HOW TO FAVICON IN 2026: THREE FILES THAT FIT MOST NEEDS

Summary from the TLDR Design newsletter

Modern websites need only three favicon files instead of the typical 20+ icons: a 32×32 ICO for legacy browsers, an SVG with light/dark theme support for modern browsers, and a 180×180 PNG for Apple devices. Progressive Web Apps require two additional PNG files (192×192 and 512×512) referenced in a web manifest JSON file. This minimalist approach relies on SVG scalability and browser downscaling rather than multiple static files, eliminating outdated formats like Windows Tile icons and Safari's pinned tab icons while maintaining compatibility across all major browsers and devices.