How to Convert a PNG to ICO
Updated September 18, 2026
ICO is the icon format Windows and web browsers use for small application and site icons. If you have a logo saved as a PNG and need a `favicon.ico` for a website — or an icon for a desktop shortcut — this guide shows the fastest way to convert it.
The fastest method
The favicon generator turns a PNG into a proper ICO file with every size a browser expects:
1. Open the favicon generator. 2. Upload your PNG. A square image works best. 3. The tool produces a `favicon.ico` containing the standard icon sizes, plus the PNG sizes modern browsers use. 4. Download the set.
Everything runs in your browser — the image is never uploaded to a server.
What ICO actually is
Unlike JPG or PNG, an ICO file is a container: it holds several copies of the same icon at different pixel sizes (16×16, 32×32, 48×48 and up). The browser or operating system picks the size it needs for the tab, the bookmark bar, or the desktop. That is why you cannot just rename a `.png` to `.ico` — the file has to be packaged in the ICO structure, with the right sizes inside.
Which sizes you need
- 16×16 — the browser tab and address bar.
- 32×32 — the bookmark bar and higher-DPI tabs.
- 48×48 — Windows desktop and taskbar.
- 180×180 / 192×192 / 512×512 — modern PNG-based icons for Apple Touch and Android home-screen icons (served alongside the ICO, not inside it).
The favicon generator produces all of these from one source image, so you do not have to export each size by hand.
Start from a clean, square PNG
ICO icons are tiny, so detail is lost fast. A square PNG with a simple, high-contrast mark reads far better at 16×16 than a detailed logo with small text. If your logo is not square, crop it to a 1:1 ratio first so nothing important sits in the corners that get clipped.
Summary
1. Use a square PNG with a simple, bold mark. 2. Run it through the favicon generator to get a multi-size `favicon.ico`. 3. Add the ICO and the PNG icon sizes to your site — see how to add a favicon.