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How to Make a Favicon from a Logo or Image (Free)

That little icon next to the page title in your browser tab is called a favicon. It shows up in tabs, bookmarks, history, and on phone home screens — and a site without one looks unfinished. The good news: you can turn your logo or any image into a full favicon set in under a minute.

How to make a favicon from your logo

QuickWand's free favicon generator runs entirely in your browser, so your logo never leaves your computer.

  1. Open the favicon generator.
  2. Drag in your logo or image. A squaresource works best — if yours isn't square, crop it first with the crop tool.
  3. The generator produces every size you need at once: the small tab icons, the Apple touch icon, and the larger manifest icons.
  4. Download the set and drop the files into your site (see the install guide for exactly where they go).

The favicon sizes you actually need

A favicon isn't one image — it's a small family of sizes, each used by a different context:

  • 16×16— the standard browser-tab icon.
  • 32×32— high-DPI tabs, the Windows taskbar, and bookmark bars.
  • 48×48— desktop shortcuts and some Windows contexts. These three are typically bundled into a single favicon.ico.
  • 180×180— the Apple touch icon, used when someone adds your site to an iPhone or iPad home screen.
  • 192×192— the Android home-screen icon, referenced in your web app manifest.
  • 512×512— the large icon for progressive web apps and splash screens, also in the manifest.

Why design for the smallest size

At 16×16 pixels there is almost no room for detail. A full logo with a tagline becomes an illegible smudge. The trick is to use just your logo mark— the symbol, a single bold letter, or a simplified icon — with high contrast and a clear silhouette. If it reads at 16 pixels, it reads everywhere.

Start from the biggest source you have

Always feed the generator the largest, sharpest version of your image — at least 512×512. Downscaling a big image stays crisp; upscaling a tiny one looks blurry. If your only logo file is small or low-resolution, clean it up first, then generate. Once you have your set, the next step is adding it to your website.

Frequently asked questions

What sizes does a favicon need to be?
The classic favicon.ico bundles 16x16, 32x32, and 48x48 pixel versions for browser tabs and bookmarks. Modern sites also add a 180x180 PNG for Apple touch icons (iOS home screen), plus 192x192 and 512x512 PNGs referenced in a web app manifest for Android and progressive web apps. A good generator produces all of these from one image.
What image works best as a favicon?
Use a simple, square, high-contrast image — ideally your logo mark rather than a full wordmark, because detail disappears at 16x16 pixels. A bold symbol or single letter reads clearly at tiny sizes. Start from the largest, sharpest source you have (at least 512x512) so the downscaled versions stay crisp.
Should my favicon be a PNG or an ICO file?
Both have a role. The .ico format can hold several sizes in one file and is the traditional favicon. PNGs are used for the larger Apple touch icon and the manifest icons. The simplest approach is to generate a set that includes an .ico plus the PNG sizes, then reference each in your HTML.
Is the favicon generator free and private?
Yes. QuickWand's favicon generator is free with no sign-up and no watermark, and it runs entirely in your browser, so your logo is never uploaded to a server.

Free tool

Favicon Generator

Turn a logo or photo into a crisp favicon — all the sizes a website needs, packaged in one download.

Try Favicon Generator— free →