Chrome Extension Popup Icon Sizes
The action icon sizes used for the browser action button that opens your extension's popup.
Required Sizes
16 × 16
Standard Toolbar
Base size for the browser action icon. Used on standard-DPI displays.
19 × 19
Legacy Toolbar
Used by older Chrome versions for the browser action. Still worth including for backward compatibility.
38 × 38
HiDPI Toolbar
Used on Retina and HiDPI displays (2x of the 19×19). Provides crisp rendering on modern screens.
Specs
| Format | PNG only |
| Transparency | Supported — transparent backgrounds recommended |
| Color space | sRGB |
| Defined in | manifest.json under "action.default_icon" |
| Dynamic updates | Can be changed at runtime via chrome.action.setIcon() |
Manifest Configuration
// manifest.json (Manifest V3)
{
"action": {
"default_icon": {
"16": "icons/icon-16.png",
"19": "icons/icon-19.png",
"38": "icons/icon-38.png"
}
}
}Design Tips
- The popup icon should be visually consistent with your toolbar and store icons, but optimized for each size.
- Use monochrome or limited-color designs for the best toolbar appearance.
- At 16×16, every pixel matters — design on a pixel grid and avoid sub-pixel rendering.
- Consider creating "active" and "inactive" states if your extension has an on/off toggle.
- The 38×38 icon is the 2x version of 19×19, so design at 38×38 first and ensure it scales down cleanly.
Common Mistakes
- Only providing a single icon size — Chrome will scale it poorly for other sizes.
- Using JPEG format — the toolbar icon must be PNG with transparency support.
- Making the icon too detailed for 16×16 — it becomes an indistinguishable blob.
- Forgetting the 38×38 size, causing blurry icons on Retina/HiDPI displays.
Other Chrome Web Store Asset Sizes
Generate all popup icon sizes from a single design with CWS Kit.
Open CWS Kit — It's Free