Most likely, Google wanted to use the same icon irrespective of the platform so that it becomes instantly recognizable.
Here's the new favicon:
... and the old favicon, which was launched back in 2009:
This screenshot shows the first three Google favicons. As you can see, the new favicon has a lot in common with the second favicon used by Google. "We felt the small 'g' had many of the characteristics that best represent our brand: it's simple, playful, and unique. We will be looking to improve and enhance this icon as we move forward," said Google back in 2008, when it changed the favicon for the first time.
If you don't see the new favicon when you visit google.com, try clearing your browser's cache.
{ Thanks, Arpit Kumar. }
Maybe nice to add that the icon was spotted in February,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.seroundtable.com/google-blue-favicon-14664.html
I like it! The current one is awful. The new one looks like the previous "g" favicon but with a blue background.
ReplyDeleteCool to know. I didn't notice it.
ReplyDeleteI just think that, for be coese, googel should start showing their logo with the NON-capital "g", as the favicon does.
ReplyDeleteThe new favicon looks like Microsoft's Metro Style.
ReplyDeletehttp://computism.wordpress.com/2012/08/14/the-new-blue-favicon-2012-of-google
Because Google has shown in the past to be very slow with updating logos and favicons across their various services and sub-sites, time will have to tell if this favicon is for Search only. My almost-sure bet is Yes. This fits in their model of "We're no longer just a search engine" brand-meme, which had been evangelized for about 5 years before the recent signs of wanting to make it known to the broad userbase, filled with the type of people who google a few things a month.
ReplyDelete...which I now realize is a verry funny way of saying: gradually, they're making the "Google isn't just a search engine" known to EVERYBODY. The colored favicon, zooming in on the 'g', is the company brand; This white-in-blue favicon is for Search and Search alone.
ReplyDeleteYes, I noticed it now
ReplyDeletethat's fresh look, more full stylish :D
ReplyDeleteA minimal "metro" style favicon. I like it very much :)
ReplyDeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteThe new favicon is less noticeable and less artistic than favicon from 2009.
ReplyDeleteI love the blue one.
ReplyDeleteIn Ubuntu it's still old.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed it, could be a little more creative..looks like something the design pulled out at the last minute to save their skin!!!
ReplyDeleteThats cool..did not observe it.
ReplyDeleteThe Google favicon is one of the most widely recognised favicons on the web (no surprise given Google’s dominance).
ReplyDeleteBut from today onwards visitors to the Google homepage (in most territories) will notice a light-blue emblem in the corner of their tabs, URL bars, and other favicon savvy places.
The new favicon replaces the ’multi-coloured’ tile introduced in June 2009.
Oh yeah.. Since morning i was feeling like something is changed.. hehe.. NICE :)
ReplyDeleteAwful new favicon :(
ReplyDeleteI love it! Now I can quit using that Greasemonkey script to change it to the 2008 version on FF...
ReplyDeleteI don't like it... I think the different colors are their trademark and they should have stayed with that idea. The blue does nothing to strike up GOOGLE in my mind. Just my 2 cents...
ReplyDeletesame observation here. they should have sticked with the multi-colored favicon. the blue one looks off and old.
DeleteBad improvement.
ReplyDeleteOn my 1920*1080 screen it seems "8" not "g" :(
The old one was very cool and unique.
Love it! Easy on the eye.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same as the iPhone app icon...
ReplyDeleteMany people don’t know the significance of the lower case “g” for Google’s favicon. It changed from the original upper case “G” to the lower case one to closely resemble the symbol for infinity (∞). A googol is a massive number, and the name Google — a play on that word — symbolizes the massive quantities of information that is indexed by the search engine. Because of this, the last past two favicons have been lower case and the new one is no exception. In fact, the icon closely resembles the second favicon only inverted, and even more so resembles a design that Google passed on when the second iteration was decided on.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI hate it! I am a small icon with no text label kind of person, with a lot of icons. it blends too much. right now, I have seven icons with blue. I relied on the multicolor scheme to find it quickly. ugh! however, I do see the connection to the google search app favicon.
Google's older Favicon was much recognizable than the newer one. May be because we got so used to it. Will take some time to get used to the new "blue g' instead of the older 'colorful g'.
ReplyDeleteIMO i still vote for older favicon.
Google favicon just got boring...
ReplyDeleteI have noticed this today in the morning and two hours later I see your article. Cool :)
ReplyDeleteWhile I understand the change (the old one was too cluttered and didn't scale well to the size used in tabs and junk), it's just not Google without the rainbow!
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't look as fun or happy anymore.
Maybe they could've lightened the colors a bit so they blended better? And centered the g like it is in the new one. Basically, making it like the new icon, but with Google colors that are lightened up.
Reminds me at first glance like the Skype icon. I hate it!
