Font Awesome

Getting Started with Font Awesome 5

Hey, thanks for supporting Font Awesome 5 and downloading a copy of our working project! The files in this folder are meant to serve as demos which show off all of the redesigned icons as well as how to use them.

How to Use

From the beginning Font Awesome has always focused on making things easy for you. With version 5 we've completely re-thought how we do things. We're introducing the new JavaScript-based SVG Framework and also including an SVG sprite for each style. Here are all of your options.

Web Fonts

The same battle-tested and reliable way Font Awesome has worked from the beginning.

  • You want to stick with same technique FA 4 uses (and need IE9 support)
  • You aren't quite ready for SVG icons and don't mind web fonts
  • You need the most rock-solid low-risk way to use icons
  • The prospect of using JavaScript doesn't sound appealing

SVG Framework

Uses the ridiculously flexible and powerful scalable vector graphics format (SVG).

  • You agree with us: SVG is probably the best way to use icons
  • Using JavaScript sounds simpler than web fonts
  • You want the new features
  • You need the most backwards compatibility

SVG Sprites

Clean, simple, and the perfect foundation for advanced users willing to do some work.

  • You are an advanced user
  • You are familiar with this technique and prefer it
  • No dependencies on JavaScript or Web Fonts makes you giddy
  • You are willing to write your own CSS and dominate lovingly control everything

Use Icons via SVG Framework

Level of difficulty to use: Easy & Recommended!

Our SVG Framework lets you reference icons just as you always have with Font Awesome and renders them as SVGs within your UI, complete with all of the supportive styling you know and love. This requires the use of JavaScript. Here's how to try it out:

  1. Grab the base Font Awesome loader at /js/fontawesome.js.
  2. Grab one or more of the styles (ex: /js/packs/solid.js) in the /js/packs directory.
  3. Place these files in your project static files.
  4. Include them in the <head> of your document.
  5. Reference Font Awesome icons (using the inventory for easy copying/pasting) in the <body> of your document.

Example:

<head> <script defer src="/js/packs/solid.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/fontawesome.js"></script> </head> <body> <i class="fa fa-user"></i> </body>

Example with multiple styles:

<head> <script defer src="/js/packs/light.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/packs/regular.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/fontawesome.js"></script> </head> <body> <i class="fal fa-user"></i> <i class="far fa-magic"></i> </body>

Need another example? Check out the SVG Framework demo.

Need Font Awesome 4 icon names that are missing in 5? Learn how to shim using the JavaScript version.

Browser Compatibility

Platform Edge IE Chrome Firefox Safari Opera Yandex
Desktop last 2 major versions last 2 major versions (11, 10) last 2 major and business versions last 2 major and ESR versions last 2 major versions last 2 major versions 14
Mobile N/A N/A iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS 9, 10 N/A N/A

Use Icons via Web Font

Level of difficulty to use: Easy

A Font Awesome traditionalist? We get ya. Font Awesome 5 still lets you load your icons as a custom icon font (using CSS's @font-face). Here's how:

  1. Grab the base Font Awesome icon font supporting styling at /css/font-awesome-core.css
  2. Grab one or more of the style CSS files (ex. /css/font-awesome-light.css) in the /css directory.
  3. Grab the corresponding web font files (ex. /webfonts/fontawesome-light-300.woff2) in the /webfonts directory.
  4. Place these files in your project static files.
  5. Include a reference to the CSS files in the <head> of your document.
  6. Reference Font Awesome icons (using the inventory for easy copying/pasting) in the <body> of your document.

Example:

<head> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome-solid.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome-core.css"> </head> <body> <i class="fa fa-user"></i> </body>

Example with multiple styles:

<head> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome-light.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome-regular.css"> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/font-awesome-core.css"> </head> <body> <i class="fal fa-user"></i> <i class="far fa-magic"></i> </body>

Need another example? Check out the Web Font demo.

Browser Compatibility

Platform Edge IE Chrome Firefox Safari Opera Yandex
Desktop last 2 major versions last 3 major versions (11, 10, 9) last 2 major and business versions last 2 major and ESR versions last 2 major versions last 2 major versions 14
Mobile N/A N/A iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS 9, 10 N/A N/A

Use Icons via SVG Sprites

Level of difficulty to use: Advanced

Want to use Font Awesome icons as SVGs in your project but want to do it without JavaScript or manage things more directly? We've prepped all of the icon styles as individual SVG sprites.

