Icons

Icon Extractor

Details

How to use Icon Extractor

What the tool does, how to run it, and what to expect from the result.

How to extract icons from an ICO file

To extract icons, select your ICO file and the tool reads its contents in your browser, listing every embedded size. From there you can download a single PNG at the resolution you need, or export all supported variants together in one ZIP for safekeeping or reuse.

Everything runs client-side, so the ICO is never uploaded to a server. The extraction works offline, keeps your file private on your device, and leaves the original ICO unchanged while producing fresh PNG outputs.

  • Select your ICO file
  • Inspect all embedded sizes
  • Download one PNG, or
  • Export all supported sizes as a ZIP

How it differs from ICO to PNG

The ICO to PNG converter is for grabbing one selected size as a single PNG. This icon extractor is built for recovery and reuse when the whole icon container matters, letting you pull every supported resolution at once instead of repeating a single export.

That makes it the right tool when you want a full set of PNGs from a favicon or app icon, for example to rebuild an icon library, archive every size, or feed multiple resolutions into another design or build process.

Tips

Getting a better result out of Icon Extractor

Specific settings and thresholds, not general advice.

  • An ICO file is a container, not one image. It usually holds several sizes (16, 32, 48, 256 px) in one file, and the tool lists every entry so you can take the one you need rather than the one the browser happens to show.
  • Take the largest entry when you plan to redraw or scale the icon. Upscaling a 16px entry is hopeless; a 256px entry gives you something to work from.
  • Take the exact entry that matches your target size when you plan to use it as-is. An icon drawn at 16px is hinted for 16px, and scaling the 256px version down will not look the same.
  • It handles CUR files too, which are cursors in the same container format. That is the usual way to recover a cursor image nobody has the source for.
  • The export is PNG, which keeps the alpha channel the ICO entry carried, so an icon with rounded corners or a soft edge stays clean instead of picking up a white box.
Limits

What Icon Extractor does not do

The honest boundary, so you do not lose time finding it yourself.

  • It does not build an ICO. This reads a container apart; the favicon tools put one together.
  • It does not edit or redraw the icon. It decodes what is inside and exports it.
  • It does not extract an icon from an EXE, a DLL, or an application bundle. Load an ICO or CUR file.
  • It cannot invent a size that is not in the file. If the ICO only holds a 32px entry, 256px is not available.
At a glance

Who Icon Extractor is for

A quick way to understand who this helps, what it solves, and where it connects next.

Best fit

People auditing old icon files, recovering lost source assets, and reusing favicon or app-icon variants.

Ideal for

Turning one ICO container into reusable PNG assets instead of exporting just one size.

FAQ

Common questions

Short answers for the questions people usually have before trying a utility like this.

Is this icon extractor free?

Yes. This icon extractor is completely free with no sign-up or limits on how often you extract.

Does it upload my ICO file to a server?

No. The ICO is decoded and exported entirely in your browser, so the file stays private on your device and is never uploaded.

Can I export all sizes at once?

Yes. The extractor can package all supported embedded PNG variants into a single ZIP, or you can download one selected size.

Does it support EXE, DLL, or ICNS files?

No. This version is intentionally limited to ICO files. It does not extract icons from EXE, DLL, or ICNS containers.

What format are the extracted icons?

The extracted icons are exported as PNG files, preserving transparency where the source icon includes an alpha channel.

How do I extract an icon from an ICO file?

Load the ICO here. The tool decodes the container and lists every image entry inside it with its size, and you export the one you want as a PNG. Everything happens in your browser.

Why does one ICO contain several images?

Because ICO is a container. A single favicon or app icon typically holds 16, 32, 48 and 256 pixel versions, each drawn or hinted for its size, so the system can pick the right one instead of scaling.

Which size should I take?

The largest entry if you intend to redraw or scale the icon, because upscaling a 16px image gets you nowhere. The exact matching entry if you intend to use it as-is, because an icon hinted at 16px does not look like the 256px version scaled down.

Can I extract the icon from an EXE or an app?

Not here. This reads ICO and CUR files. Getting an icon out of an executable or an application bundle is a different job entirely.

Does it work on cursor files?

Yes. CUR uses the same container format as ICO, so a cursor decodes the same way and exports as a PNG with its transparency intact.

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