Images conversion
Convert HEIF to ICO
Updated Jul 2026
HEIF is the photo format iPhones and many newer phones save pictures in, while ICO is the small icon format used for favicons and Windows app icons. To convert HEIF to ICO, open the photo in a converter, let it resize down to icon dimensions, and export as ICO. Doing this on your own computer keeps the original photo, and its metadata, off any server.
- Extension
- .heif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Apple devices
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
Convert HEIF to ICO on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert HEIF to ICO
- Open Morphjet and drag in the HEIF photo you want to turn into an icon, or a whole folder if you're converting several at once.
- Choose ICO as the output format. Morphjet resizes the image down to standard icon dimensions and preserves any transparent areas.
- Convert. The ICO file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
HEIF vs ICO: what actually changes
| HEIF | ICO | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, a full-resolution photo | Very small, sized for icon use |
| Quality | Lossy, some detail is discarded when the photo is captured | Lossless, but limited by the tiny icon dimensions it's shrunk to |
| Typical resolution | Full photo resolution, often several megapixels | Small, usually 16x16 up to 256x256 pixels |
| Transparency | No | Yes, supports a transparent background |
| Compatibility | Apple devices and recent software mainly | Universal, recognized everywhere as an icon or favicon |
| Metadata | Yes, carries EXIF like date and GPS location | No, icon files have no place to store photo metadata |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert HEIF to ICO when you want to turn a photo, like a headshot or logo shot, into a favicon for a website or an icon for a Windows app or shortcut.
Keep the HEIF original if you still need the full-resolution photo, because converting to ICO shrinks it down to icon size and that lost detail isn't coming back.
Why not just use an online converter?
HEIF photos from an iPhone often carry EXIF data, including exactly where and when the picture was taken. Send that photo to an online icon converter and that location history travels to their server along with it. Converting on your own computer with Morphjet means the photo, and where you took it, never leaves your machine, and since ICO files don't store metadata anyway, none of it carries into the finished icon.
Questions
Does converting HEIF to ICO lose quality?
The icon itself is lossless once created, but shrinking a full-resolution photo down to a 16 to 256 pixel icon throws away nearly all the detail. That's expected, since icons are meant to be small and simple, not sharp close-ups.
Will the ICO file keep my photo's location or date?
No. ICO files have no field for metadata, so the date, camera, and GPS location stored in the original HEIF don't carry over.
Can I use any HEIF photo as a favicon or app icon?
Yes, but simple, high-contrast images work best. Busy or detailed photos become hard to read once shrunk down to icon size, so cropping tightly to the subject first helps.
Can I convert HEIF to ICO without uploading the photo anywhere?
Yes. Morphjet converts on your own computer, so the photo never travels over the internet. You can do it with your wifi off.
Morphjet converts HEIF, ICO, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.