Web Icons in 2026: Favicons, Touch Icons, Adaptive Icons & manifest.json

A complete guide to understanding how to manage a website's icons in 2026: modern favicons, Touch Icons for iOS, Android adaptive icons, and the manifest.json file.

Between favicons, touch icons, adaptive icons, and manifest.json, it's easy to get lost when it comes to defining a website's icon. Each platform has its own requirements: desktop browsers, Google search results, iOS home screens, Android Progressive Web Apps...

In 2026, it's time to take stock. This complete guide will help you understand which formats to use, what dimensions to plan for, and how to guarantee maximum compatibility with a minimum number of files.

1 Favicons: Standards, Formats & Best Practices Learn which favicon formats to use in 2026, including SVG, PNG fallback, Google requirements, and dark mode favicons. 2 Touch Icons, Adaptive Icons & manifest.json Set up Apple Touch Icons, Android adaptive icons, maskable icons, and manifest.json for a robust cross-platform icon system.