Favicon Not Showing in Browser Address Bar

Favicon doesn’t display in browser address bar because Chrome and Safari don’t show icons for local files (file://), and there may also be issues with the file path, browser caching, or file format. The main reasons include using local files instead of a web server, an incorrect path to the icon, browser cache issues, and browser limitations for displaying favicons in the address bar.

Table of Contents

• Main reasons favicon doesn’t appear in address bar
• Why Chrome doesn’t show favicons for local files
• Verifying the favicon path
• Solutions and fixes
• Specific issues in VS Code
• Additional recommendations

Main reasons favicon doesn’t appear in the browser address bar

There are several main reasons why a favicon doesn’t display in the browser address bar:

1. Using local files - Chrome and Safari browsers don’t display favicons for local files (file://), unlike Firefox which supports this functionality. Source

2. Incorrect file path - If the path in the href attribute is incorrect, the browser won’t be able to find and load the favicon file. Source

3. Browser caching - Browsers may cache old versions of favicons, even if you’ve modified the file. Source

4. File not in root directory - Many browsers expect to find favicon.ico in the site’s root directory. Source

5. File format - Some file formats may not be supported by all browsers.

Why Chrome doesn’t show favicons for local files

This is a known issue that has existed for many years. Chrome and Safari have security restrictions that prevent them from displaying favicons for local files, while Firefox supports this capability. Source

In your case, if you’re working with files through VS Code without using a local web server, Chrome simply won’t display the favicon in the address bar due to security and browser policy reasons.

Verifying the favicon path

In your HTML code, the path href="Screenshot (37).ico" is specified, which can cause several issues:

1. Spaces in filename - Filenames with spaces can cause problems in some browsers. It’s recommended to rename the file without spaces, for example: favicon.ico.

2. Cyrillic in filename - Using Cyrillic characters in filenames can cause encoding issues.

3. Relative path - Make sure the favicon file is in the same directory as the HTML file, or specify the correct relative path.

The correct version should look like this:

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon">

Solutions and fixes

1. Using a local web server

The most reliable solution is to run a local web server for development. In VS Code, you can use plugins like Live Server or Live Preview.

# If you have Node.js installed, you can use http-server
npm install -g http-server
http-server -p 8080

2. Direct favicon access check

Open your favicon’s URL directly in the browser to check if the file is accessible:

http://localhost:8080/Screenshot (37).ico

If you see a 404 error, the file wasn’t found. Source

3. Clearing browser cache

Try clearing the browser cache or using incognito mode:

• Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
• Firefox: Ctrl+F5 or Ctrl+Shift+R
• Safari: Cmd+Option+R

4. Restarting VS Code and browser

Sometimes simply restarting both applications resolves caching issues.

Specific issues in VS Code

When using VS Code for web development, specific issues may arise:

1. Live Server plugin caching - The plugin may cache an old version of the favicon. Try deleting the favicon file, refreshing the page, and then uploading the new file. Source

2. Relative path issues - When using preview plugins, ensure that file paths are correctly specified relative to the project’s root directory.

3. File naming recommendations - Use simple filenames without spaces and special characters:

   • favicon.ico (classic format)
   • favicon.png (alternative)
   • apple-touch-icon.png (for Apple devices)

Additional recommendations

1. Adding multiple favicon formats

For better compatibility, it’s recommended to add multiple formats and sizes:

<link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="favicon.ico">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="favicon-32x32.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="favicon-16x16.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="apple-touch-icon.png">

2. Checking via developer tools

Open browser developer tools (F12) and check the “Network” tab for errors when loading the favicon.

3. Using online favicon generators

Consider using online services to generate favicons in multiple formats:

• favicon.io
• Favicon Generator

Sources

1. Why Chrome doesn’t show favicons for local files - Stack Overflow
2. Favicon not showing up in Google Chrome - Stack Overflow
3. Why your favicon isn’t displaying - SEOmator
4. Favicon Not Showing Up - SEOptimer
5. Favicon issues in VS Code Live Server - GitHub
6. Solving favicon problems - Reddit

Conclusion

The main reason a favicon doesn’t display in the Chrome address bar when working with local files in VS Code is due to the browser’s security policy, which doesn’t show icons for local (file://) sites. To resolve this issue, it’s recommended to:

1. Use a local web server (Live Server, http-server) instead of directly opening files
2. Rename the favicon to a simple name without spaces and Cyrillic characters (for example, favicon.ico)
3. Clear the browser cache and check file availability via direct URL
4. Ensure the favicon file is in the correct project directory

By following these recommendations, you’ll be able to resolve the issue with favicon display in the browser address bar when developing in VS Code.