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A favicon is a special icon that shows up near the web address bar in the top left corner of the screen. Any jpg, png, gif, or icon (.ico) file type can be used. By default, the name of the Create an Animated Favicon Loader. People also call favicons shortcut icons, bookmark icons, and website icons. They make it easier for people to find your web page.
The favicons are there to give the website a professional look with a recognizable logo that stays the same on all of its pages. The website’s online brand is helped by the icons. A moving image is used to make a favicon that moves. Through the link tag, it is set.
How to Create an Animated Favicon Loader
Animating a Set of PNG images is Also Possible
It is also possible to animate a set of PNG images. Browsers also allow PNG as a favicon. In this tutorial, a GIF favicon is discussed. However the logic to animate a set of PNG images remains the same, you just have to change the image format wherever required.
Extract All Frames Inside the Animated GIF
Extract all the frames inside the animated GIF file and save them as individual images. These are the set of images you are supposed to loop over, and show as favicon. You can use an online tool such as this to explode an animated GIF.
Include Javascript to Keep Changing the Favicon Image at Regular Intervals
An important point is to note that you need to remove the favicon tags first, and then re-insert it. Just changing the href attribute won’t work.
Browser Compatibility
This will work for all browsers (including IE 11+), but not Safari. To date, there is no way to have an animated favicon in Safari.
FAQ
Can a favicon be animate?
For most browsers, favicons are static image files, but websites can take advantage of JavaScript to modify the current favicon shown, effectively animating it. Firefox also allows GIF type favicons and plays the animation accordingly.
Can we use GIF as favicon?
Extract all the frames inside the animated GIF file and save them as individual images. These are the set of images you are supposed to loop over, and show as favicon. You can use an online tool such as this to explode an animated GIF.
How do I add an animated icon to my website?
You can also download your animated icons as AEP for Adobe After Effects or JSON with Lottie for adding to websites and apps. AEP is a motion graphics file format for Adobe After Effects to add animated icons in videos easily.
Can I use SVG as favicon?
A custom favicon is a great way to make a website look more professional. It shows up in desktop browser tabs, “save for later” readers, blog posts that link to your site, and other places. In the past, this was done with the.ico file type, but browsers now let you use SVG, which is a vector format.