Favicon generator

What is a favicon and why does it matter?

A favicon (short for "favourite icon") is the small image that appears in browser tabs, bookmark lists, and history entries. It is typically 16×16 or 32×32 pixels, though modern devices also use larger variants (48×48, 180×180 for Apple Touch icons). Despite its small size, the favicon is one of the most frequently seen elements of your brand identity online, users glance at it dozens of times per session when switching browser tabs.

A well-designed favicon should be immediately recognisable at tiny sizes. This means using simple, high-contrast imagery, typically a single letter, monogram, or bold icon. Detailed illustrations lose all legibility at 16×16 pixels, so simplicity is a functional requirement, not just an aesthetic choice.

This tool renders your text onto a canvas at 256×256 pixels and exports a PNG. To create a proper multi-resolution .ico file (which bundles 16, 32, and 48px variants), paste your downloaded PNG into a free converter like favicon.io. Place the resulting favicon.ico in your website's root directory and link it in your HTML head with <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">.

Favicon implementation checklist

• Place favicon.ico in your site root (browsers find it automatically).
• Add a 180×180 PNG as apple-touch-icon for iOS home screen bookmarks.
• Use SVG favicons for crisp rendering at any resolution in modern browsers.
• Test at 16×16, if it looks like noise, simplify further.