In web development, Next.js is a strong framework for making React apps quickly and effectively. Next.js has strong solutions that fit its simple approach to development. Next.js makes it easy to add favicons to websites, so they fit in with the look and feel of the site and make it easy for users to navigate.
Next.js helps developers change and improve favicons for different platforms and devices in an easy way. This post explains how you can add Next.js favicons and why favicons are important for improving web applications and what the future holds for them.
What Is A Favicon?
A favicon is a small image that appears in the URL bar, browser tab, or bookmark for your website and in search engine results. This is the symbol you will see if you make a shortcut to a website on your phone or if it’s saved as a favorite site.
It’s an abbreviation for “favorite icon” and is often a basic version of your logo and brand. Favicons are small, but they make users feel confident that your website is professional and trustworthy. They also help users know they are in the right place.
It can make it easier for people to find the right tab when they have lots of tabs open. It also shows that this is the real website in search engines, and is a good way to advertise your brand.
A frontend developer’s expertise in Next.js favicon implementation ensures precise configuration, optimizing performance and compatibility across all platforms while maintaining a consistent and professional brand presence.
What is the Size of a Favicon?
The usual size for a favicon is 32×32 pixels, but it can be adjusted to be smaller or bigger for different uses. Many favicons are small at 16×16 pixels, but some can be as big as 512×512 pixels.
Different Sizes and Formats for Favicons
Favicons are very small pictures. It’s best to use a vector version, like an svg file, to make them. This will help you make an icon in various sizes, and then you can change it to a different file type like png or jpg if you want.
Many websites use different types of favicon files for different web browsers. Favicon generators can help you download your icon in many formats. There are lots of types of files that come in different sizes. Most systems and browsers can handle different types of files.
Here are the most commonly used and accepted formats of favicons for different purposes.
| Name of Icon | Type of File | Size (px) |
| Safari pinned tab | .svg | Min 50 x 50 |
| Apple touch | .png | 180 x 180 |
| Mstile | .png | 150 x 150 |
| Icon (multiple) | .png | 16 x 1632 x 32 |
| Android-chrome | .png | 192 x 192512 x 512 |
| Favicon | .ico | 48 x 48 |
How to Make Favicons?
The most popular type of web favicon is a simplified version of your company or brand logo. You want your brand to be easily recognized, but since logos are usually small, you need a smaller, simpler version.
The simplest way to make a favicon on the internet is to use a favicon generator like Real Favicon Generator. Just upload your picture and it will make a small icon for you in all the different sizes you need for using on internet browsers, search engine results, Android, and iOS.
The generator will give you the code you need to add to your website. It will also display how your new favicon will look, so you can check if you like it before putting it into your code.
Benefits of Favicon
Visual Identification and Navigation
Favicons are important for helping people recognize and find things on the internet. In a web browser with many open tabs, favicons help users quickly recognize and switch between different websites. Instead of only using tab titles, which can be long and might get cut off, people can look at favicons to quickly see the website they want.
This makes it easier to find your way around the internet, especially when you need to do more than one thing at once or go back to sites you’ve been to before. For instance, a favicon like the Twitter bird or the “F” of Facebook helps people recognize these websites quickly, even if they have many tabs open.
Brand Recognition and Trust
Favicons help people recognize a brand and trust it. A good favicon with a brand’s logo or visual identity helps keep the brand consistent on all platforms. When people see the same favicon for a website many times, they remember the brand better and are more likely to remember it in the future.
This familiarity makes the user feel good and think the company is trustworthy and professional. For example, when people see the big yellow M of McDonald’s or the letter G of Google, it makes them feel like those brands are real and trustworthy.
Accessibility and Usability
Favicons also help websites be easier to use and more accessible. Favicons help people recognize and go back to websites they have visited before. They are different from words and help users find the websites they want. This is really helpful for people with thinking or learning difficulties or those who need pictures to help them find their way.
Furthermore, when favicons are made with clear and contrasting images, they help people with vision problems or color blindness to easily see and access them. When creating favicons, it’s important to use basic shapes, easy-to-read fonts, and different colors to make them accessible to many people.
User Engagement
Favicons help make websites more appealing and make it easier for people to use. A good favicon can make people feel good and like a brand or website even more. For instance, a favicon that looks different when there are new messages or content can make people come back to the site more often.
This dynamic interaction makes users more interested and helps make their browsing experience more personal. Additionally, animated or interactive favicons can bring joy and excitement, making the internet experience more fun and memorable for people.
Cross-Platform Consistency
A good favicon will be resizable and easy to see on different screens. This makes sure that people can easily find and use their favorite websites no matter what device they are using. Using the same logo on all platforms helps to create a consistent experience for users. It also makes the brand’s identity stronger and keeps customers loyal and trusting.
Also Read: 11 Popular React Websites Examples
Process of Adding Next.js Favicons
There are two ways to add a favicon in Next.js. One way is to let the platform do it for you, and the other way is to do it manually. We suggest using the automatic process, unless you have a special reason to do it manually.
Automated Method
This automatic process does most of the work for you, which reduces the chance of having problems with your icons not showing correctly. It also saves you time and effort.
Remember to use App Router instead of Pages for this process to work. You should use App Router as the default for Next.js because it’s the newest and strongest version of the framework.
- Step 1: Create your Next.js Favicon
We suggest using a generator to create your Next.js favicon. This will ensure that you have all the right file types for different browsers, systems, and platforms. Real Favicon Generator is a great option.
