Convert ICNS to HEIC on Mac
Select the ICNS files in Finder, press ⌥ F, choose HEIC and press Return. FileFlip saves each HEIC next to its original and works without an internet connection.
How to convert ICNS to HEIC with FileFlip
Select the ICNS 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 ICNS. Type “HEIC” to jump to it.
Choose HEIC and press Return
The HEIC files appear next to the originals. To make them smaller first, press ⇥ and lower the quality or size.
ICNS and HEIC
The icon format of macOS. One ICNS file holds the same icon at several sizes, up to 1024 × 1024 pixels. HEIC keeps photos small on Apple devices, which helps when storage is tight.
What changes when you convert
- HEIC is lossy: the file gets much smaller and some fine detail is discarded. At high quality settings the difference is hard to notice.
- HEIC opens on Apple devices, but not everywhere else. Check before you send it to someone on Windows.
| Property | ICNS | HEIC |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Apple Icon Image | High Efficiency Image File Format |
| Made by | Apple | MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) |
| Compression | Usually PNG inside | Lossy (HEVC) |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Mac app, folder and file icons | Storing photos on Apple devices |
| Opens in | macOS; rarely anything else | Apple devices; Windows needs the HEIF and HEVC extensions; many websites don’t accept it |
| File extension | .icns | .heic, .heif |
| 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 ICNS in Preview, choose File → Export, pick HEIC from the Format menu and click Save. 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 heic icon.icns \
--out icon.heicBuilt into macOS and good for scripts. Run sips --formats to see what your macOS version can read and write.
Questions about ICNS and HEIC
Does converting ICNS to HEIC lose quality?
HEIC is lossy: the file gets much smaller and some fine detail is discarded. At high quality settings the difference is hard to notice.
Can I convert many ICNS files at once?
Yes. Select them all in Finder, press ⌥ F and choose HEIC. Progress moves to the menu bar, so you can close the panel and keep working.
Where is the HEIC file saved?
Next to the original, with the same name and the .heic extension. The ICNS file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert HEIC back to ICNS?
Yes, FileFlip converts HEIC to ICNS 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