Convert ICNS to ICO on Mac
Select the ICNS 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 ICNS to ICO 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 “ICO” to jump to it.
Choose ICO and press Return
The ICO files appear next to the originals with the same names. The ICNS files stay as they are.
ICNS and ICO
The icon format of macOS. One ICNS file holds the same icon at several sizes, up to 1024 × 1024 pixels. ICO is what Windows uses for icons and what browsers look for as favicon.ico.
What changes when you convert
- Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.
- ICO images are at most 256 × 256 pixels, so large pictures are scaled down.
| Property | ICNS | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Apple Icon Image | Windows icon |
| Made by | Apple | Microsoft |
| Compression | Usually PNG inside | Bitmap or PNG inside |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Mac app, folder and file icons | Windows icons and website favicons |
| Opens in | macOS; rarely anything else | Windows, web browsers and most image editors |
| File extension | .icns | .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 ICNS 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 icon.icns \
--out icon.icoBuilt into macOS and good for scripts. Run sips --formats to see what your macOS version can read and write.
Questions about ICNS and ICO
Does converting ICNS to ICO lose quality?
Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.
Can I convert many ICNS 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 ICNS file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert ICO back to ICNS?
Yes, FileFlip converts ICO 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