Favicons are the small icons that appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and search results. Using an emoji as your favicon is a quick way to give your website a memorable identity without designing a custom icon. This guide covers everything you need to know.
What is a Favicon?
A favicon (short for "favorite icon") is a small image that represents your website. You see favicons in several places:
- Browser tabs next to the page title
- Bookmark lists and reading lists
- History entries
- Google search results (on mobile)
- Home screen icons when users add your site to their phone
Most websites use a logo or brand mark as their favicon. But for personal projects, side projects, or quick prototypes, creating a custom favicon can feel like overkill. That is where emoji favicons come in handy.
Why Use an Emoji as a Favicon?
Emoji favicons have several advantages:
- Instant recognition - People already know what emojis mean. A rocket emoji immediately suggests something related to launches or speed. A book emoji suggests reading or documentation.
- No design skills needed - You do not need to open Figma or Photoshop. Just pick an emoji that fits your project.
- Consistency - When you use our generator, the emoji looks the same across all browsers and operating systems. No surprises.
- Unique combinations - With Emoji Kitchen, you can combine two emojis into something that does not exist anywhere else. Your favicon becomes truly one of a kind.
What is Emoji Kitchen?
Emoji Kitchen is a feature built into Google's Gboard keyboard. It lets you mash together two emojis to create a hybrid. For example:
- Smiling face + heart = smiling face with hearts floating around
- Fire + face = face that is on fire
- Cowboy hat + crying face = sad cowboy
These combined emojis are actual images created by Google's design team. Our generator gives you access to these combinations and lets you export them as favicon files.
Understanding Favicon Formats
There are three main formats for favicons, and each serves a different purpose.
ICO Format
The ICO format has been around since the early days of the web. It can contain multiple image sizes in a single file. Some older browsers and systems only recognize ICO files, so including one ensures maximum compatibility.
PNG Format
PNG is a standard image format that supports transparency. It produces crisp, high-quality favicons and is supported by all modern browsers. You will need PNG files in multiple sizes for different contexts like Apple touch icons and Android home screen icons.
SVG Format
SVG is a vector format, meaning it scales to any size without losing quality. SVG favicons also support CSS features like media queries, which lets you create favicons that adapt to dark mode. However, SVG favicon support is not universal, so you need fallbacks.
For the best results, use all three formats together. Our generator creates all of them automatically.
Favicon Size Requirements
Different platforms expect different favicon sizes. Here is what you need to cover all the common cases:
| Size | Purpose | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 16x16 | Browser tabs (standard) | ICO, PNG |
| 32x32 | Browser tabs (high DPI) | ICO, PNG |
| 48x48 | Google Search results | PNG |
| 180x180 | Apple Touch Icon | PNG |
| 192x192 | Android home screen | PNG |
| 512x512 | PWA splash screens | PNG |
How to Add a Favicon to Your Website
Once you have downloaded your favicon files, adding them to your website involves two steps: placing the files in the right location and adding the HTML tags.
Step 1: Add the Files
Place your favicon files in the root directory or public folder of your website. The exact location depends on your framework:
- Static HTML - Put files in the same folder as your index.html
- Next.js - Put files in the /public folder
- React (Create React App) - Put files in the /public folder
- WordPress - Upload through the Customizer or place in your theme folder
Step 2: Add the HTML Tags
Add these link tags inside the <head> section of your HTML. Our generator provides ready-to-use code snippets that you can copy directly.
<link rel="icon" type="image/svg+xml" href="/favicon.svg" />
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png" />
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon-16x16.png" />
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png" />
<link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest" />Favicon Best Practices
Keep It Simple
Favicons are tiny. Complex designs with lots of detail will turn into an unrecognizable blob at 16x16 pixels. Emojis work well because they are designed to be readable at small sizes.
Consider Adding a Background
If your emoji has thin lines or light colors, it might be hard to see against certain backgrounds. Adding a solid background color can make your favicon pop and stay visible in both light and dark browser themes.
Test in Context
Always preview your favicon in an actual browser tab before finalizing. What looks good at full size might not work when shrunk down. Our generator includes a browser preview for exactly this reason.
Include All Sizes
Do not skip the larger sizes even if you think they are unnecessary. Mobile devices use the larger icons for home screen shortcuts, and Progressive Web Apps need the 512x512 version for splash screens.