WebP to ICO Converter

How to Convert WebP to ICO Online

1. Upload Your WebP File: Drag and drop or click "+ Add Files" to select one or more .webp images from your device. Batch upload is supported.
2. Pick Image Resolution Preset: The default is 256P (256×256), which is the maximum dimension Microsoft supports inside an ICO. Pick a smaller preset (16P, 32P, 48P, 64P, 128P) if you want a single-size icon, or keep 256P for a high-DPI master that browsers and Windows can downscale.
3. Check the Shape Before Converting (Optional): The preset list is the whole option set on an ICO target — no Image Quality Preset, no Quality Percentage, no Lossless toggle, and no custom Width or Height. The preset sets the icon's height and the width follows your WebP's aspect ratio, with nothing cropped or padded, so a 16:9 WebP at 256P comes out 455×256 — wider than the 256 an ICO directory entry can declare. Crop it square first, or pick 128P.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert." Files are uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on our servers, and deleted automatically after a few hours — no sign-up, no watermark, never shared.

Why Convert WebP to ICO?

WebP is Google's modern image format with strong compression and alpha transparency, but browsers and operating systems don't accept it as an icon. ICO is a Windows container format that bundles one or more raster images at different sizes inside a single file, and it remains the most widely supported favicon format across browsers.

• Favicon for legacy and current browsers — Browsers automatically request /favicon.ico from a site's root even without a <link rel="icon"> tag. ICO has better cross-browser support than alternatives like ICNS, which is why MDN recommends it when broad compatibility matters.
• Windows desktop and shortcut icons — Windows uses ICO as the native icon format for application executables, file-type associations, and desktop shortcuts. A 48×48 entry is what File Explorer renders in the default desktop view.
• High-DPI tab rendering — Retina and 4K displays render browser tabs at 2× or 3× the logical 16-pixel size. Including a 32×32 or 64×64 entry keeps the tab icon crisp instead of pixelated.
• One container, multiple sizes — Because ICO can hold several bitmaps, you can ship 16, 32, and 48 in one file and let the browser or OS pick the closest match. A multi-size favicon.ico containing 16/32/48 typically weighs 3-15 KB.
• Migrating from WebP-only assets — If your design pipeline outputs WebP (common with Squoosh, ImageMagick, or Next.js' image loader), you still need an ICO derivative for the favicon. Converting from WebP preserves alpha so the icon stays transparent on dark browser themes.

WebP vs ICO — Format Comparison

Favicon Size Reference

For most modern sites, packing 16/32/48 into one favicon.ico covers the standard cases. Add a separate <link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="180x180"> PNG or an SVG if you need higher-DPI mobile coverage — the spec accepts multiple <link rel="icon"> entries.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does ICO cap at 256×256 when WebP allows much larger?

ICO is a Windows container designed for icons, not photographs. Microsoft's documentation recommends 256 pixels as the maximum size; the BMP header technically permits larger values, but Windows treats anything above 256 inconsistently and Microsoft advises against it. If you need a larger icon, ship a separate PNG via <link rel="icon" sizes="512x512"> alongside the ICO.

Does WebP transparency carry through to the ICO?

Yes. The converter writes a 32-bit RGBA bitmap (or PNG-compressed entry for 256×256), so the WebP alpha channel maps directly into the ICO's alpha bits. The icon will be transparent on dark browser themes and on Windows' translucent taskbar.

What source size should I upload?

At least 256×256 pixels — ideally 512×512 or larger as your master. Downscaling produces sharper results than upscaling, so a 512 master gives every ICO entry (16, 32, 48, 256) clean pixels. WebP keeps file size low, so a 1024×1024 source is fine to upload.

Can xconvert generate a multi-size ICO with 16, 32, and 48 in one file?

The current converter outputs a single-resolution ICO per file based on your selected dimension. To assemble a multi-size favicon.ico, convert your WebP at each target size separately, then combine the resulting ICOs (or PNGs) with a tool like ImageMagick (magick 16.png 32.png 48.png favicon.ico) or any multi-size favicon generator.

Is the output ICO compressed?

For 256×256 entries the converter uses PNG compression inside the ICO container, which Microsoft has supported since Windows Vista (January 2007). Smaller sizes are stored as uncompressed 32-bit BMP because the overhead of a PNG header outweighs the savings under 256×256.

Will the ICO work on macOS and Linux browsers?

Yes for browsers. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge on macOS and Linux all parse favicon.ico regardless of host OS — the format isn't tied to Windows. macOS app bundles use .icns instead, so if you're building a macOS application icon, you need a different converter; for web favicons ICO is the right choice.

Do I need a <link rel="icon"> tag, or is putting favicon.ico at the site root enough?

Browsers automatically request /favicon.ico from a site's root, so just placing the file there usually works. MDN still recommends explicit <link rel="icon" href="/favicon.ico"> tags because the auto-request convention isn't a formal standard, and explicit declarations protect against future browser changes and let you provide sizes hints.

Can I convert animated WebP to ICO?

No — ICO doesn't support animation. The converter takes the first frame of an animated WebP and writes it as a static ICO. If you need an animated favicon, modern browsers don't support animated .ico either; the closest option is an animated SVG or animated PNG referenced via <link rel="icon">, though these have limited browser support.

What other icon formats does xconvert produce?

For favicons and app icons, see PNG to ICO if you're working from a PNG master, or JPG to ICO if you only have a photo. For the reverse direction — extracting the bitmap out of an existing ICO — try ICO to PNG.