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image → any format

Convert icon file files

The Windows icon container. It holds several sizes of the same image in one file. A header, a directory of image entries and the image data itself. Modern ICO files can embed PNG data for the larger sizes. That is the format you end up with when something needs to look the same on every screen, which is why it keeps turning up in making a proper favicon for a website. From here it can become PDF, PNG, WEBP and JPG, and the conversions run on your own device, so the file is never uploaded anywhere.

At a glance

Source
ICO
Where it runs
Your browser
Cost
Free, unlimited
Account
Not needed
ICO

Converter

Universal converter

On device

Drop one or more icon file files.

or select icon file

Your file never leaves this browser

    About the format

    The Windows icon container.

    A header, a directory of image entries and the image data itself. Modern ICO files can embed PNG data for the larger sizes.

    Where it is good
    • One file for every size Windows needs
    • Accepted by browsers for favicons
    • Can hold several different images at once
    Where it falls short
    • Very few other programs write ICO files
    • Windows only — macOS and Linux ignore it
    • A 256-pixel icon in PNG form is still a large file
    You will find it on
    Windows, web browsers, software installers

    The thing people miss

    A modern ICO can contain PNG images inside it, which is why a 16×16 icon and a 256×256 one can live in the same file.

    Where it goes next

    Making a proper favicon for a website

    Real jobs

    What people are actually doing with ICO

    Making a proper favicon for a website

    An icon for a Windows desktop shortcut or installer

    Packaging a product for a Windows-only workflow

    How to

    Converting a ICO file

    1. 01

      Add your icon file

      Drag the file onto the drop zone, or tap to browse. Only one file is needed.

    2. 02

      Pick what you want it to become

      Every format this file can become is listed in the switchboard. Pick one and the converter opens with sensible defaults already set.

    3. 03

      Download the result

      Your converted file downloads straight to your device. Nothing was uploaded, so there is no file to delete from a server afterwards.

    Also available

    ICO converts into

    PDFPDF documentPNGPNG imageWEBPWebP imageJPGJPEG image

    Related

    Related conversions

    Convert any image to a PDFJPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, TIFF, GIF, BMP, SVG and AVIF all become one document, one image per page.

    Questions

    ICO conversion questions

    How do I convert ICO to another format?

    Add your icon file file to the drop zone, choose the target format, adjust the options if you want to, and press convert. The finished file downloads immediately.

    Is my file uploaded anywhere?

    For most conversions, no. They run entirely inside your browser tab. The file is read from your device and the result is written back to your device.

    Do I need an account?

    No. There is no signup step, no email capture and no usage counter. Open the tool, convert the file, close the tab.

    Will there be a watermark or a page limit?

    Neither. On-device conversions produce a clean file with no branding and no cap on pages, size or number of files.