Convert HEIC to ICO
Free, unlimited HEIC to ICO conversion that runs entirely inside your browser. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark.
Convert your HEIC files to ICO
or drop them here, or paste with Ctrl+V · files never leave your device
Settings
Nothing queued yet. Add as many files as you like — everything runs on your own device.
Nothing is uploaded
Conversion runs in your browser. Your files never touch a server, so there is no copy of them to leak.
No sign-up, no watermark
No account, no email, no daily limit, and nothing stamped across your image.
Batch and folders
Drop a hundred files at once and download the results as a single ZIP.
Works offline
Once this page has loaded you can disconnect entirely and it still works.
This converter turns HEIC images into ICO files without uploading anything. The conversion runs inside this page using your own device's processor, so your photos never leave your computer — there is no server copy to worry about, no queue to wait in, and no limit on how many files you convert.
HEIC is the format an iPhone uses by default, storing photos at roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG. Native on Apple devices, awkward on Windows, and refused by most upload forms — the single most common reason people convert an image. ICO, by contrast, universal for its one job: favicons and Windows icons.
Every website needs a favicon, and .ico remains the format with the widest browser support — including the older browsers that ignore the modern PNG favicon link. Dropping your logo here produces a multi-size .ico ready to sit at the root of your site.
How to convert HEIC to ICO
- Add your HEIC files. Drag them onto the box above, click to browse, or paste an image straight from your clipboard. You can add as many at once as you like.
- Adjust the settings if you need to. The defaults suit most images. ICO is lossless, so there is no quality setting to adjust.
- Download the ICO file. Each file gets its own download button as soon as it finishes, and you can pull the whole batch down as a single ZIP.
What changes when you convert HEIC to ICO
Every format conversion involves trade-offs, and vague tools hide them. Here is exactly what happens to your image in this particular conversion.
- Transparency is preserved: both HEIC and ICO carry a full alpha channel.
- ICO is lossless, so nothing further is lost — but it also cannot restore detail that HEIC already threw away. Expect the ICO file to be considerably larger than the original despite containing the same visible image.
- Icons are square and capped at 256x256. A non-square image is centred and padded with transparency rather than stretched, and we write 16, 32 and 48 pixel entries into one file so browsers and Windows each pick the sharpest.
- HEIC files from an iPhone carry EXIF orientation. We apply the rotation while decoding, so your photo comes out the right way up rather than sideways — a bug in a surprising number of converters.
About HEIC / HEIF (High Efficiency Image Format)
HEIC is the format an iPhone uses by default, storing photos at roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG.
Where you probably got it: Photos taken on an iPhone or iPad with default camera settings.
Strengths
- About half the file size of JPG at the same visual quality
- Keeps depth maps, Live Photo data, HDR and wide colour
- Saves a great deal of space on your phone
Limitations
- Windows needs a paid codec from the Microsoft Store to even preview it
- Rejected by most websites, upload forms and older software
- Patent-encumbered, which is why support outside Apple is so poor
About ICO (Windows Icon)
ICO is the Windows icon container, and the traditional format for a website’s favicon.
Support: Universal for its one job: favicons and Windows icons.
Strengths
- Holds several sizes in one file so each context picks the sharpest
- The one favicon format every browser understands, including very old ones
- Supports transparency
Limitations
- Only useful for icons — sizes are capped at 256x256
- Not a general-purpose image format
- Awkward to create in most image editors
Is it safe to convert HEIC online?
Here, yes — and you can check rather than trust. Open your browser’s developer tools, switch to the Network tab and convert a HEIC file: no request carrying your image is made. Disconnect from the internet after this page has loaded and the converter still works, which would be impossible if a server were doing the conversion.
That is worth verifying wherever you convert, because most online converters do upload, and HEIC files are so often ID photos, medical scans and screenshots of bank apps — iPhone camera rolls are full of documents as well as pictures. Once a file is on somebody else’s server you are relying on a privacy policy rather than on anything you can observe. We wrote up how to tell a safe converter from a risky one in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert HEIC to ICO?
Drag your HEIC file onto the box above, or click it to browse. The conversion starts immediately in your browser and the ICO download appears within a second or two for most images. You can drop in a whole folder of files at once and download them together as a ZIP.
Are my HEIC files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion happens locally in your browser, so your files are never transmitted anywhere — the tool even works with the network disconnected once the page has loaded. That is also why there is no file size or file count limit: nothing costs us anything per conversion. The practical ceiling is your own device's memory, which on a phone means very large images may fail.
Will converting HEIC to ICO reduce the quality?
No further quality is lost — ICO is lossless. Bear in mind it also cannot recover detail the original HEIC had already discarded, and the resulting file will be noticeably larger.
How do I stop my iPhone making HEIC files in the first place?
Open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose "Most Compatible" instead of "High Efficiency". New photos will be saved as JPG. Existing photos stay HEIC, which is what this converter is for. There is also a related setting under Settings > Photos > Transfer to Mac or PC — set it to "Automatic" and iOS converts on transfer.
What size should a favicon be?
This tool writes 16x16, 32x32 and 48x48 into a single .ico, which covers browser tabs, bookmarks and the Windows desktop. Start from a square image of at least 256x256 so the downscaled versions stay sharp, and keep the design simple — at 16 pixels, fine detail disappears entirely.
What is the difference between HEIC and ICO?
HEIC is the format an iPhone uses by default, storing photos at roughly half the size of an equivalent JPG. ICO is the Windows icon container, and the traditional format for a website’s favicon. In practice the choice comes down to compatibility: native on Apple devices, awkward on Windows, and refused by most upload forms — the single most common reason people convert an image. Meanwhile universal for its one job: favicons and Windows icons.