Convert ICO to ICNS on Mac
Select the ICO files in Finder, press ⌥ F, choose ICNS and press Return. FileFlip saves each ICNS next to its original and works without an internet connection.
How to convert ICO to ICNS with FileFlip
Select the ICO 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 ICO. Type “ICNS” to jump to it.
Choose ICNS and press Return
The ICNS files appear next to the originals with the same names. The ICO files stay as they are.
ICO and ICNS
The icon format of Windows, also used for website favicons. One ICO file can hold several sizes, up to 256 × 256 pixels. ICNS is what macOS uses for app and folder icons.
What changes when you convert
- Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.
- ICNS holds icon sizes up to 1024 × 1024 pixels, so a square source image of at least that size works best.
| Property | ICO | ICNS |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Windows icon | Apple Icon Image |
| Made by | Microsoft | Apple |
| Compression | Bitmap or PNG inside | Usually PNG inside |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Windows icons and website favicons | Mac app, folder and file icons |
| Opens in | Windows, web browsers and most image editors | macOS; rarely anything else |
| File extension | .ico | .icns |
| 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 ICO in Preview, choose File → Export, pick ICNS from the Format menu and click Save. If ICNS 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 icns favicon.ico \
--out favicon.icnsBuilt into macOS. Use a square image; run sips --formats to check what your macOS version supports.
Questions about ICO and ICNS
Does converting ICO to ICNS lose quality?
Both formats are lossless, so the image itself doesn’t change. Only file size and compatibility do.
Can I convert many ICO files at once?
Yes. Select them all in Finder, press ⌥ F and choose ICNS. Progress moves to the menu bar, so you can close the panel and keep working.
What size should the source image be?
Square, and ideally 1024 × 1024 pixels, the largest size an ICNS file holds.
Where is the ICNS file saved?
Next to the original, with the same name and the .icns extension. The ICO file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert ICNS back to ICO?
Yes, FileFlip converts ICNS to ICO 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