If you have shipped more than a handful of sites, you have probably dropped a single favicon.ico in the root and moved on. That used to be almost enough. In 2026 it is not.

Browser tabs, search results, iOS home-screen shortcuts, and Android install surfaces all want different files, sizes, and compositions. Missing one of them rarely breaks the page. It just means a blurry tab icon, a cropped launcher mark, or a generic globe where your brand should be.

I built favicon.now because I was tired of assembling that package by hand, and I am the site's maker, so I will be explicit about that. Here is the checklist: the files that matter, the HTML and manifest, and the mistakes I still see.

The practical set in 2026

You do not need twenty icon sizes — just a small set that covers tabs, search, Apple shortcuts, and installable web apps.

favicon.svg . The modern tab icon. A self-contained SVG stays sharp at any density and can adapt to light and dark chrome when the artwork is designed for it.…