Favicon format .gif or .ico?

Question

Why use a .gif favicon? Is that for iPhone and iPad can read it?

<link rel="shortcut icon" href="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/favicon.gif" type="image/x-icon" />

Answer 1

Browsers started supporting it. Also, .ico files are an old image file format for icons in Microsoft Windows. Since .ico is vendor specific, some choose to go with .gif

Not to mention that there is an abundance of .gif editors, and few .ico editors.

After reviewing supported formats, your best bet is to go with .png files if you are trying to get away from .ico

Answer 2

• More people have access to create gif or png files.
• gif's can be animated

also, beware that gif favicons do not work in all versions of IE.

Answer 3

A gif can be animated although browser support for this is currently quite limited. ico is currently the more widely supported format (including iPhone and iPad). A full list of browser compatability can be found here

Answer 4

.ico files are the most widely supported. Take a look at the chart on wikipedia.

According to that list firefox and opera are the only ones that support animated gifs and IE doesn't support gif at all.

Answer 5

GIF favicons are sometimes used so that they can be animated, but ICOs have wider browser support. If you are trying to make favicons specifically for iPhone/iPod Touch, you might want to take a look at this:

http://iboughtamac.com/2008/01/23/making-an-iphoneipod-touch-webclips-favicon/