Convert BMP to ICO
Ethical Tube's free BMP to ICO converter turns BMP images into ICO, the format for Windows icons and website favicons. It runs entirely in your browser, so your images are never uploaded, and it's free with no sign-up or watermark.
Files are converted on your device and never uploaded.
- Price
- Free
- Uploads
- None, it runs on your device
- Sign-up
- Not needed
- Batch
- Unlimited files
- Output
- ICO, 16 to 256 px
- Install
- Nothing to install
How it works
How to convert BMP to ICO
Add your BMP files
Drop BMP files onto the converter, click to choose them, or paste from the clipboard. Add as many as you like.
Check the settings
Pick which icon sizes to include. The defaults cover browser tabs, bookmarks, and Windows.
Download your ICO icons
Each file gets its own download button as soon as it's ready. Download all saves everything in one ZIP file.
The formats
BMP and ICO at a glance
What is a BMP file?
BMP is the uncompressed bitmap format from early versions of Windows. It stores every pixel as is, so quality is perfect but files are large, often ten times the size of a PNG. Today it's mostly needed by older software, embedded devices, and some printers and label makers. It opens in Windows Paint and Photos, macOS Preview, browsers, and nearly every image editor.
What is an ICO file?
ICO is the Windows icon format, and it's also the classic format for favicons, the small icons shown in browser tabs. One ICO file can hold the same icon at several sizes, such as 16, 32, and 48 pixels, so each place it appears gets a sharp version. It opens in Windows, all browsers (as a favicon), macOS Preview, GIMP, and icon editors.
Good to know
What changes when you convert BMP to ICO
- Both formats are lossless, so every pixel is kept exactly.
- The icon is saved at 16, 32, 48, 64, 128, and 256 pixels in one file, skipping sizes larger than the original. Non-square images are centered on a transparent square.
- Metadata such as the camera model, date, and GPS location isn't copied to the new file, so you don't share your location by accident.
- Very large images, around 100 megapixels or more, can exceed what the browser allows, especially on phones.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is this BMP to ICO converter free?
Yes. It's completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark, and no limit on how many files you convert. It costs Ethical Tube nothing to run, because the conversion happens on your own device rather than on a server.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside your browser with the browser's built-in image codecs plus small WebAssembly encoders, so your files never leave your device. Once the page has loaded, it even works offline.
Does converting BMP to ICO lose quality?
No. ICO is lossless, so the converted image has exactly the pixels of the BMP.
Can I convert several BMP files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like. They're converted one after another, and you can download each ICO file as soon as it's ready or all of them in one ZIP file.
Does it work on iPhone, Android, Mac, and Windows?
Yes. It works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari, on computers, iPhones, and Android phones.
What can open an ICO file?
Windows, all browsers (as a favicon), macOS Preview, GIMP, and icon editors.
Is there a file size limit?
There's no upload limit because nothing is uploaded. The practical limit is your device's memory: everyday files are fine, and most computers handle images up to about 100 megapixels.
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