Smart Technology Tips to Fix, Optimize and Understand Your Devices

Practical guides for computers, mobile devices and everyday tech problems.

Favicon Generator (ICO Multi-Size) + Website Pack (PNG + Webmanifest)

9 min read
February 15, 2026
Create a multi-size favicon ICO and a modern favicon pack (PNG icons + webmanifest) locally in your browser. Follow the included installation guide and copy-ready head tags.
Favicon generator illustration showing a source image converted into a multi-size ICO and website icon files

Generate a complete favicon set, including ICO and modern PNG sizes, directly in your browser.

Last updated: February 2026 ✅

Favicon Generator ICO multi-frame Pack website files Local processing

Create a multi-size favicon ICO from any image. Optionally generate a full website favicon pack (PNG sizes + webmanifest) with a one-click download-all mode.

Preview & Downloads
Generate to see sizes and download files.
No image loaded

Drop your image here
PNG/JPG/WebP supported. No uploads.

Preview
Preview sizes Generate to see sizes.
Status: Choose an image to begin. Output: —
Options
Fit mode, background, and website pack.
Fit modeDefault: Cover

Cover fills the square (may crop). Contain preserves the entire image (may add padding).

BackgroundContain only
App name (webmanifest)Optional
Theme colorExample: #071426
Background colorExample: #071426

The pack includes favicon ICO plus PNG files commonly used by modern sites and a site.webmanifest file.

ICO sizesUsed inside favicon.ico

Tip: 16 and 32 are the most important favicon sizes. The website pack also generates platform-specific PNGs.

About This Tool

This Favicon Generator (ICO multi-size) creates a modern, multi-size favicon.ico and (optionally) a full Website Pack with the most common PNG favicon files plus a site.webmanifest. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Key Takeaways

💡
Use the Website Pack for best compatibility. It outputs standard filenames used by most modern browsers and devices.
📄
Your tool outputs a multi-frame favicon.ico. Multiple sizes live inside the same ICO file for broad legacy support.
📱
Apple + Android icons are PNG files. They improve home-screen icons and installable web app visuals.
⚠
Choose “Contain” if you must avoid cropping. Contain pads the image to square; Cover may crop edges to fill.

🧩 What Is a Favicon?

A favicon is the small icon that represents a website in places like:

  • Browser tabs
  • Bookmarks and favorites
  • History lists
  • Browser shortcuts
  • Home-screen icons (mobile)
  • Pinned tabs / installed web apps (depending on platform)

While people often say “favicon,” in practice you usually need multiple icon files because different browsers and operating systems prefer different formats and sizes. That’s why many sites use a combination of:

  • A single favicon.ico (legacy + broad browser support)
  • PNG icons in specific sizes for modern browsers and devices
  • A web manifest (site.webmanifest) for installable experiences and richer metadata

Your tool solves the biggest hassle: generating all these files quickly, with consistent filenames, and without requiring design software.

🕰️ Short History of Favicons

Favicons became popular when browsers started adding site identity cues beyond the URL. Early support centered around a single file:

  • favicon.ico placed at the website root
  • Browsers (especially early versions of Internet Explorer) would automatically request it

Over time, the web ecosystem expanded:

  • More browsers adopted icons in tabs and bookmarks
  • Smartphones introduced home-screen icons
  • Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) introduced a structured web manifest

This is why modern best practice isn’t “one file,” but rather a small set of icons and metadata designed to cover the main platforms.

⚙️ How Favicons Work (Conceptual)

At a high level, browsers and devices look for icons in two main ways:

  1. Conventional default path
    • Many browsers try /favicon.ico automatically.
  2. Explicit HTML links
    • Your HTML <head> can specify multiple icons via <link rel="icon">, plus Apple touch icon and manifest.

A simplified view:

  • Browser tab icon → often uses favicon.ico or favicon-32x32.png
  • Bookmark icon → uses one of the linked icons (or ICO)
  • iOS home screen → uses apple-touch-icon.png
  • Android installed icon → uses site.webmanifest icons

Your tool’s “Website Pack preset” exists because it matches what most sites need in practice.

✅ Why Use a Favicon Generator?

Using a generator helps you:

  • Avoid manual resizing errors (stretching, blur, aliasing)
  • Export correct formats and sizes quickly
  • Keep standard filenames that are widely recognized
  • Reduce implementation mistakes (wrong size attributes, missing files)
  • Maintain a consistent site identity across devices

If you build or manage multiple websites (or a blog with many tools/pages), using a consistent generator workflow saves time and reduces support issues.

🎯 Common Use Cases

  • Launching a new website or WordPress blog
  • Refreshing branding (new logo/icon)
  • Building a landing page or marketing campaign
  • Creating a PWA-style installable website
  • Improving site trust: a favicon makes tabs and bookmarks look “real”
  • Fixing “generic globe icon” appearance in browser tabs

🔁 Tool Workflow

Input → Process → Output

  • Input: One image (PNG/JPG/WebP, etc.)
  • Process: The tool crops or pads to a square (Cover/Contain), then renders:
    • Multi-size PNG frames for the ICO
    • Optional extra PNG files for the Website Pack
    • Optional site.webmanifest file
  • Output: A set of downloadable files (each individually, or “Download All Files”)

📊 Strong Table: Best Practices and What Your Tool Produces

Goal Recommended File What Your Tool Outputs Notes
Legacy + broad support favicon.ico favicon.ico Multi-frame ICO includes multiple sizes inside one file.
Modern browser tab icon favicon-32x32.png favicon-32x32.png Good default size for many UI contexts.
Small tab icon fallback favicon-16x16.png favicon-16x16.png Useful for tight UI spaces and older layouts.
iOS home-screen icon apple-touch-icon.png apple-touch-icon.png Standard filename and size (180×180).
Android / PWA icon android-chrome-192x192.png android-chrome-192x192.png Used by manifests and some Android contexts.
High-res Android / splash assets android-chrome-512x512.png android-chrome-512x512.png Useful for installable apps and larger previews.
Installable metadata site.webmanifest site.webmanifest Contains app name/colors and icon references.

