HEIC is the high-efficiency format iPhone photos use by default. Browsers can't display it directly, so converting is needed to use or share it on the web.
ICO is a container format for favicons and Windows icons. When you convert HEIC to ICO, you can open it in more places and it can be used as an icon or favicon. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is HEIC, then converts it to ICO right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
HEIC vs ICO: what's the difference?
| Item | HEIC | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Introduced | 2015 | 1985 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | limited | moderate |
| Shown directly in browsers | No | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 0.5× | n/a |
What is HEIC?
HEIC is HEVC (H.265) compression packaged in the HEIF container, and Apple adopted it as the default camera format from iOS 11. At the same quality it takes up about half the space of JPG.
What is ICO?
ICO is the format used for Windows icons and website favicons. Its distinguishing feature is that one file can hold several sizes, such as 16×16, 32×32 and 256×256.
What changes when you convert HEIC to ICO
Quality doesn't improve, but it doesn't get worse either
Information lost when HEIC was saved can't be recovered. ICO is lossless, so it keeps the image exactly as it is now and later edits and saves add no further degradation. File size will grow, though.
Live Photo video and depth data are dropped
Besides the main photo, a HEIC can contain extras such as a short video and a depth map. The result contains only the main photo.
It is fitted into a square of at most 256×256
ICO is limited to 256×256. Larger images are scaled down with their aspect ratio kept, and images that aren't square are centered with the leftover area left transparent.
ICO has no quality setting
ICO is lossless, so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from HEIC you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
ICO holds images of up to 256×256, so a large original shrinks a lot. If the image is already small, the difference is negligible.
ICO opens in more places
Support for HEIC in programs, document tools and upload forms is limited, while ICO is moderate. If you need to upload somewhere HEIC wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open HEIC
- You want to use it on a website or blog but browsers can't display HEIC
- You're making a website favicon or a Windows shortcut icon
- You want to open photos taken on an iPhone on a Windows PC or Android