How long does a browser cache a favicon?

Effectively indefinitely. Browsers cache favicons aggressively and can keep an old icon for days, or until you force a refresh with a new filename, a version query, or a hard reload.

How do I force Chrome to update the favicon?

Change the icon filename or add a version query like /favicon.ico?v=2, hard-reload with Ctrl+Shift+R, or open the page in a private window to bypass the cache.

Why does Google still show my old favicon?

Google caches the search favicon separately and recrawls on its own schedule. Request indexing of your homepage in Search Console and wait - there is no manual refresh.

Do I need to clear the cache after every change?

Only when the icon looks stale. Using a versioned filename whenever you change the icon avoids the problem, because the browser treats it as a brand-new file.

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Favicon not updating? How to clear the cache and force a refresh

If your favicon is not updating, the cause is almost always caching: browsers and CDNs hold on to the old icon long after you change it. The fix is to bust the cache with a new filename or version query, hard-reload or use a private window, redeploy so the new files are live, and request a Google recrawl for the search favicon.

By Nico Jaroszewski · 26 June 2026 · 5 min read

If your favicon is not updating, the cause is almost always caching. Browsers and CDNs hold on to the old icon long after you change it, so the stale favicon keeps showing in the tab and in bookmarks. The fix is to bust the cache with a new filename or version query, hard-reload (or use a private window), re-deploy so the new files are actually live, and - for the icon Google shows - request a recrawl.

Why favicons cache so aggressively

Favicons are tiny and requested on almost every page, so browsers cache them hard to avoid refetching. That is great for performance and frustrating when you ship a new icon: the browser keeps serving the copy it already has, sometimes for days, until something forces it to look again.

Force a local refresh

Hard reload: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) bypasses the page cache.
Private window: open the site in an incognito or private window, which starts with an empty cache.
Open the icon directly: visit /favicon.ico (and your PNG icons) to confirm the server is returning the new file at all.

The reliable fix: bust the cache

The most dependable approach is to change what the browser treats as the file. Either rename the icon (for example favicon-v2.ico) or append a version query in your link tags - <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico?v=2">. The browser sees a new URL, so it fetches the new icon immediately. Bump the version each time you change the icon and the problem disappears for good.

Don't forget the deploy and the CDN

Confirm the new files are actually live at the right paths after you deploy, and purge your CDN cache for the icon URLs if you use one. A stale edge cache looks exactly like a stale browser cache. If your icon set or markup might be wrong in the first place, regenerate a clean, correctly named bundle with the Logo2Favicon generator and the complete favicon guide.

The favicon Google shows is separate

Google caches the search-result favicon on its own schedule, independent of your browser. After you fix the icon, request indexing of your homepage in Search Console and wait - there is no instant refresh. If it never appeared at all, work through why your favicon doesn't show in Google.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a browser cache a favicon?: Effectively indefinitely. Browsers cache favicons aggressively and can keep an old icon for days, or until you force a refresh with a new filename, a version query, or a hard reload.
How do I force Chrome to update the favicon?: Change the icon filename or add a version query like /favicon.ico?v=2, hard-reload with Ctrl+Shift+R, or open the page in a private window to bypass the cache.
Why does Google still show my old favicon?: Google caches the search favicon separately and recrawls on its own schedule. Request indexing of your homepage in Search Console and wait - there is no manual refresh.
Do I need to clear the cache after every change?: Only when the icon looks stale. Using a versioned filename whenever you change the icon avoids the problem, because the browser treats it as a brand-new file.

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