How To Change The Favicon In Chrome Bookmarks

2 min read 28-12-2024

Changing the favicon (that little website icon) displayed next to your bookmarks in Chrome isn't directly possible through Chrome's built-in settings. Chrome pulls the favicon directly from the website itself. If the website doesn't have a favicon, or if the favicon is outdated or incorrect in your bookmarks, there's unfortunately no simple fix within Chrome's interface to manually alter it.

Understanding Favicons and Chrome

Favicons are small image files (typically ICO or PNG) that websites use to identify themselves. These are embedded within the website's code. When you bookmark a site, Chrome automatically downloads the favicon. Any changes made to the website's favicon will eventually update in your bookmarks, but this is reliant on Chrome's refresh mechanisms, which can vary.

Workarounds and Alternatives

While direct modification isn't an option, here are some potential workarounds to improve the visual representation of your bookmarks:

1. Check the Website

First, ensure the website itself displays the correct favicon. If it's incorrect on the site itself, the problem originates there and needs to be addressed by the website's administrator. You might consider contacting the website's support team to report the issue.

2. Clear Browsing Data

Sometimes, cached data can cause inconsistencies. Clearing your browsing data, specifically cached images and files, can force Chrome to re-download the favicon. However, this is not guaranteed to solve the problem.

3. Re-add the Bookmark

A simple, though slightly tedious, solution is to delete the existing bookmark and re-add it. This often forces Chrome to refresh the favicon information.

4. Use a Bookmark Manager

Several third-party bookmark managers offer more customization options than Chrome's built-in system. These applications might provide features that allow for more control over bookmark appearance, though this is not a universally available function. Explore different options to see if a manager suits your needs.

5. Accept the Limitation

In reality, the most practical solution might be to accept the limitation. While aesthetically undesirable, an incorrect or missing favicon rarely impacts the functionality of the bookmark itself. The website will still open correctly, regardless of the icon.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, there's no straightforward method to manually change favicons within Chrome bookmarks. The approaches listed above offer workarounds and alternative solutions, but ultimately, the favicon’s accuracy depends on the website itself and Chrome’s automatic update process.