Convert HEIC to ICO on Mac
Select the HEIC files in Finder, press ⌥ F, choose ICO and press Return. FileFlip saves each ICO next to its original and works without an internet connection.
How to convert HEIC to ICO with FileFlip
Select the HEIC files
In Finder or on the Desktop. One file, or a whole folder with ⌘ A.
Press ⌥ F
FileFlip opens next to the selection and lists the formats it can make from HEIC. Type “ICO” to jump to it.
Choose ICO and press Return
The ICO files appear next to the originals with the same names. The HEIC files stay as they are.
HEIC and ICO
iPhones save photos as HEIC to save space, but many websites, Windows PCs and older apps still can’t open it. ICO is what Windows uses for icons and what browsers look for as favicon.ico.
What changes when you convert
- ICO is lossless, so nothing more is lost, but it can’t bring back detail that HEIC compression already removed. Expect a bigger file.
- ICO images are at most 256 × 256 pixels, so large pictures are scaled down.
| Property | HEIC | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | High Efficiency Image File Format | Windows icon |
| Made by | MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) | Microsoft |
| Compression | Lossy (HEVC) | Bitmap or PNG inside |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Storing photos on Apple devices | Windows icons and website favicons |
| Opens in | Apple devices; Windows needs the HEIF and HEVC extensions; many websites don’t accept it | Windows, web browsers and most image editors |
| File extension | .heic, .heif | .ico |
| In FileFlip | Opens and saves | Opens and saves |
Other ways on a Mac
For one file now and then you may not need FileFlip. These work with what’s already on your Mac.
Preview
Open the HEIC in Preview, choose File → Export, pick Microsoft Icon from the Format menu and click Save. If Microsoft Icon isn’t listed, hold Option while you click the Format menu. For several files, open them together, select all thumbnails in the sidebar and choose File → Export Selected Images.
Good for a few files now and then.
Terminal
The sips command converts images in place or into a new file.
sips -s format ico IMG_4021.heic \
--out IMG_4021.icoBuilt into macOS and good for scripts. Run sips --formats to see what your macOS version can read and write.
Questions about HEIC and ICO
Does converting HEIC to ICO lose quality?
ICO is lossless, so nothing more is lost, but it can’t bring back detail that HEIC compression already removed. Expect a bigger file.
Can I convert many HEIC files at once?
Yes. Select them all in Finder, press ⌥ F and choose ICO. Progress moves to the menu bar, so you can close the panel and keep working.
How big can an ICO be?
ICO images are at most 256 × 256 pixels. Use a square source image so nothing gets stretched.
Where is the ICO file saved?
Next to the original, with the same name and the .ico extension. The HEIC file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert ICO back to HEIC?
Yes, FileFlip converts ICO to HEIC as well.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. FileFlip converts files on your Mac and works with the internet turned off.
Convert a whole folder of images at once
FileFlip also handles video, audio, PDFs, documents and data files. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
Coming soon for Mac