Convert
PNG to ICO Converter
Turn a PNG logo into a multi-size ICO file that works as a favicon or Windows icon. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.
Your images never leave your device
How to use PNG to ICO
- Drop your PNG files on the page or pick them from your device.
- Wait while each file is converted to ICO on your device.
- Rename the downloaded file to favicon.ico and upload it to the root folder of your website.
- Download the ICO files one by one, or all together as a zip.
Frequently asked questions
How do I use the ICO as a favicon?
Save the file as favicon.ico in the root folder of your website, so it is available at yoursite.com/favicon.ico. Browsers look there by default. You can also point to it with a link tag in the page head, such as a link element with rel set to icon and href set to /favicon.ico.
Which icon sizes does the ICO contain?
Up to six: 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels. Only sizes no larger than your PNG are included, so a 256 by 256 or larger PNG gives all six, and a smaller one gives fewer.
What size should my PNG be?
Use a square image of 256 by 256 pixels or more. A larger square is fine, and it is scaled down for each size. A smaller or non-square PNG still works, but you get fewer sizes or empty space around the logo.
Do I still need other icon files for my site?
Often yes. Modern sites commonly add a PNG or SVG icon for browsers that prefer it and a separate 180 by 180 pixel image for iPhone home screens. The ICO covers the classic favicon.ico request and Windows.
Are my PNG files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs in your browser using WebAssembly, so your PNG files stay on your device. There is no signup, no watermark and no cost, and you can convert a whole batch and download it as a zip.
About PNG to ICO
Browsers request a file called favicon.ico from the root of a site even when no icon is declared, and Windows uses ICO files for program, shortcut and folder icons. PNG is the usual master for a logo, but it is a single size, whereas an ICO holds several. This converter writes one .ico file containing PNG images at 16, 32, 48, 64, 128 and 256 pixels, so the same file serves browser tabs, bookmarks, taskbars and high-density screens, and each place picks the size it needs.
Show moreShow less
For the best result, start with a square PNG of at least 256 by 256 pixels, with a simple shape that stays readable when shrunk to 16 pixels. The converter only keeps sizes no larger than your source, because enlarging a small image would just make it blurry. A 64-pixel PNG therefore gives an ICO with 16, 32, 48 and 64, and no larger sizes. A PNG with a transparent background gives an icon with a transparent background.
If the PNG is not square, it is centered on a transparent square canvas rather than stretched, so a wide logo gets empty space above and below. Crop it to a square first if you want it to fill the icon. Transparency is preserved, including soft edges, because the images inside the ICO are PNG. Each size is scaled down from your image, and the smallest sizes lose the most detail: check that the 16-pixel version is still recognizable. Metadata is removed. The ICO files are fine for current browsers and modern Windows, but very old software such as Windows XP-era programs may not display PNG-based icons.
PNG is lossless, so no detail is ever discarded; ICO is a container for several sizes of the same icon, each stored here as a losslessly compressed PNG image. Both formats can store transparency, so transparent areas in the PNG file stay transparent. Compatibility: Windows uses it for program, shortcut and file icons, and every browser accepts it as a site icon. Image editors and upload forms rarely accept it as an ordinary picture.