- Step 2: Add the Favicon to the app directory
Add the favicons in the root of the /app directory. Next.js will check the file and add the right tags to your app’s element for you. It will add the right information to icons, like the type and details, without needing to do it manually.
If you want to use more than one icon, just add a different number at the end of the icon’s file name, and they will be sorted lexically. When the platform adds the right tags and attributes for you, it means there’s less chance of having problems with your favicons showing up correctly.
- Step 3: Test your Favicon
Test the new favicons on different devices and internet browsers to make sure they are working correctly.
Manual Method
You can also add your favicons manually by yourself. This means adding the files in the right place and making sure they are named correctly, and then updating the head part with the right file names and paths. We suggest not doing these manually unless you need to for a special reason.
Using Next.js saves time and effort and helps prevent mistakes. If there is a mistake in the name or location of the file, the favicon may not show up. It is important to use a method that stops these problems from happening in the first place.
Also Read: 560 Cool Icons and Absolutely Free
How to Fix if Next.js Favicon is Not Visible?
If your favicon isn’t showing, it’s probably because you added it manually instead of using the automatic method. Here are some common problems and how to solve them.
Delete Cache
It’s common that your favicon doesn’t show up because the cache hasn’t been cleared. This happens a lot when you’re using a CDN. Ensure that you have deleted the cache in the browser and server, and then check if this fixes the problem.
Issues in File Format
If you add your own favicons manually and they’re not working right, it could be because they don’t work with the browser or technology. Make sure you have the right file types for your favicon to show correctly. You can also use Next.js to add them automatically instead of doing it manually.
File Path
If the location of your favicon is wrong, it may not show up properly. Always make sure your icons are in the right place and have the correct file name. For instance, FaVicon.ico and favicon.ico are not the same. Using capital letters changes the format.
Dynamic Routes
Once again, this is a problem you only have if you’ve added the favicons by yourself. If you use dynamic routes, make sure your favicon is linked correctly. Make sure to add your favorite website icons in the right place in the code, and don’t forget to include a slash at the beginning of the link.
Read the Official Documentation
If you are still having problems with your website’s favicons, it’s best to look at the official documentation from Next.js. This is the instructions for the newest Next.js. Make sure you have the latest version of Next.js when you use these instructions.
Also Read: Top React Native Alternatives for Mobile App Development
Future Trends in Favicons
Personalization and Adaptive Design
An upcoming trend for favicons is creating them to be personalized and able to change with different designs. Right now, favicons are icons that look the same for everyone and on all devices.
But new technology in data analysis and tracking could make it possible to have personal favorite icons that change depending on what each person likes and does, or where they are. For example, a website that sells things could change their favicon to show products or special offers based on what the user has looked at or bought before.
This level of personalization makes users more interested and shows that the brand cares about their individual needs. Adaptive design principles should also make sure that favicons look clear and easy to recognize on different devices and screen sizes.
Integration With AI and Voice Technologies
As voice assistants and AI become more popular, favicons may start working with them to make it easier for people to use websites. Favicons could be useful in voice interactions by being visual symbols that go along with voice commands and responses.
For instance, someone talking to a voice assistant could hear information and see small symbols on their phone or smart screen. This picture helps people understand better and find their way, especially when things are complicated or have many steps.
AI algorithms could study how people use a website and what they like, and then immediately change the favicons that represent their favorite pages. An AI could guess what a user likes from their previous actions and change the logo to show things they might be interested in.
Blockchain and Digital Ownership
As blockchain technology and owning things digitally become more popular, people are becoming more interested in using blockchain to keep track of digital assets, like favicons. Blockchain provides a way to store information in a way that is not controlled by any single entity and cannot be changed.
Think about a situation where websites put their favicons on a blockchain. This makes sure that each favicon is one-of-a-kind and protected with a code. This could stop people from using or changing favicons without permission, which would make the brand more trustworthy and keep it safe.
Websites can turn their logos into digital assets, which can be traded on blockchain-based websites. This could make website owners and designers earn more money, and give users the chance to collect or share favicons from their favorite brands or websites.
Final Thoughts
Next.js makes it easy to create favicons in web applications with its advanced and user-friendly approach. By using Next.js, developers can easily add and change favicons to make their brand stand out and improve how users see their website. The framework has strong features that make sure favicons work well and can be used on different devices.
Next.js makes it easier to add favicons to your website by giving you clear instructions and tools to customize them and make sure they follow best practices. As the internet evolves, Next.js is leading the way in helping with favicon management and plays a big part in making web apps successful.
FAQs
What type of formats should be used to create favicons?
Favicons are usually made in ICO or PNG format. ICO files can have different sizes of the icon all in one file, which is good for making sure they work on different web browsers and OS. PNG format is best when you want the favicon to be see-through and look good with different background colors or themes.
Are favicons supported by all web browsers?
Yes, all the newest internet browsers support favicons. However, different internet browsers may show favicons in slightly different ways. Many web browsers will find and show the favicon that is specified in the HTML document.
Can animated favicons be created?
Yes, you can make favicons move by using GIFs or modern web technologies like CSS animations. Animated favicons can make the website look more cool, but don’t use too many or it might distract people from the main content on the website.
Do I definitely need to have a favicon on my website?
While you don’t have to, it’s a good idea to include a favicon for many reasons. It makes your website look more professional and helps people recognize and remember it. Favicons make it easier to navigate and give a better look to websites when you use different browsers.
