The Complete Favicon Sizes Guide for 2026

The question "what size should my favicon be?" does not have a single answer. Different platforms expect different sizes, and getting them wrong means blurry icons, missing images, or fallback behavior that makes your site look unfinished.

This guide lists every favicon size you need in 2026, organized by platform.

Platforms That Consume Your Favicon

Your favicon gets used in more places than you probably think. Here is where the usage breaks down.

Every Size You Need

16x16

favicon.ico

Classic browser tab

32x32

favicon.ico

Retina browser tabs, taskbar

48x48

favicon.ico

Windows site shortcuts

180x180

apple-touch-icon

iOS home screen

192x192

android-chrome

Android shortcuts

512x512

android-chrome

PWA splash screen

150x150

mstile

Windows Start tiles

1024x1024

app-icon

App store / high-res use

1200x630

og-image

Facebook, LinkedIn shares

1200x675

twitter-image

Twitter/X card previews

The ICO File: Multiple Sizes in One

The .ico format is unique because it is a container that holds multiple images at different resolutions. A well-built ICO file includes 16x16, 32x32, and 48x48 versions. The browser picks the right one based on context.

Despite being the oldest favicon format, ICO is still necessary for compatibility. Some PDF viewers and older applications specifically look for favicon.ico at the site root.

ICO is not going away

Even though SVG and PNG are technically superior, the ICO format persists because of backwards compatibility. Include it as a fallback alongside modern formats.

Format Comparison by Platform

Platform	ICO	PNG	SVG	Manifest
Chrome Desktop
Firefox
Safari Desktop
Safari iOS
Chrome Android
Edge
Samsung Internet
PWA Install

Maskable Icons for PWA

Android applies different shaped masks (circle, rounded square, squircle) depending on the device manufacturer. If your icon has content that extends to the edges, the mask will crop it.

Maskable icons solve this by defining a "safe zone," the inner 80% of the image where your actual content should live. When you declare an icon with purpose: "maskable" in your web manifest, Android knows it can apply any shape mask without cutting off your icon.

Safe zone matters

The safe zone for maskable icons is only 80% of the total area (a circle inscribed in the square). Keep your logo within the center 80% and use the outer 20% for background color only.

Social Preview Images Are Not Optional

When someone shares your URL on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Slack, those platforms look for Open Graph and Twitter Card images. Without them, your link shows up as a plain text URL. No visual preview at all.

The standard sizes are 1200x630 for Open Graph (Facebook, LinkedIn) and 1200x675 for Twitter. Not technically favicons, but they should match your branding and you will want to generate them at the same time.

Quick Reference

Start with a 1024x1024 source file and derive every other size from it. If you cannot tell what the image is at 16 pixels, your design is too complex. Simplify it before generating the variants.