How do I convert HEIF to ICO?

Upload your HEIF file above. It is converted to ICO automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.

Does converting HEIF to ICO lose quality?

Each icon size is scaled down from your image and stored without further compression, so small sizes stay crisp.

HEIF is the open standard behind HEIC. Samsung phones and several Canon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras can save HEIF photos, which are compact but not yet widely accepted.

What sizes does the ICO file include?

The standard icon sizes of 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, skipping any larger than your image. Browsers and Windows pick the best size automatically.

Is the HEIF to ICO converter free?

Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.

Convert HEIF to ICO — Favicons and Windows Icons

Convert HEIF to ICO online to make a favicon or Windows icon in several sizes. No software to install. Preview one free or batch-convert with Premium.

Drop your HEIF file or click to browse

Why convert HEIF to ICO?

ICO is supported far more widely than HEIF, so the file is easier to open, share and upload.
One ICO bundles the standard 16 to 256 px icon sizes (up to the size of your image), ready for a favicon.ico or a Windows shortcut.

What to expect when converting HEIF to ICO

Icons are square, so a non-square image is centred on a transparent square. Sizes larger than your image aren’t created, so start from at least 256 × 256 pixels.
High-dynamic-range and wide-colour detail is converted to standard 8-bit colour.

HEIF vs ICO

Feature	HEIF	ICO
Full name	High Efficiency Image File Format	Windows Icon
Origin	Developed by MPEG and finalised in 2015 (ISO/IEC 23008-12)	Created by Microsoft for Windows icons
Compression	Lossy (usually HEVC)	Lossless images at several sizes
Transparency	Rarely used in camera photos	Yes — smooth, partial transparency
Animation	No	No
Colour	8 or 10 bits per channel, wide colour	Full colour with transparency
Where it opens	Recent phones and cameras; many PCs, apps and websites need extra software	Browsers (as favicon.ico), Windows and icon editors
Best for	storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras	website favicons and Windows app or shortcut icons
Main drawback	many computers, apps and websites can’t open it	icons are square and at most 256 × 256 pixels

In short: choose HEIF for storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras; choose ICO for website favicons and Windows app or shortcut icons.

Making an icon or favicon from a HEIF photo

A photo can become a desktop shortcut icon or the favicon of a small site, for example a portrait for a personal page or a close-up of a product for a shop. Because the source is a full-size photo, every standard size from 16 to 256 pixels is generated and packed into one .ico file.

Icons are square. A landscape or portrait photo is shrunk until its long side fits, then placed in the middle of a transparent square, leaving empty bands on two sides, so for a tighter result, crop a square around the subject and make the icon from that crop in the ICO converter, which takes any common image. Detail disappears quickly at 16 and 32 pixels: one face or one bold object still reads, a group shot or a wide landscape turns into a smudge.

For a website, one .ico covers browser tabs and bookmarks, but phones look for larger PNG icons. Generate a full favicon set when you also want a 180-pixel home-screen icon and a web manifest. The ICO converter also lets you include only some sizes or download one file per size.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert HEIF to ICO?: Upload your HEIF file above. It is converted to ICO automatically (change the output format or quality in the Settings tab if you need to), then click Download. There is nothing to install.
Does converting HEIF to ICO lose quality?: Each icon size is scaled down from your image and stored without further compression, so small sizes stay crisp.
HEIF or ICO: which should I use?: Use HEIF for storing high-quality photos in less space on phones and cameras. Use ICO for website favicons and Windows app or shortcut icons. Keep in mind the main drawback of ICO: icons are square and at most 256 × 256 pixels.
What is a HEIF file?: HEIF is the open standard behind HEIC. Samsung phones and several Canon, Sony and Fujifilm cameras can save HEIF photos, which are compact but not yet widely accepted.
What sizes does the ICO file include?: The standard icon sizes of 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, skipping any larger than your image. Browsers and Windows pick the best size automatically.
Is the HEIF to ICO converter free?: Yes. Convert, preview and download a single result without creating an account. Premium adds batch conversion (many files into one ZIP) and larger uploads.

What you can do with HEIF to ICO

Review the main capabilities before you begin.

Convert HEIF files to ICO online
Bundle standard icon sizes from 16 to 256 px in one file
Switch to any other output format in Settings
Batch-convert many HEIF files into one ZIP
Preview the result before you download

Use this tool

Settings reference

Available controls for HEIF to ICO.

Settings

Output formatDropdown: Chooses the file type you download. The page opens on its own output format; switch to any other format before converting.Options: JPGPNGWebPAVIFGIFTIFFBMPICOPDF
QualitySliderRange: 20–100 · Default: 90: For JPG, WebP, AVIF and image-to-PDF output: higher keeps more detail but makes a bigger file; 60–80 suits most photos. Documents (Publisher, XPS, EPS…) become PDFs with every page and sharp text, with no quality setting.
Lossless modeOn / Off: For WebP and AVIF output: keeps every pixel exactly (best for logos, graphics and transparency) at the cost of a larger file.
Background fillColor picker: For JPG, BMP and image-to-PDF output, which can’t store transparency: the colour that fills transparent areas (white by default).