BYTETOOLS

Identicon Generator

Turn any username, email or ID into a GitHub-style identicon. SHA-256 decides the pattern and the colour, so the same text always draws the same avatar.

5 × 5
Grid
—
Filled cells
—
Hue from hash
—
Foreground

Identicon

Hashing…

Your text is hashed with SHA-256 using the browser’s own Web Crypto engine. The first bits of that digest decide which cells of the left half are filled, the right half mirrors them — that symmetry is what makes an identicon read as a face or a badge rather than as noise — and two bytes from the end of the digest choose the hue.

Because the whole thing is a pure function of your text, the same email always draws the same avatar on every device with no lookup table. Everything happens in your browser: the text you hash is never uploaded and never leaves your device.

What is the Identicon Generator?

An identicon is a small symmetrical pattern generated from a piece of text, used as a default avatar when someone has not uploaded a picture.

  • SHA-256 via the browser's own Web Crypto, so results are identical everywhere
  • Mirrored 5 by 5 to 8 by 8 grids in the GitHub style
  • Hue derived from the hash, plus fixed brand, mono, forest and sunset palettes
  • PNG export up to 1024 pixels, or scalable SVG
  • Light, dark or transparent background
  • The full SHA-256 digest is shown so you can verify the result

How to use the Identicon Generator

  1. 1

    Type or paste the text to hash — an email address, a username or an ID.

  2. 2

    Choose the grid size, from the classic 5 by 5 up to 8 by 8.

  3. 3

    Pick a colour: derived from the hash, or one of the fixed palettes.

  4. 4

    Set the export size in pixels and choose a light, dark or transparent background.

  5. 5

    Download the PNG or SVG, or copy the SVG markup straight to your clipboard.

About the Identicon Generator

An identicon is a small symmetrical pattern generated from a piece of text, used as a default avatar when someone has not uploaded a picture. Type an email address, a username or a user ID and this tool hashes it with SHA-256, then uses the bits of that digest to decide which cells are filled and which hue to paint them.

The pattern is mirrored down the middle, which is what makes an identicon read as a badge or a face rather than as noise. Only the left half is chosen by the hash; the right half is its reflection. Two bytes from the end of the digest pick the colour, so a given string always produces the same picture on every device with no lookup table anywhere.

Hashing uses your browser's built-in Web Crypto engine, so the text you type is never uploaded and never leaves your device. Export the result as a PNG at any size up to 1024 pixels, or as a crisp SVG you can drop straight into a stylesheet or a component.

Frequently asked questions

What is an identicon?

An identicon is a small geometric image generated from a hash of some text, typically used as a placeholder avatar. Because it is derived purely from the text, the same user always gets the same picture without anyone storing an image.

Will the same email always produce the same identicon?

Yes. SHA-256 is deterministic, so the same input always gives the same digest, and the same digest always gives the same pattern and hue. It will match on any browser, on any operating system, today or in five years.

Why are identicons symmetrical?

Mirroring the left half onto the right is what makes the shape read as a deliberate badge rather than as random static. It is the trick GitHub uses, and it means a five-column grid only needs fifteen bits of the hash to look distinctive.

Can someone work out my email from its identicon?

Not from the picture alone, because it only uses a few dozen bits of the hash. But identicons are not private: anyone can hash a guessed address and compare, so treat them as a visual label rather than as anything confidential.

Should I export identicons as PNG or SVG?

Use SVG for the web — it is a few hundred bytes, scales to any size and stays sharp on high-density screens. Choose PNG when you need a fixed-size raster for an email signature, an app icon or somewhere SVG is not accepted.

Related tools