No recently used tools
No favorite tools yet

Free Favicon Generator - Create Favicons from Image or Text

125 uses

Click or drag an image here to upload

Or enter text / emoji to create a favicon

Preview & Download

Favicon Best Practices

Source Image
Use a square image with a simple design — complex details get lost at small sizes like 16x16
Multiple Sizes
Include at least 16x16, 32x32 and 180x180 sizes for broad browser and device compatibility
High Contrast
Use bold colors and high contrast so your favicon stands out in browser tabs
Text Favicons
Single letters or short initials make excellent favicons — choose a distinctive color
Brand Consistency
Your favicon should match your brand colors and be instantly recognizable

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Is there a way to see how my favicon looks before downloading it?
A You get a live preview showing your favicon at every generated size, from 16x16 up to 256x256. This lets you spot any issues before you download. If something looks wrong at 16px, adjust your source image or text color. The preview updates instantly as you tweak settings.
Q Is a transparent background better for favicons?
A Most of the time, yes. A transparent background lets your icon blend into whatever browser tab color the user has. But here's the catch: some browsers on Windows will show a white box behind transparent favicons if you don't include a proper ICO file. Our generator handles that for you. If your logo has white in it, test it against both light and dark browser tabs before going live.
Q Does my favicon need to be .ico format for modern browsers?
A Not really. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all support PNG favicons just fine. The .ico format is mostly legacy at this point. But here's what trips people up: older Windows systems and some browser bookmarks still expect .ico. Our generator creates both PNG and .ico versions at every size. Upload to your server both file types. Your site's link tags will tell browsers which one to grab. A single 32x32 .ico file will cover you for most backward compatibility issues.
Q Will a favicon slow down my website's load time?
A Nope, not if you do it right. A single 32x32 PNG favicon is usually under 2KB. Even your full set of 6 sizes won't exceed 50KB total. That's smaller than most single photos on your page. The real issue isn't file size—it's missing cache headers. Configure your server to cache favicons for at least a week. Browsers treat favicons aggressively and will request them on every page load if caching isn't set. Our ZIP package includes a sample .htaccess snippet for Apache users.
Q Why does my favicon look blurry on mobile?
A Mobile browsers sometimes ignore your 256x256 version and scale up a smaller size instead. iPhone Safari, for instance, prefers a 180x180 PNG for bookmarks — anything less looks fuzzy. Our generator creates every size from 16x16 up to 256x256, so you'll have the right file. Upload the full set, not just one size. A crisp 180x180 PNG fixes most mobile blur issues.
Q Can I generate a favicon directly from text, without uploading an image?
A Yes. Type your text into the generator, pick a background color and font style, and the tool produces every size instantly. This works great for initials, like a 'B' for a bakery site. One tip: keep the text short—two characters max. Anything longer becomes unreadable at 16x16 pixels. You'll see the tiny preview update live as you type.
Q Do I really need a 256x256 favicon or is 32x32 enough?
A It depends on where people see your icon. Browser tabs use 32px, but app stores and desktop shortcuts want bigger versions. Apple's touch icon requires 180x180, and Windows Start menu tiles pull from 256x256. If you skip the larger sizes, your icon looks pixelated in those spots. Generate the whole set once—it takes seconds—and upload all files. You'll have every scenario covered without revisiting the tool later.
Q Why does my favicon look different when someone bookmarks my site?
A Bookmarks aren't browser tabs. When a visitor saves your page, Safari pulls a 180x180 touch icon, while Chrome grabs a 48x48 PNG and Windows may use your 256x256 for Start menu pins. If you only uploaded a 16x16, browsers scale it up — and scaling always softens edges. Our generator outputs all sizes in one go, so upload the full ZIP contents to your server root. Then check your bookmark on a phone and desktop. Both should render sharply.
Q How many files should I actually upload to my website's server?
A You should upload all 8 files from the downloaded ZIP package directly to your root directory. Most developers make the mistake of only uploading the favicon.ico file. Modern browsers need specific PNG dimensions like 192x192 for Android home screens and 180x180 for iOS. Putting the entire generated folder online ensures every device displays your custom branding correctly. Check your HTML header tags to confirm the paths point straight to those uploaded files.
Q Vector graphics or raster uploads — which works better in this generator?
A Stick with high-resolution PNG or JPG uploads for the sharpest results. Vector files like SVG can work, but raster images sized at 512x512 pixels give the tool enough detail to crush down into clean 16x16 and 32x32 icons. Avoid low-resolution JPEGs with heavy compression artifacts. Those artifacts turn into ugly gray blocks when scaled down. If your logo has a complex shape, upload a crisp PNG with transparent padding around the edges.

How to Generate Favicons

Related Tools