Frequently Asked Questions

ConvertICO.com is a free collection of online image tools, running since 2006. It started with the PNG to ICO converter and now has more than 300 tools for icons, favicons, images, GIFs, PDFs and file viewing.

Everything works in your web browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and Android - there is nothing to install. Browse them all on the all tools page.

Yes. Every tool is free to use, with no sign-up, no watermarks and no paid version hiding the good features.

The site is paid for by the ads you see on the pages. If an ad ever gets in your way, tell us - we would rather move it than lose you.

No. Open a tool, add your file and download the result. There are no accounts, logins or email sign-ups anywhere on the site.

Yes. All tools work in mobile browsers such as Safari and Chrome. A popular one on phones is HEIC to JPG, which turns iPhone photos into pictures that open everywhere.

Yes. The files you create are yours to use for anything, including client work and products you sell. Just make sure you have the rights to the original images you upload.

Use the search box at the top of every page - press / on your keyboard to jump straight into it. You can also browse the menus (Icons, Images, PDF, Online Tools) or the all tools page.

Yes. Use the sun and moon switch in the top right corner. Your choice is remembered on that device, and every tool supports both looks.

Our small browser game: steer the ConvertICO icon, collect file formats, dodge bugs and beat the 404 boss. It takes 60 seconds a round - play Lost Icon Rush when you need a short break.

ICO is the icon format of Windows. One ICO file can hold the same picture in several sizes, so Windows and browsers can pick the sharpest one for each place.

Create one with the PNG to ICO converter or the Image to ICO converter. For the full story, read our complete ICO file guide.

For a favicon, 16, 32 and 48 px are enough. For a Windows app or desktop icon, add 24, 64 and 256 px so it stays sharp on high-resolution screens.

The PNG to ICO converter lets you tick exactly the sizes you need, and the Icon Resizer can add or remove sizes from an existing ICO.

A favicon is the small icon in browser tabs, bookmarks and search results. It is often an ICO file, but modern browsers also accept PNG and SVG.

The Favicon Package Generator creates every file a website needs in one go. Wondering which format to pick? See ICO vs SVG.

Upload favicon.ico to the root of your site and add <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any"> inside the <head> of your pages. Add an Apple Touch Icon for iPhones and iPads.

The Favicon Package Generator gives you all the files plus the HTML code to copy.

Google refreshes favicons slowly, and it ignores icons that are too small, blocked by robots.txt or not square. Our guide Why is my favicon not showing in Google? walks through every fix.

JPG images cannot be transparent, so the background turns white (or black) in the icon. Start from a PNG with a transparent background instead.

Remove the background first with the PNG Background Remover, or read why your JPG icon has a white background.

Yes. PNG to ICNS makes Mac app icons, and the App Icon Generator creates every size iOS and Android ask for.

Use the EXE Icon Extractor for Windows programs and DLL files. For websites, the Favicon Extractor downloads a site's favicon in every size it offers.

HEIC is the photo format iPhones and iPads use by default. Windows and many apps and websites still cannot open it.

Convert it with HEIC to JPG (smallest files) or HEIC to PNG (no quality loss).

Both make much smaller files than JPG and PNG, and all current browsers support them. AVIF usually compresses a bit better; WebP encodes faster and works in more editing apps.

Try JPG to AVIF, and use AVIF to JPG when an older app refuses the file.

Convert it with WebP to PNG to keep transparency and full quality, or WebP to JPG for a smaller photo.

Use PNG for logos, screenshots, text and anything transparent. Use JPG for photos, where it makes much smaller files.

Our guide PNG vs JPG explains when each one wins.

File extensions can lie - a file called .jpg may really be a WebP or HEIC. The Image Format Detector reads the file itself and tells you the true format.

More ways are in how to tell what format an image file is.

Formats compress in different ways. A small JPG photo turned into PNG gets bigger, because PNG keeps every pixel exactly.

Pick the format that suits the image, or shrink the result with Compress PNG or Compress JPG. See also how to reduce image file size.

Yes, most converters take several files in one go - the PNG to ICO converter, for example, takes up to 20. When there is more than one result, you get a single ZIP file to download.

It depends on the tool and is shown in each upload box - from 5 MB per file on PNG to ICO up to 25 MB on the GIF Upscaler.

File too big? Shrink it first with Compress JPG, Compress PNG or Compress GIF.

Use the Image Upscaler for photos and graphics, or the GIF Upscaler for animations. Both enlarge with smarter methods than a plain resize.

To make images smaller, the Image Resizer keeps them crisp.

Yes. The GIF Frame Extractor shows every frame, so you can save the ones you want or download them all as a ZIP.

Often, yes. The Image Repair tool rescues what it can from damaged or cut-off JPG and PNG files.

Use Censor Photo to blur, pixelate or black out any part of an image. The photo censoring guide shows the best way for each case.

There is no daily limit. If you send a very large number of requests in a few seconds, our servers ask you to wait about a minute before carrying on.

Yes. Everything travels over an encrypted HTTPS connection. Many tools do all the work inside your browser, so the file never leaves your device at all.

When a tool needs our server, your file is only used for the conversion you asked for. We never look at, sell or share your files.

Not long. Uploads and results are deleted automatically - on most tools within 1 hour, and never later than 4 hours (a few tools keep your download ready that long).

We keep no copies. Details are in our Privacy Policy.

Only if you say so. Some icon tools have a box you can tick to show your icon on the Recently Converted Icons page. Leave it unticked and your icon stays private.

Our advertising partner uses cookies to show and measure ads. Your dark mode choice is stored in your own browser, not on our servers.

You can block cookies in your browser settings - the tools still work. See the Privacy Policy for the full list.

Check that the file is in a supported format and within the size limit shown in the upload box. Then reload the page and try once more, or try another browser.

Still having trouble? Please contact us and we'll be happy to help!

A pop-up or ad blocker is the usual cause - allow downloads for convertico.com, or right-click the download button and choose "Save link as". Downloads stay available for a limited time, so convert the file again if the link has expired.

Still having trouble? Please contact us and we'll be happy to help!

Windows keeps a cache of icons and may keep showing the old one. Restart Windows Explorer, or run ie4uinit.exe -show on Windows 10 and 11 to refresh it.

Also make sure your ICO includes a 256 px size - the PNG to ICO converter adds it for you. Old vs new ICO files explains why it matters.

That means our servers got a lot of requests from you in a short time. Wait about a minute and carry on - nothing is lost.

Thank you! The "page not found" screen has a short form to tell us what you were looking for, or you can use the contact page. We fix reported links quickly.

Suggest it on the feedback page - many of our tools started as a visitor's idea. You can see what we added lately in the changelog.