192×192: Google Developer web app recommendation.128×128: Chrome store and small Windows 8 star screen icon.32×32: Standard for most desktop browsers (replaces 16×16).You don’t even really need that 16-pixel square anymore. HTML 5 includes standards for favicons with multiple sizes for all kinds of uses, from tiny browser icons to computer docking station icons to home screen icons. That’s not the case anymore with more high-definition retina screens and shortcut icons to consider. Technical ConsiderationsĪt one time all favicons were super small 16-pixel squares. Any transparent file type will work in most instances. ico file format, but that’s less of an issue now. The visual identifier is what most people use to associate these links and pages with the right button to access them.

Use favicons to flip quickly between browser tabs, identify a bookmark, or find a saved app or shortcut on your phone. The term favicon comes from “favorite icon.” This terminology dates to Internet Explorer days when bookmarked pages were called “Favorites.” The favicon was first adopted by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) for HTML 4.0, circa 2000, and it started appearing more consistently in browser windows the following year. Favicons help improve user experience by providing a consistent marker that tells website visitors that they are on the same site as they navigate thanks to a consistent visual. Simply, a favicon is a small, transparent icon used to represent a website, brand, or business.

Slack favicon