Images conversion
Convert ICO to HEIF
Updated Jul 2026
ICO stores the small icon images used for favicons and Windows app icons, while HEIF is the photo format Apple devices save pictures in. To convert an ICO to HEIF, open the file in a converter and export it as HEIF. Doing this on your own computer means the icon never has to leave your machine.
- Extension
- .ico
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Favicons, app icons
- Transparency
- Supported
- Extension
- .heif
- Type
- Images
- Typically
- Apple devices
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- None
- Metadata
- Carries EXIF
Convert ICO to HEIF on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert ICO to HEIF
- Open Morphjet and drag in the ICO file, or a whole folder of icons at once.
- Choose HEIF as the output format.
- Convert. The HEIF file is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
ICO vs HEIF: what actually changes
| ICO | HEIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Favicons and app icons | Photos on Apple devices |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy, with some quality loss on encode |
| File size | Very small | Larger, though still compact for what it stores |
| Transparency | Yes | Not typically used, even though the format can support it |
| Keeps date and camera info (metadata) | No | Yes, HEIF can carry EXIF-style metadata |
| Opens everywhere | Yes, in browsers and Windows | Best on Apple devices and newer apps |
When to convert, and when not to
This conversion is unusual, but it comes up if you need an icon inside an app or workflow that only accepts Apple's photo format, or you're archiving icons alongside a set of HEIF images.
For everyday use, keep the icon as an ICO instead, since that's the format browsers, Windows, and icon tools actually expect.
Why not just use an online converter?
There's no obvious reason a small icon file needs to touch a stranger's server, but many online converters route every file through one anyway. Converting on your own computer keeps the icon on your machine the whole time, with no upload and no account needed.
Questions
Does converting ICO to HEIF lose quality?
A little. ICO is lossless, so the source icon is pixel-perfect, but HEIF applies lossy compression on export. For a simple icon image that loss is usually invisible, but it isn't reversible.
Will the icon still work as an icon after converting to HEIF?
The image will look the same, but HEIF isn't built for how icons get used. Browsers, taskbars, and app stores expect ICO, so converting doesn't make the icon usable in those places.
Does the ICO's transparency survive the conversion?
HEIF can technically hold transparency, but it isn't commonly used that way, and many apps that open HEIF files will show a flat background instead of the transparent one.
Can I convert ICO to HEIF without uploading the file?
Yes. A desktop app like Morphjet converts the file on your own computer, so it never has to travel over the internet.
Why would anyone convert an icon to a photo format?
Most people won't need to. It mainly comes up when a specific app or workflow only accepts HEIF and you need the icon image in that shape.
Morphjet converts ICO, HEIF, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.