ReplyDeleteI prefer the multi-colored off-centered icon they were using. The new one is bland. The multi-colored one was unmistakable and easy to recognize. For those who think the new blue icon looks more modern, I bet if the blue icon was the old one and the multi-colored one was new, you all would be saying the new one is hipper.
ReplyDeleteCompletely agree.
DeleteThe new google icon is NOT good. It looks like a white 8 on a blue background. Anyone who believes this is better than the instantly recognizable old icon is a fool. Who decided that everything involving the internet or computers should be blue or grey? I’m sick of this obsession with blue. Blue icons, blue websites, blue desktop themes… ENOUGH!
ReplyDeleteThat is the entire point
DeleteTo be honest, the shape of the new icon is better than the 2009 version, it's a lot clearer and less cluttered, they know what they are trying to show, and that's good.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the color of the new icon is very ... empty. The color of the old icon is a lot more creative and shows a brighter side to the personality of google, a bright personality that apparently is fading away as time passes.
IMHO, it might be better to use the shape of the new icon, but somehow use the color scheme of the 2009 icon and incorporate it into the new icon.
Its very nice..outstanding from others.
ReplyDeleteKeep changing.. Keep Googling.
I like the old one. this one is too distracting and obnoxious
ReplyDeletewow .. nice icon .. i like blue color ..
ReplyDeleteA white letter in a blue box. Haven't seen a logo like that before. That really stands out. not.
ReplyDeleteSiiting next to the Facebook favicon in my tabs makes it look weak.
DeleteIt is stupid, now I mix Google blue favicon with my Facebook (dark blue) and Twitter(light blue) tabs, and I search a lot...and can't differentiate between those 3.
ReplyDeleteGoogle will never change the simplicity of its homepage but can only change colors of designs and doodles..........that's creativity in a subtle way.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very good. G - like gaming, it's like my blog. Cheers Google!
ReplyDeleteThe new favicon sucks!
ReplyDeletethe new google favicon is so not google. stick with the multi-color one! mcdo would never change its red and yellow scheme.
ReplyDeletehate it. too many blue favicons out there. the simplicity is fine, but the wrong color.
ReplyDeletenew google favicon is looking cool blue...
ReplyDeletei like it ....
http://www.hottybuzz.in/
Honestly, I prefer the old (4-color) icon. The reason is the new one feels too "soft" to me and doesn't stand out very much. For me, google tabs are like hubs; I have many other tabs branching out after them as search results. Therefore I like them to really stand out and be noticeable amongst all the other various tabs. The new one fades too much into the background visually, and makes it difficult to relocate the last google tab at a glance. Sure, it's just a few extra milliseconds of looking, but every fraction counts when you're a developer and you're in the zone.
ReplyDeleteWithout the rounded corners, it fits right into the Microsoft Metro..-- Windows 8 style. Strange choice to go with a single color, even worse picking Windows 8-like blue...
ReplyDeletethis is only favicon? whats wrong with you all people? -_- doesnt affect to your search
ReplyDeletePlaka sorgulama (konrol) aracınızın Trafik, Vergi, Ceza Borcunuzu vs... gibi borçlarınızı rahatlıkla hızlı bir şekilde sorgulayabilirsiniz.
ReplyDeleteI don't have that "Spy Guy" icon in my choices that is showing in your browser photos. I think I prefer the color favicon
ReplyDeleteThe colourful 'favicon' was much better for identifying open searches and quickly switching between tabs when you have a large number open (when doing research for example).
ReplyDeleteThis subdued blue version appears too similar to many on other sites. Perhaps its fine on a phone where you don't have to distinguish between multiple pages, but not on larger screens.
It's generic, less personal and less fun. Less like Google.
here's a Firefox/Chrome add-on that gives us the old favicon back:
ReplyDeletehttps://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-favicon-2009/
Everyone moans about change - the old one will be forgotten in a few months!
ReplyDeleteGood information. Keep sharing more posts.
ReplyDeleteThey ahave to change the favicon everyday !!!
ReplyDeletevery good post
ReplyDeleteI like the favicon! It's simple but to me a good favicon is. Great work G!
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned, looks like a white 8. Definately NOT worth the change.
ReplyDeleteBest they had was their big red G.
Good One
ReplyDeleteI did notice it the other day and thought it had changed.
ReplyDeleteI like the old one because, for me, Google is colorful and powerful, too.
ReplyDeleteHow is it that the 'g' favicon appears even in non-google sites!! This is source for confusion, especially when one has a many tabs open in a browser, and relies on the favicon to differenciate sites.
ReplyDeleteSomeone at google has done a shoddy job.
I really hate that
DeleteI didnt like the icon a bit. Its hard to distinguis if your blog post is having number of icons from different social sites.
ReplyDelete