How to Generate Favicons for Your Website in All Sizes

Favicons are the small icons that appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and mobile home screens. Modern websites need favicons in multiple sizes to support different devices and contexts. This guide shows you how to generate all required favicon sizes from a single image using fixie.tools — completely free, no signup required.

Step 1: Upload Your Source Image

Go to fixie.tools/favicon and upload your logo or icon. For best results, use a square image at least 512x512 pixels with transparent background (PNG format). The image should be simple and recognizable even at small sizes — avoid fine details that won't be visible at 16x16 or 32x32 pixels.

Step 2: Review Generated Sizes

The tool automatically generates favicons in all standard sizes required for modern websites: 16x16 and 32x32 for browser tabs, 48x48 for desktop shortcuts, 180x180 for Apple Touch Icon (iOS devices), 192x192 and 512x512 for Android and Progressive Web Apps. You'll see a preview of each size so you can verify your icon looks good at all scales.

Step 3: Customize Colors and Padding

If needed, adjust the background color, padding, or shape of your favicon. You can add background color if your source image doesn't have transparency, apply rounded corners for a modern look, or add padding to ensure your icon doesn't touch the edges. The tool updates previews in real-time as you make changes.

Step 4: Download the Favicon Package

Click the download button to get a ZIP file containing all favicon sizes plus the required HTML code snippets. The package includes favicon.ico (multi-size ICO file), individual PNG files for each size, apple-touch-icon.png for iOS, and a manifest.json file for Progressive Web Apps. Everything you need is included in one download.

Step 5: Add to Your Website

Extract the ZIP file and upload all images to your website's root directory (where index.html lives). Then add the provided HTML link tags to your page's <head> section. The most important tags are the apple-touch-icon link for iOS devices and the manifest.json reference for PWAs. Once uploaded, your favicon will appear in browser tabs, bookmarks, and when users save your site to their home screen.

Frequently Asked Questions

What sizes do I need for a favicon?
At minimum, you need 32x32 for modern browsers, 180x180 for iOS (Apple Touch Icon), and 192x192 plus 512x512 for Progressive Web Apps. The traditional favicon.ico should include 16x16, 32x32, and 48x48 sizes. Fixie generates all these sizes automatically from your source image.
Should I use ICO or PNG format?
PNG is the modern standard and recommended for most uses. ICO format is mainly for legacy browser support. Fixie generates both — the ICO file for maximum compatibility and individual PNG files for modern browsers and mobile devices.
What's the ideal source image size?
Use a square image at least 512x512 pixels. This ensures quality when scaled down to smaller sizes. Larger is better — 1024x1024 or even 2048x2048 works well. The tool automatically scales down to all required sizes while maintaining quality.
Can I use a photo or complex image?
Technically yes, but favicons work best with simple, bold designs. At 16x16 or 32x32 pixels, complex images become muddy and unrecognizable. Use a simplified logo, icon, or lettermark that remains clear at small sizes.
Is the favicon generator free?
Yes, Fixie's Favicon Generator is completely free with no signup requirements, no watermarks, and no limits. Unlike tools like RealFaviconGenerator that offer premium features, Fixie provides all favicon sizes and formats for free.

Related Tools