Summary: How to Convert ICO to PNG Free and Privately
ICO to PNG conversion extracts the images stored inside an .ico icon file and saves each one as a PNG. An ICO is a container that usually holds several sizes, so you get several PNGs, not one. Select an .ico or .cur file and the tool lists every image in it with its size (such as 16x16, 32x32 or 256x256) and color depth; download one, or all of them as a ZIP.
It runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded (you can check the Network tab in DevTools). Each PNG keeps the exact pixel size stored in the icon, nothing is resized, and transparency is preserved.
Going the other way, build an icon with the PNG to ICO converter, or create a whole website icon set from one picture with the favicon from image tool.
Table of Use: What You Get From Each Kind of Icon
| You select | You get |
|---|---|
| A website's favicon.ico (16, 32, 48 px) | Three PNGs named like favicon_16x16.png, favicon_32x32.png and favicon_48x48.png. |
| Windows app icon with a 256×256 image stored as PNG | The embedded PNG, copied unchanged. |
| Classic icon with 32×32 at 8-bit and at 32-bit | Two files: app_32x32_8bit.png and app_32x32_32bit.png. |
| A .cur cursor file | One PNG per stored image. |
| A PNG or similar image renamed to .ico | The browser opens it and saves one PNG, labelled "converted image". |
| Several .ico files at once | One group per file, each with its own ZIP: name_png.zip. |
| Stored in the ICO as | What the tool does |
|---|---|
| PNG inside the icon | Copied out byte for byte. |
| Bitmap, 32-bit | Decoded; alpha channel kept. |
| Bitmap, 1, 4, 8, 16 or 24-bit | Decoded; transparency mask becomes alpha 0 or 255. |
| RLE-compressed bitmap | Not supported; skipped with a message. |
| Bitmap entry over 16,777,216 pixels (4096 × 4096) | Skipped with a message; PNG entries are copied at any size. |
Features
- Every stored size. The tool reads the icon directory itself instead of letting the browser pick one image and rescale it.
- Color depths from 1 to 32 bit. Each tile shows its size, its depth, such as "BMP, 8-bit (256 colors)", and its PNG file size.
- Checkerboard previews. Transparent areas are visible before you download, and small icons are drawn with crisp pixels.
- Sensible file names. name_16x16.png, and with the depth added when a size repeats. Each file's ZIP is name_png.zip.
- Batch and cursors. Several files, or .cur files, can be processed together; failures are reported without discarding the rest.
- Fallback for renamed files. A PNG or similar image with an .ico name is still converted. For a plain bitmap, use the BMP to PNG converter, and to enlarge a small icon without blur, the pixel art scaler.
How to Use the ICO to PNG Converter
- Click Select ICO Files, or drag .ico or .cur files onto the box.
- Wait a moment while it shows Extracting. The result heading reads Extracted Sizes with the total number of images.
- Check each tile: size, color depth and file size, on a checkerboard so transparency is clear.
- Click Download on one tile, or Download All (ZIP) for that file.
- Click Convert More to clear the list and start with new files.
Next steps: change the size with the image resizer, make a JPG with the PNG to JPG converter, WebP with the PNG to WebP converter, embed a small icon as text with the image to Base64 tool, or shrink the files with the image compressor.
Who Can Use It
- Web developers pulling the PNG sizes out of an existing favicon.ico.
- Designers and app developers who need the largest image of a Windows icon for other platforms.
- Anyone who cannot open an .ico, such as an old program icon or a cursor, and wants to see inside.
FAQs
How do I convert an ICO file to PNG?
Click Select ICO Files, or drag your .ico file onto the box. The tool lists every image stored inside it, each with its size and color depth. Click Download under the size you want, or Download All (ZIP) to get all of them. Nothing is uploaded, and no account is needed.
How many PNG files will I get from one ICO?
One for every image stored in the icon. A favicon.ico often holds a few images, such as 16×16, 32×32 and 48×48, while a Windows application icon often holds several sizes, sometimes each at more than one color depth. The Extracted Sizes heading shows the total.
How do I get the 256×256 image out of an ICO?
Look for the 256x256 tile among the extracted sizes and click its Download button. If the icon has no 256x256 tile, it does not contain that size: the tool exports only what is stored and never enlarges a small image. To enlarge one yourself, use a resizer.
Why does my ICO contain the same size twice?
Classic Windows icons often store a size at more than one color depth, for example a 32×32 image at 8-bit (256 colors) and again at 32-bit with an alpha channel. Each copy is extracted separately; when sizes repeat, the bit depth is added to the file name, such as app_32x32_32bit.png.
Is ICO to PNG conversion lossless, and is transparency kept?
Yes to both. Images stored as PNG inside the icon, common at 256×256, are copied out byte for byte. Bitmap images are decoded pixel by pixel and written to PNG without resizing. 32-bit images keep their full alpha channel; older images use an on/off transparency mask, which becomes fully transparent pixels.
Can I convert several ICO files or a .cur cursor file?
Yes. Select or drag several files together; each file gets its own group of sizes and its own Download All (ZIP) button, named like favicon_png.zip. Cursor files (.cur) use the same container format and are read the same way. One unreadable file does not stop the others.
Why does the tool report an error or skip an image?
The file may not be a real icon, or it may be damaged. Individual images are skipped, with the reason shown, if they are RLE-compressed bitmaps, which this tool does not decode, if they are bitmaps of more than 16,777,216 pixels (4096 × 4096), or if their data is cut off. The remaining images are still extracted.
Is my ICO file uploaded to a server?
No. The icon is read and converted inside your browser, and the ZIP is built on your device. You can confirm it in the Network tab of your browser's DevTools: no request sends your file to a server; the only image entries are blob: URLs your browser creates locally for the previews. That makes it safe for unreleased product icons.