PNG to ICO Converter
Every professional website needs a favicon — that little icon in the browser tab. The classic format is .ico, and the right way to make one is embedding multiple sizes (16, 32, and 48 px) so it looks sharp everywhere from tabs to bookmarks to desktop shortcuts.
Our free PNG to ICO converter does exactly that: upload any PNG and download a proper multi-resolution favicon.ico. Like all our tools, conversion happens entirely in your browser — your images are never uploaded.
Drop your .PNG file here or browse your device
Up to 100 MB · 100% private — files never leave your device
How to create a favicon.ico from PNG
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico">.What makes a good favicon source image?
- Square and simple. Favicons display tiny — bold shapes and 1–2 colors beat detailed artwork.
- High resolution source. Starting from 512×512+ gives the downscaled 16 px version the best chance of staying recognizable.
- Test at 16 px. If your logo is illegible that small, use a simplified mark or single letter instead — most big brands do.
- Transparency is fine. It carries through into the ICO.
Why a multi-size ICO instead of a single PNG?
Modern browsers accept PNG favicons, but the classic .ico containing 16, 32, and 48 px versions remains the most compatible choice:
- 16 px — browser tabs (the most-seen size)
- 32 px — taskbar, bookmarks, high-DPI tabs
- 48 px — desktop shortcuts, Windows tiles
A single-size image scaled by the browser often looks blurry; embedded pre-rendered sizes stay crisp. Our converter bakes all three in.
Installing your favicon
After downloading:
- Upload
favicon.icoto your website's root directory (so it's atyoursite.com/favicon.ico). - Add
<link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico" sizes="any">inside your pages'<head>. - Hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5) to see it — browsers cache favicons aggressively, so changes can take a while to appear.
Beyond favicons: where ICO files are still used
Favicons are the famous use, but .ico pops up elsewhere:
- Windows application icons. .exe files embed ICOs — the multi-size container was literally designed for this.
- Desktop shortcuts. Custom
.lnkand.urlshortcuts reference ICO files for their icons. - Folder customization. Windows lets you assign custom icons to folders via
desktop.ini— ICO required. - Intranet & legacy portals. Older internal web apps and SharePoint sites expect favicon.ico specifically.
The multi-size trick matters in all these contexts: Windows picks the embedded size closest to what's needed, so shipping 16/32/48 together keeps everything crisp.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sizes are included in the ICO?
Three: 16×16, 32×32, and 48×48 pixels, each PNG-compressed inside the ICO container — the standard set covering tabs, bookmarks, taskbars, and desktop shortcuts.
My logo isn't square — what happens?
The converter center-crops to a square so the icon never looks squished. For best results, upload a square source image with the logo centered and some padding.
Is ICO still necessary in 2026?
Strictly, no — modern browsers accept SVG and PNG favicons. But .ico remains the single most compatible format (every browser, every version), which is why it's still the recommended default.
Are my logo files uploaded?
No. The ICO is assembled entirely in your browser using JavaScript — your artwork never leaves your device.
The favicon isn't showing on my site — why?
Browsers cache favicons aggressively. Hard-refresh with Ctrl+F5 (or Cmd+Shift+R on Mac), clear cache, or check the file is actually at /favicon.ico. It can take hours to update in some cases.
Can I use this for app icons too?
The ICO format is for websites. For iOS/Android app icons you need PNGs at specific sizes (180×180, 192×192, 512×512, etc.) — different tool, different format.
What's the difference between favicon.ico and apple-touch-icon?
favicon.ico is the classic multi-size icon for browser tabs and Windows. apple-touch-icon.png is a separate 180×180 PNG Apple devices use when you 'Add to Home Screen'. Modern sites ship both — this tool makes the ICO; export a 180×180 PNG separately for Apple.
Can I use an ICO file as my logo elsewhere?
It's not ideal — ICO is a container optimized for small UI icons. For documents, presentations, or print, use the source PNG or a high-res export instead.
Should I also provide a PNG favicon alongside the ICO?
It's good practice on modern sites: serve the classic /favicon.ico for maximum compatibility, plus a 180×180 apple-touch-icon.png for iOS home-screen bookmarks and optionally an SVG favicon for modern browsers. The ICO remains the baseline that everything understands — which is why this converter makes it first.
Why do favicons sometimes not update after I replace the file?
Browsers cache favicons extremely aggressively — Chrome can hold one for weeks. Hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5), test in an incognito window, or temporarily rename the file to force a fresh fetch. This is normal browser behavior, not an error in your ICO.
What image size should I upload for the best favicon?
Upload the largest square version you have — 512×512 or bigger is ideal. The converter downsamples to 16/32/48 px, and starting from a high-resolution source keeps tiny sizes as sharp as possible. A 64 px source technically works but gives noticeably softer results.