Convert HEIC to ICO Online

ICO (Windows Icon) files are the standard format for website favicons and Windows application icons. What makes ICO files special is that a single .ico file can contain multiple sizes of the same icon simultaneously - Browsers and operating systems automatically select the most appropriate size for the context (16×16 in browser tabs, 32×32 on the taskbar, 256×256 for folder views on high-DPI displays). If your logo or artwork was created or exported on a Mac as HEIC, this tool turns it into a ready-to-deploy icon.

For favicons specifically, modern best practice is to include at least 16×16, 32×32, and 48×48 in the ICO file, plus a separate 180×180 PNG for Apple Touch Icon (used when iOS saves your site to the home screen). The favicon.ico file should be placed in your web root so browsers find it automatically.

Source image quality matters significantly for small icon sizes. Use a square, high-contrast image with a simple subject - Complex photography looks like an indistinct blob at 16×16. Logos with bold outlines and limited colours work best. iPhone HEIC captures are far larger than 256×256, so downscaled icon sizes will be crisp.

ICO (Icon) is a Windows container format introduced with Windows 1.0 in 1985. Originally limited to 16-colour 32x32 pixel images, the format evolved through Windows XP (which added 32-bit alpha) and Windows Vista (which embedded PNG inside ICO for 256x256 sizes). A single ICO file contains multiple resolutions so the OS can pick the right one for the Start Menu, taskbar, file explorer or alt-tab switcher. ICO became the de facto favicon standard in 1999 when Internet Explorer 5 introduced favicon.ico, and most browsers still request that path today — Windows machines that need a paid HEVC codec just to open a HEIC will render an ICO without complaint.

The most common use for converting HEIC to ICO is creating a website favicon from an image captured or stored on an iPhone - A logo photographed on paper, a product shot, or artwork saved to the camera roll. Browsers expect the favicon at /favicon.ico, and an ICO file can bundle multiple sizes (16×16, 32×32, 48×48) so the browser picks the right one.

Windows developers also use ICO for application icons, shortcuts, and installers. Converting from HEIC lets Mac-based designers deliver Windows icon assets directly from their Photos library without an intermediate export step.

Start from the highest-resolution source available - The converter generates each icon size by downscaling, and a sharp 1024×1024 crop produces far cleaner 16×16 results than a small or busy image. Square-crop the image first for best results.