Convert WebP to ICO on Mac
Select the WebP 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 WebP to ICO with FileFlip
Select the WebP 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 WebP. Type “ICO” to jump to it.
Choose ICO and press Return
The ICO files appear next to the originals with the same names. The WebP files stay as they are.
WebP and ICO
Images saved from websites are often WebP, which many apps, upload forms and older systems still don’t accept. ICO is what Windows uses for icons and what browsers look for as favicon.ico.
What changes when you convert
- ICO is lossless, so the image is saved without further loss.
- ICO images are at most 256 × 256 pixels, so large pictures are scaled down.
| Property | WebP | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Microsoft | |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Bitmap or PNG inside |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Images on websites | Windows icons and website favicons |
| Opens in | All current browsers; macOS 11 and later; some older apps can’t open it | Windows, web browsers and most image editors |
| File extension | .webp | .ico |
| In FileFlip | Opens | 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 WebP 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 image.webp \
--out image.icoBuilt into macOS and good for scripts. Run sips --formats to see what your macOS version can read and write.
Questions about WebP and ICO
Does converting WebP to ICO lose quality?
ICO is lossless, so the image is saved without further loss.
Can I convert many WebP 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 WebP file isn’t changed. In Settings you can choose a different folder instead.
Can I convert ICO back to WebP?
No. FileFlip opens WebP files but doesn’t save them.
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