Windows & Mac Icon Maker
Turn a photo or picture into a real Windows .ico or Mac .icns icon, or put your own photo on a folder. You can remove the background with one click. Everything happens on your device, and nothing is uploaded.
- 1Add a photo or picture
- 2Position it and style it
- 3Download a Windows .ico or Mac .icns
Your files are processed on this device and never uploaded.
How to use Icon Maker
- Choose Windows or Mac, then pick Image icon or Folder icon.
- Drop in a photo or picture. PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, HEIC and others all work.
- Drag the picture to move it, and use Zoom and Fit or Fill until it looks right.
- Optionally press Remove background, then touch up the edges with the Erase and Restore brushes.
- Check the small previews, then download the .ico (Windows) or .icns (Mac). A transparent PNG is there too.
About this tool
An icon file is not one picture but a small collection of them. Windows picks a different size for the desktop, the taskbar, Explorer's list view and the Properties window, so a good icon carries all of them rather than letting Windows shrink one big image badly. The .ico made here holds seven sizes, from 16 to 256 pixels, each produced by careful step-by-step shrinking so even the tiniest one stays recognisable.
The Mac version works the same way. An .icns file holds every size macOS asks for, from 16 to 1024 pixels, including the double-resolution versions Retina screens use. Mac image icons default to the rounded-square shape with a margin around it, matching how icons sit in the Dock and Finder.
Background removal uses a small open-source AI model called U²-Netp, which runs inside your browser. The first time you use it, your browser downloads about 20 MB of model and runtime from this site, and later uses come from your cache. Your photo is never sent anywhere. Like every automatic cut-out, it can miss fine detail such as hair or thin edges, so the Erase and Restore brushes let you fix what it gets wrong.
What is an ICO file?
ICO is the icon format Windows has used since Windows 1.0. One .ico file holds several square images at different sizes, and Windows picks the one closest to the size it needs. Modern icons store the small sizes as 32-bit bitmaps with full transparency and the 256-pixel size as a compressed PNG, which is exactly how this tool builds them. Renaming a .png to .ico does not make it an icon — Windows needs the icon directory at the start of the file, and this tool writes one properly.
How to convert a PNG or JPG to ICO
Choose Windows and Image icon, then drop your PNG or JPG in. Square images work best. For anything else, choose Fit whole image to keep all of it with transparent space around it, or Fill the space to crop it into a square — and drag it to choose which part stays. A PNG with transparency keeps it, and a JPG can have its background removed. Press Download ICO.
How to make a custom folder icon
Choose Folder icon, pick a folder colour and drop in a photo. Framed photo sets the picture into the front of the folder like a window. Cut-out removes the photo's background so the subject stands on the folder with a white outline, like a sticker — the tool switches to it automatically after Remove background. The previews below the editor show how it reads at 16 and 32 pixels, which is what you will see in Explorer's list view, so keep the subject large and simple.
What sizes do Windows and Mac icons use?
Windows uses 16×16 for lists, title bars and the system tray, 24×24 and 32×32 for the taskbar and small icons, 48×48 for medium icons, 64×64 and 128×128 for large views, and 256×256 for extra-large icons and high-DPI screens. The .ico here contains all seven. macOS asks for 16, 32, 128, 256 and 512 points, each at normal and double (Retina) resolution, up to 1024×1024 pixels. The .icns here contains all of those.
Frequently asked questions
Will the .ico file work in Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes, the .ico file from Klonum’s Icon Maker works in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is a standard multi-size icon: 32-bit images with transparency for 16 to 128 pixels and a PNG-compressed 256-pixel image, the same layout Windows’ own icons use. It works for folders, desktop shortcuts and anything else that asks for an .ico.
Does making an icon change my computer's settings?
No, making an icon does not change your computer’s settings; the Icon Maker only creates a file. You apply it yourself: on Windows through Properties, then Customize, then Change Icon; on a Mac through Get Info. The full steps are on the Icon Maker page.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No, the Icon Maker does not upload your photos: every step, including background removal, runs in your browser on your own device. The only thing downloaded is the background-removal model itself, the first time you use it. Nothing is stored once you close the tab.
Why does the background removal miss some edges?
Background removal misses some edges because it automatically guesses which part of the picture is the main subject; it handles clear subjects on plain or contrasting backgrounds well and struggles with hair, fur, glass and busy scenes. Use the Edge softness slider and the Erase and Restore brushes to fix it, or Restore original background to undo it entirely.
Can I use the icon on a Mac?
Yes, the Icon Maker makes Mac icons too: switch to Mac at the top to get an .icns file with every size macOS uses, plus a 1024-pixel PNG. For folders and files on a Mac, you can paste or drag either one into the Get Info window.
Why does my icon look blurry at 16 pixels?
Icons look blurry at 16 pixels because detailed photos turn to mush at that size, whatever tool made them. Zoom in so the subject fills the icon, choose a simple picture with strong contrast, or try the cut-out style. The small previews show exactly what Windows will display.