  1. Grab one of the sprite files (/sprites/solid.svg) in the /sprites directory.
  2. Place this file in your project static files.
  3. In the <body> of your document call an individual icon like this…

Example:

<body> <svg> <use xlink:href="solid.svg#user"></use> </svg> </body>

Need another example? Check out the SVG Sprites demo.

Browser Compatibility

Platform Edge IE Chrome Firefox Safari Opera Yandex
Desktop last 2 major versions No* last 2 major and business versions last 2 major and ESR versions last 2 major versions last 2 major versions 14
Mobile N/A N/A iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS latest
Android 6, 5, 4 		iOS 9, 10 N/A N/A

* IE will not automatically download SVG documents referenced with xlink:href

Cross-origin caveat

This requires that you are serving the sprite from the same domain and port as the page.

Serving locally

For this sprite to load you need to be serving it from http or https. If you try to open docs/svg-sprite.html from the file system (if your address begins with file://) it will fail to load.

Use Icons on the Desktop

Level of difficulty to use: Advanced

Want to use Font Awesome 5's icons in your favorite Desktop Design tools or on a print-based project? No problem. Here's how to get that started:

  1. Grab one or more of the web font files for the icon styles you want to use (ex. /webfonts/fontawesome-light-300.ttf) in the /webfonts directory.
  2. Add them to your Font Management Software (for Macs that often Font Book or Font Explorer X).
  3. Activate each added font you want to use in your applications.
  4. Open a file in a design application (ex. Sketch, Adobe Illustrator, etc.) and create a new text layer/area.
  5. Copy and paste the corresponding Font Awesome 5 glyph you want to add from the webfont demo (the little version of the icon next to each icon's unicode value).

Or grab one or more of the svg files from any style (ex. /svg/solid/user.svg) in the /svg directory.

Upgrading from Font Awesome Version 4

For those that are super-stoked to start using version 5, you can upgrade the version of Font Awesome you're using on a site or project. Below are the basic steps we recommend following:

  1. Remove the files associated with Font Awesome Version 4 from your project - including the fontawesome/ folder of web fonts and CSS/SCSS/LESS (if you're using Font Awesome's CDN, you can skip this step.)

  2. Remove the reference to Font Awesome V4's JS or CSS from the <head> of your document.

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="path/to/font-awesome-v4/css/font-awesome.min.css">
    <script src="https://use.fontawesome.com/your-embed-code.js"></script>
  3. Pick your method of using Font Awesome 5: SVG Framework, Web Font Framework, or SVG Sprite.
  4. Follow the instructions and example code + demos for the method you've chosen.
  5. Find and replace any icons that have different names between V4 and V5 (with SVG Sprites, you'll need to change the syntax of every icon's reference more drastically + provide your own styling to support how they look).
  6. Update or remove any custom styling you've added around Font Awesome icons (if applicable).
  7. Click through your project's UI to make sure all icons are rendering as expected (optional, but recommended with betas).

Heads up about referencing icons

Not all icons and aliases from V4 are the same in V5. So what's changed?

Need help? Use the shim.

We know that these changes can really slow you down in adopting V5. To help out we've created a shim file if you decide to use the JavaScript method. You can use the old names and aliases and it will automatically convert things for you as your icons get replaced with SVG icons.

Example Font Awesome version 4 shim (JavaScript method only):

<head> <script defer src="/js/packs/regular.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/packs/brands.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/packs/solid.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/v4-shims.js"></script> <script defer src="/js/fontawesome.js"></script> </head> <body> <i class="fa fa-close"></i> <!-- "close" is an alias to "times", V5 is <i class="fa fa-times"></i> --> <i class="fa fa-picture"></i> <!-- Renamed to "image", V5 is <i class="fa fa-image"></i> --> <i class="fa fa-twitter"></i> <!-- Needs the "fab" prefix, V5 <i class="fab fa-twitter"></i> --> <i class="fa fa-circle-o"></i> <!-- "far" prefix, lose the "-o", V5 <i class="far fa-circle"></i> --> </body>

Questions? Comments? Feedback?

We're still in beta land with Font Awesome 5, so we need your help. Please provide feedback about this release specifically in our designated thread. Design feedback, bugs and questions are welcome there. For future feature and icon requests, check out our contributing doc.