legacy)
Still required for compatibility with strictly older versions of Internet Explorer.
Mobile-Specific Strategy
iOS (Apple)
Apple devices require a specific apple-touch-icon.png.
- Do NOT add rounded corners. iOS adds them automatically.
- Avoid transparency. Transparent backgrounds will be filled with black.
- Size: 180x180 is the universal standard.
Android (Chrome)
Android relies on the site.webmanifest file.
- Include both 192x192 and 512x512 icons.
- Define
"purpose": "maskable"to support adaptive icons. - Ensure contrast is high for dark mode users.
Implementation Code
Copy and paste this code into the <head> section of your HTML files.
<!-- Standard Favicon (ICO for legacy, SVG for modern) --> <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any" /> <link rel="icon" href="/icon.svg" type="image/svg+xml" /> <!-- Apple Touch Icon (iOS) --> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" /> <!-- Web App Manifest (Android/PWA) --> <link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest" />
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using a complex logo: Favicons are tiny. Simplify your logo to a single shape or letter for legibility.
Ignoring dark mode: A black icon vanishes on a dark browser theme. Use SVG with media queries or a light stroke.
Wrong aspect ratio: Always use a perfect 1:1 square ratio. Anything else will look squashed.