🧭 How To Use This Tool (Step by Step)

  1. Choose an image
    • Click Choose Image or drop an image into the drop area.
    • Best source images are square and at least 512×512 for sharp results.
  2. Pick your fit mode
    • Cover (crop): fills the square fully, may crop edges.
    • Contain (pad): keeps entire image, may add padding.
  3. Set a background (Contain only)
    • Transparent is great for logos with soft edges.
    • Solid color is useful if your image looks odd on transparent backgrounds.
  4. Enable Website Pack preset (recommended)
    • Keeps standard filenames and generates the full set:
      • favicon.ico
      • favicon-16x16.png
      • favicon-32x32.png
      • apple-touch-icon.png
      • android-chrome-192x192.png
      • android-chrome-512x512.png
      • site.webmanifest
  5. Click Generate
    • You’ll see size previews and a downloadable file list.
  6. Download
    • Download individual files or click Download All Files.

🧰 Installation Guide

Illustration of favicon installation steps with file list and HTML head tag area as abstract UI blocks
Install your favicon pack by uploading files to the root directory and adding head link tags.

Step 1: Upload files to your website root

Download the files listed below and place them in the root directory of your website (example: /public_html/).

These are the filenames your tool generates when Website Pack is enabled:

  • android-chrome-192x192.png
  • android-chrome-512x512.png
  • apple-touch-icon.png
  • favicon-16x16.png
  • favicon-32x32.png
  • favicon.ico
  • site.webmanifest

Step 2: Add these tags to your HTML <head>

Copy/paste these exact tags into the <head> section of your site:

<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/apple-touch-icon.png">
<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="manifest" href="/site.webmanifest">

Optional: Keep legacy ICO support

Many browsers will automatically request /favicon.ico, but it’s still fine to include it explicitly:

<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">

WordPress tip

In WordPress, you can add these tags via:

  • Your theme settings (if available)
  • A “Header/Footer” insert plugin
  • A child theme header file (header.php)
  • Or a custom code snippet area provided by your theme

🧪 Mini Tutorial: Make a Crisp Favicon from Any Logo

  1. Start with a logo that has clear shapes (avoid tiny text).
  2. Use a square canvas (512×512 or larger).
  3. If your logo is circular or centered:
    • Choose Contain and Transparent background.
  4. If your icon should fill the space like an app icon:
    • Choose Cover.
  5. Generate with Website Pack enabled.
  6. Upload files to your site root and add the <link> tags.
  7. Clear your site cache and browser cache, then reload.
Illustration of selecting ICO sizes with a grid of favicon previews in a clean UI style
Select common ICO sizes and preview what your favicon will look like at each scale.

🚫 Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

Mistake Why it happens Fix
Favicon looks cropped Cover mode fills the square and may cut edges Switch to Contain or add padding around your source image
Favicon looks blurry Source image is too small or low quality Use at least 512×512 and avoid upscaling tiny logos
Favicon doesn’t update Browser caches favicon aggressively Hard refresh, clear cache, or change filename/versioning
Wrong filenames in HTML Mismatch between generated files and link tags Use the exact filenames listed in the tool output
iOS icon looks wrong Missing apple-touch-icon.png or wrong size Use the Website Pack and include the Apple touch link

✅ Checklist

✅ Click to open the checklist
  • Use a 512×512 (or larger) source image for crisp results.
  • Choose Cover for app-style icons, Contain for logos that must not be cropped.
  • Enable Website Pack to generate standard files and site.webmanifest.
  • Upload files to your website root directory.
  • Add the head <link> tags with the exact filenames.
  • Clear CDN/site cache and test in a private window.

🧩 Mini Quiz

📝 Quick Quiz (click to open)
  1. Q: Which mode avoids cropping the logo?
    A: Contain.
  2. Q: Which file is most important for legacy support?
    A: favicon.ico.
  3. Q: Which file helps installable/PWA metadata?
    A: site.webmanifest.
  4. Q: Why might you not see changes immediately?
    A: Browser caching of favicon files.

❓ FAQ

Quick answers to common questions about this topic.

❓ Do I really need both ICO and PNG files?

Yes for best coverage. The ICO helps with broad compatibility, while PNG files cover modern browser UI and mobile home-screen icons.

❓ Where should I upload these favicon files?

For the simplest setup, upload them to the root directory of your website (e.g., /). Then use href="/filename.png" paths in your head tags.

❓ Why does my favicon not change after uploading?

Favicons are heavily cached. Try a hard refresh, clear cache, test in a private window, and clear any site/CDN cache. Sometimes changing the filename (e.g., favicon-32x32.v2.png) helps.

❓ What image size should I start with?

Use a high-quality square image, ideally 512×512 or larger. If your logo is not square, use Contain mode to avoid cropping.

❓ What does the webmanifest do?

The manifest helps browsers understand your site as an installable app and provides metadata like icons and theme colors. It’s especially useful for Android and PWA features.

📚 Recommended Reading

Tags:

More Stories

PDF to image converter illustration showing a PDF becoming multiple image files 8 min read

PDF to Image Converter (PNG, JPG, WebP) — Free Online Tool

February 14, 2026
Image bundle being converted into a single PDF document in a clean educational style 10 min read

Image to PDF Converter (Bulk, Reorder Pages, No Uploads)

February 13, 2026
Illustration of an image being cropped with selection handles 8 min read

Image Cropper Tool (Crop Images Online with Aspect Ratio Lock)

February 10, 2026