HEIC to ICO Converter
To convert HEIC to ICO, add the photo and press Convert with ICO selected. You receive one ICO file with square icons of 16, 32 and 48 pixels and, since iPhone photos are large, 64, 128 and 256 pixels too. A rectangular photo is fitted into a square with empty space on the sides. The HEIC is uploaded to our servers over a secure connection, read there and deleted within 30 minutes at the latest.
- Free, no sign-up
- Uploaded securely, deleted within 30 minutes
- Up to 50 MB per file
The selected format has no quality setting.
Only the main picture is converted; extra data stored in the file, such as a Live Photo clip or depth map, is not carried over.
Your file is uploaded to our servers over a secure (HTTPS) connection, converted there and permanently deleted within 30 minutes at the latest. Files are converted one after another.
How to convert HEIC to ICO
Add your HEIC files
Drag the files onto the upload area or browse for them; you can add several files and they are converted one after another.
Keep ICO as the output
ICO is already selected. ICO has no quality setting.
Convert and download
Press “Convert”. Each file is uploaded to our servers, converted and deleted within 30 minutes at the latest; download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
What is preserved?
Kept
- The image proportions (a non-square image is fitted inside a square)
- The correct photo orientation (EXIF orientation is applied)
- Colors (adapted to sRGB)
- Transparency (alpha channel)
Changed
- ICO is lossless, but the loss already introduced by HEIC compression does not come back; the file usually gets larger
- The image does not stay at a single size: it is scaled to square icons of 16, 32 and 48 pixels (plus 64, 128 and 256 when it is large enough) and packed into one ICO file; a non-square image leaves empty space on the sides
Not carried over
- EXIF, location and camera data: left out of the output for privacy
- Extras stored in the HEIC file, such as a Live Photo clip or a depth map: only the main picture is converted
When to use it
A personal folder or shortcut icon
Turn a photo of a pet, a place or a face into a Windows folder icon so you can spot it at a glance in Explorer.
A quick favicon from a product photo
For a small personal site or event page, a photo of your product or logo taken with an iPhone can serve as a temporary favicon.
Limitations to know
- ICO is at most 256 × 256 pixels, so larger images are scaled down. If you need a full set for a website (Apple and Android icons, manifest), use the Favicon generator.
- Up to 50 MB and about 100 megapixels per file.
- The file is uploaded to our servers and deleted within 30 minutes at the latest; several files are converted one after another.
About the formats
What is HEIC?
HEIC (also called HEIF) is the photo format that iPhones and many recent cameras use by default. It stores photos in about half the space of a JPG at similar quality and supports transparency and several images in one file. Web browsers and many programs cannot open it, which is why HEIC photos are usually converted to JPG, PNG or WebP before they are shared.
What is ICO?
ICO is an icon format that stores several square sizes (for example 16, 32 and 48 pixels) in a single file. It is used for Windows icons and for a website's favicon.ico; when a browser needs a small tab icon it picks the matching size from the file. It supports transparency, but cannot be larger than 256 × 256 pixels.
Frequently asked questions
How do I avoid empty bars in the icon?
Crop the photo to a square around the subject before converting. The crop tool cannot open HEIC directly, so convert to JPG or PNG first, crop, then make the icon.
Will a detailed photo work as a small icon?
At 16 and 32 pixels most detail disappears. Close-up photos of a single object with strong contrast give the most recognizable icons.
Does the icon have a transparent background?
The photo itself is opaque, so only the padding around a non-square photo stays empty; the picture area is solid.
Is converting HEIC to ICO free?
Yes, completely free. There is no account, subscription or watermark; just add your files and convert them.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
Yes. This conversion runs on our servers, so your file is uploaded over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, converted there and permanently deleted within 30 minutes at the latest. It is stored under a random code instead of its name, and processing is fully automated. EXIF and location data are not added to the output.