Website icons in Google search results: bug or innovation?

Last week, reports surfaced that Google was testing mobile search results without favicons or colors, effectively killing any advantage a well-optimized favicon might provide. However, a Google spokesperson confirmed that this is not a test.

Search results without a favicon are not a test, said a Google representative.

A favicon, or "favorite icon", is an image designed to be displayed on browser tabs, bookmarks, and Google search results. Google recently recommended that publishers use favicons that are at least 32×32 pixels in size. 🚀

• 📌 Google displays the favicon in search results, making it a subtle way to attract attention and traffic to sites that are ranked. If Google removes the favicon, it could further reduce search visibility.

Lily Ray posted a screenshot showing favicon missing from search results. However, the reason for this turned out to be completely different.

This is not provided. @lilyraynyc Have you disabled JavaScript on your device? What kind of device was it? What you're showing is what we're showing for lower-end devices that can't support rich search results. tweeted Rajan Patel, vice president of engineering at Google.

It turns out that this is an example of a bug in Google. 🚀