aave / aave/interface

bug: favicon is hard to see in dark mode

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Dominant language
TypeScript
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536
Forks
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Avg merge
1d 8h
Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

Describe the bug
The favicon does not adapt to the browser's theme preference, appearing dark/low-contrast against dark browser tabs in dark mode. This affects user experience across all markets (e.g., Ethereum V3, Polygon V3, Arbitrum V3) as the favicon becomes difficult to distinguish in dark browser themes.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Go to 'https://app.aave.com' (or any Aave market)
  2. Switch your system to dark mode (macOS: System Preferences → General → Appearance → Dark)
  3. Observe the browser tab containing the Aave app
  4. See the favicon appears dark/low-contrast against the dark browser tab background

Expected behavior
The favicon should automatically adapt to the browser's theme preference:

  • Light mode: Display the current favicon design with good contrast against light browser tabs
  • Dark mode: Display a lighter/higher-contrast version of the favicon that is clearly visible against dark browser tabs

Screenshots

Aave favicon in light and dark mode

Image Image

Compared with lens favicon in light and dark mode
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Image

Appearance in MetaMask extension

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Desktop (please complete the following information):

  • OS: macOS 14.5.0 (affects all operating systems with dark mode support)
  • Browser: Chrome 91+, Firefox 67+, Safari 12.1+, Edge 79+
  • Version: All recent versions that support prefers-color-scheme

Smartphone (please complete the following information):

  • Device: iPhone, Android devices
  • OS: iOS 13+, Android 10+ (any OS with system dark mode)
  • Browser: Safari (iOS), Chrome (Android), Firefox Mobile
  • Version: All recent mobile browser versions

Additional context

Technical Details:

  • Current favicon implementation uses a static /favicon.ico file that doesn't respond to theme changes
  • Modern browsers support prefers-color-scheme media queries for automatic theme detection
  • Many other DeFi applications (Uniswap, Compound, etc.) have implemented theme-aware favicons

Impact:

  • UX Issue: Users in dark mode struggle to identify the Aave tab among multiple open tabs
  • Brand Consistency: The favicon doesn't match the app's sophisticated theme-switching capabilities
  • Accessibility: Poor contrast ratios in dark mode may affect users with visual impairments

Browser Support:

  • Chrome 76+: Full SVG favicon support with media queries
  • Firefox 67+: Full support
  • Safari 12.1+: Full support
  • Edge 79+: Full support
  • Coverage: ~95% of users globally

Priority: Low (affects all users, impacts brand perception and accessibility)

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by locating the static /favicon.ico referenced in the report and review how the browser handles prefers-color-scheme for favicon assets. Done means the favicon remains distinguishable in both light and dark browser themes across the supported browsers.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
css
Domain
accessibility, frontend
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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