HomeInternetGoogleGoogle Chrome: How to Change Icons on the Bookmarks bar

Google Chrome: How to Change Icons on the Bookmarks bar

I added quite a few bookmarklets to my Bookmarks bar and was unhappy with the same default icon that showed for each one. There are no settings currently available within Chrome to change the icon, but there is a way to fix them that works quite well.


First, you’ll need to download and install the free SQLite Database browser.

Now, open Google Chrome and visit the site(s) that have the favicon you want displayed in your Bookmarks bar. After you have completed this, close Google Chrome.

We are ready to change icons:

1. Open SQLite Database browser.

2. Go to the toolbar and select the Open (folder) icon to bring up the Open window.

3. When the open window appears, you will need to browse to the following directory:

In Windows XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

In Windows Vista:
C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

Note: change username to your username.

4. Open the History file.

5. Select the Browse Data tab.

6. Select urls from the Table dropdown.

7. The table will appear with the following columns: id, url, title, visit_count, typed_count, last_visit_time, hidden, favicon_id and starred_id. Our main focus will be on the favicon_id and starred_id columns, but you will need to pay attention to the title column as well. Any row that has a value other than 0 in the starred_id column is a bookmark. Any row that has a value other than 0 in the favicon_id column has an icon associated with it (if it has a 0, it will use the default icon).

8. Locate one of the sites you browsed to earlier that contains the desired favicon that you wish to use. Make sure it has a value in the favicon_id column. When you have located it, make note of the value that is in the favicon_id column.

9. Now locate the bookmark that you want to assign the favicon to. The title may appear more than once, so you must make sure that you select the record that has a value in the starred_id column.

10. Double-click the favicon_id record (the one that is 0) to open the Edit database cell window.

11. Change the 0 to the value you got from Step 8.

12. Click the Apply Changes button.

13. Repeat this process until you have finished assigning icons to your bookmarks.

14. Go to the toolbar and click the Save icon.

Now open up Google Chrome and check out your Bookmarks bar.

Here are some before and afters of my Bookmarks bar:

Rob Rogers
Rob Rogers
Once a prolific author here on Tech-Recipes, Rob has moved on to greener pastures.
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