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Favicon Implementation for Google Chrome

Master favicon implementation for the world's most popular browser. Learn Chrome-specific requirements, optimal formats, and professional best practices.

Chrome Favicon Quick Facts

  • Market Share: ~65% of all browsers
  • Best Format: PNG or SVG
  • Optimal Size: 32×32 pixels
  • SVG Support: Full support since Chrome 80
  • Cache Duration: Aggressive caching
  • Dark Mode: Supported via media queries

Where Chrome Displays Favicons

Browser Tabs

Primary location - 16×16 or 32×32 pixels depending on display density

  • Active tab: Full color
  • Inactive tabs: Slightly dimmed
  • Pinned tabs: Only favicon shown

Bookmarks Bar

Bookmarks show favicons for quick visual identification

  • Bookmark folders
  • Bookmarks manager
  • New tab page suggestions

History

Chrome history displays favicons for all visited pages

  • Full history page
  • Recent history dropdown
  • Search suggestions

Omnibox Suggestions

Address bar shows favicons in autocomplete suggestions

  • URL suggestions
  • Search history
  • Bookmarks matches

Recommended Chrome Implementation

Optimal HTML Code for Chrome

<!-- Modern Chrome Favicon Setup -->

<!-- SVG Favicon (Best for Chrome) -->
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.svg" type="image/svg+xml">

<!-- PNG Fallback -->
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="/favicon-16x16.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="/favicon-32x32.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="96x96" href="/favicon-96x96.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="512x512" href="/favicon-512x512.png">

<!-- ICO for legacy support -->
<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/favicon.ico">

<!-- PWA Manifest (for Chrome on Android) -->
<link rel="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest">

<!-- Theme color for Chrome mobile -->
<meta name="theme-color" content="#ffffff">
Pro Tip: Chrome prioritizes SVG favicons if available, then falls back to PNG, and finally ICO.

Chrome Format Support

Format Support Level Recommended Use Advantages
SVG Excellent Primary choice Scalable, small file size, dark mode support
PNG Excellent Universal fallback High quality, transparency support, wide compatibility
ICO Good Legacy support Multi-size container, automatic fallback
WebP Limited Not recommended Smaller size but not standard for favicons
GIF Poor Avoid Animations possible but poor quality

Chrome Size Requirements

Desktop Chrome

  • 16×16: Standard resolution displays
  • 32×32: High DPI displays (Retina)
  • 48×48: High-res bookmarks
  • 64×64: Windows taskbar (pinned)

Chrome on Android

  • 192×192: Home screen icon
  • 512×512: Splash screen
  • Maskable: Adaptive icon support
  • Purpose: any + maskable

SVG Favicons: Chrome's Best Friend

Why SVG is Perfect for Chrome

Benefits:

  • Infinitely scalable (perfect for all DPI)
  • Tiny file size (~1-5KB)
  • CSS-based dark mode support
  • No pixelation at any size
  • Fast loading and rendering

Requirements:

  • Must be valid SVG format
  • Square viewBox (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • Simple paths (avoid complexity)
  • Inline styles preferred
  • Test in Chrome DevTools

Example: Dark Mode SVG Favicon

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 100 100">
  <style>
    path { fill: #000; }
    @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
      path { fill: #fff; }
    }
  </style>
  <path d="M50,10 L90,90 L10,90 Z" />
</svg>

Chrome Favicon Caching

Understanding Chrome's Aggressive Caching

Chrome caches favicons very aggressively, which can make updates difficult to test.

Chrome's Caching Behavior:

  • Caches favicons separately from page cache
  • Default cache: Until browser restart or cache clear
  • Ignores standard HTTP cache headers sometimes
  • Uses internal favicon database

How to Clear Chrome Favicon Cache:

  1. Open your website in Chrome
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
  3. Wait a few seconds
  4. Close and reopen the tab

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete
  2. Select "Cached images and files"
  3. Choose "All time"
  4. Click "Clear data"

  1. Press Ctrl+Shift+N
  2. Open your website in incognito
  3. Favicon will load fresh
  4. Good for testing without affecting main cache
Developer Tip: Use Chrome DevTools ? Application ? Clear storage to selectively clear favicon cache during development.

Testing with Chrome DevTools

How to Debug Favicons in Chrome:

1. Network Tab

  • F12 ? Network tab
  • Filter by "favicon"
  • Check status code (should be 200)
  • Verify MIME type
  • Check file size

2. Application Tab

  • F12 ? Application tab
  • Check Manifest section
  • Verify icon links
  • View cached favicons
  • Clear site data

3. Console Tab

  • Check for 404 errors
  • Look for MIME type warnings
  • Verify no CORS issues
  • Check manifest warnings

4. Lighthouse Audit

  • F12 ? Lighthouse tab
  • Run PWA audit
  • Check icon scores
  • Review recommendations

Common Chrome-Specific Issues

Problem: Changed favicon but Chrome still shows old one.

Solutions:

  1. Clear favicon cache (see methods above)
  2. Add version query string: favicon.ico?v=2
  3. Change filename entirely
  4. Wait 24-48 hours for automatic refresh

Problem: Chrome shows generic page icon instead of your favicon.

Causes & Solutions:

  • Wrong MIME type: Server must send image/x-icon or image/png
  • File not found: Verify path is correct
  • HTTPS issue: Favicon must be served over HTTPS on HTTPS sites
  • Invalid format: Ensure file is actually valid ICO/PNG/SVG

Problem: Favicon looks blurry on high-DPI displays.

Solutions:

  • Provide 32×32 size for Retina displays
  • Use SVG for perfect scaling
  • Include multiple sizes in ICO file
  • Start with high-res source (512×512)

Chrome on Android

Mobile-Specific Requirements

Chrome on Android uses favicons for "Add to Home Screen" functionality:

Required Manifest Configuration:

{
  "name": "Your Site Name",
  "short_name": "Site",
  "icons": [
    {
      "src": "/android-chrome-192x192.png",
      "sizes": "192x192",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any"
    },
    {
      "src": "/android-chrome-512x512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "any"
    },
    {
      "src": "/android-chrome-maskable-512x512.png",
      "sizes": "512x512",
      "type": "image/png",
      "purpose": "maskable"
    }
  ],
  "theme_color": "#ffffff",
  "background_color": "#ffffff",
  "display": "standalone",
  "start_url": "/"
}
Maskable Icons: Chrome on Android supports adaptive icons. Create maskable versions with safe zone padding for best results.

Chrome Favicon Best Practices

? Do's

  • Use SVG as primary format
  • Provide PNG fallbacks (16, 32, 192, 512)
  • Include web manifest for Android
  • Set long cache headers
  • Test in incognito mode
  • Use square aspect ratio
  • Optimize file sizes
  • Support dark mode with SVG

? Don'ts

  • Don't use only ICO format
  • Don't forget high-DPI sizes
  • Don't use incorrect MIME types
  • Don't block with robots.txt
  • Don't use relative paths incorrectly
  • Don't ignore mobile manifest
  • Don't use non-square images
  • Don't forget to test updates

Generate Chrome-Optimized Favicons

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Related Articles

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Firefox guide

Android Icons

Mobile setup

Testing Guide

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