SOLVED – Missing Web Page Icons in BookMarks After Safari 11 Update OSX El Cap 10.11.6

I recently posted here and here about problems restoring Web Page Icons in Bookmarks after a Safari “Reset” (Clear Cache & Clear All History) — following the Safari 11 update install.

Prior to the Safari 11 update, Web Page Icons were easily restored in Bookmarks by replacing the Webpageicons.db file in ~/Library/Safari with a previously stored, recent copy of the Webpageicons.db file, and by also deleting the Webpageicons.db-shm and Webpageicons.db-wal files also located in the ~/Library/Safari folder. Relaunching Safari after this would always restore the Web Page Icons in Bookmarks.

Safari 11 apparently no longer generates Webpageicons.db-shm and Webpageicons.db-wal files in the ~/Library/Safari folder so the old workaround no longer works.

The following workaround should however, restore the Web Page Icons in your Bookmarks list after the aforementioned Safari “Reset” makes them “disappear”.

The Webpageicons.db file in ~/Library/Safari no longer needs to be replaced with a recent copy and again, there are no longer Webpageicons.db-shm and Webpageicons.db-wal files to delete.

Instead, following a Safari “reset”, quit Safari. Then:

1) Inside the ~/Library/Safari folder, find the Favicon Cache folder. Open the Favicon Cache folder.

2) Delete the following files:

favicons.db

favicons.db-lock

favicons.db-shm

favicons.db-wal

DO NOT DELETE THE FAVICONS FOLDER

The four deleted files will be regenerated when you re-launch Safari 11 and after relaunch, your Web Page Icons should display throughout your entire Bookmarks List in Safari 11.

MacBook Pro, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Sep 22, 2017 7:57 AM

Top-ranking reply

KiteSurfer Author

Level 1

25 points

Posted on Sep 22, 2017 11:18 AM

Quick Update: Safari 11 now appears to be generating Webpageicons.db-shm and Webpageicons.db-wal files in the ~/Library/Safari folder, but deleting them following after a Safari “Reset” (Clear Cache & Clear All History) has no effect on restoring the Web Page Icons in Bookmarks.

After the Safari "reset" -- quit Safari, delete the Favicon files listed above, and relaunch Safari. This restores the Web Page Icons every time.

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18 replies

Bob Foss

Level 1

51 points

Apr 2, 2018 9:56 PM in response to KiteSurfer

Yes, but how do you permamently get rid of these annoying distractions? Seems Apple wants to force the annoyance on everyone.

Eric Root

Level 10

685,269 points

Jan 22, 2018 4:13 PM in response to jmil709

Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J. When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder. Select Library/Safari/Favicon Cache.

Bob Foss

Level 1

51 points

Apr 9, 2018 8:51 PM in response to KiteSurfer

Well, like some, I am trying to get rid of the annoying Favicons which in Safari 11.1, are visible even in so-called Private Browsing. Apple I heard is trying to weaken Private Browsing for corporate access, but the only way Favicons disappear in either regular or Private browsing, is closing Safari, but they pop up again when you open a site. All the Terminal commands to get rid of Favicons permanently don't work as they use WebIconDatabase folders, which are now gone. The new folders cannot be deleted. Some say the Favicons are the price you pay to support Apple's corporate sponsors, but they are a real pain and now Private Browsing is no longer private if someone sees what sites you're on. Hopefully, Apple will restore Private Browsing and Favicon deletion options. Thanks.

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SOLVED – Missing Web Page Icons in BookMarks After Safari 11 Update OSX El Cap 10.11.6