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How do I make a favicon for my website without a design tool?

Short answer

A favicon today is a small set of PNGs, typically 16, 32 and 180 pixels square, linked from your HTML head. The fastest free route is an emoji favicon: a browser-based generator turns any emoji into favicon PNGs at 16, 32, 64 and 180 pixels and gives you the HTML tag to use them, with nothing uploaded. If you already have a logo, resize it to those sizes instead.

What a favicon actually is now

Browsers no longer need the old .ico format. A small set of square PNGs covers modern use: 16 and 32 pixels for browser tabs, and 180 pixels for the Apple touch icon used when someone saves your site to a home screen. You reference them with link tags in the head of your HTML.

The emoji shortcut

If you do not have a logo yet, an emoji makes a surprisingly good favicon: it is recognizable at 16 pixels, needs no design skills, and renders consistently. The emoji favicon generator draws your chosen emoji onto PNGs at 16, 32, 64 and 180 pixels in your browser, then hands you the files plus the HTML tag, so the whole job takes under a minute.

Using your own logo instead

If you have a logo image, resize a square version of it to 32x32 and 180x180 with a local image resizer and link those files the same way. Keep the artwork simple, because fine detail disappears at tab size. Nothing is uploaded in either route, both tools run entirely in your browser.

Step by step

  1. Pick an emoji or logo. Choose the emoji you want, or prepare a square version of your logo.
  2. Generate the sizes. Use the emoji favicon generator to produce 16, 32, 64 and 180 pixel PNGs, or resize your logo to 32x32 and 180x180.
  3. Add the files to your site. Put the PNGs in your site root or an icons folder.
  4. Link them in your HTML. Copy the provided link tags into the head of your pages and reload to see the tab icon.

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need a .ico file?

No. Modern browsers accept PNG favicons linked with a link tag, so a small PNG set covers current browsers.

What sizes do I need?

A practical set is 16 and 32 pixels for tabs plus 180 pixels for the Apple touch icon.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The favicon PNGs are generated and downloaded entirely in your browser.

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