ICNS to PNG Converter

Q: How do I export every resolution in an icon set, not just the largest?

On a Mac, Terminal's `iconutil -c iconset AppIcon.icns` unpacks all members into a folder of PNGs. The converter here returns one PNG per file, the largest, which covers most uses since smaller sizes can be made from it with [Resize image](/resize-image).

Get a Mac app icon out of its .icns container as an ordinary PNG for a document, a slide, a website or an editor. You get the sharpest image in the set, transparent background included, on any operating system.

or drop JPG, JPEG, JPE … files here ·

Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes

Output

Convert to

Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.

How to use this tool

1
Upload the .icns file
Copy it out of an app bundle or a project folder first. Up to 20 icon files per batch.
2
Press Convert to PNG
The largest member of the icon set is decoded and written as a PNG with its alpha channel.
3
Download and place it
Use the PNG as it is, or scale it down; going down from 1024 px always stays sharp.

An .icns file is a stack of the same icon at several sizes, from 16 px up to 1024 px, each stored under a four-letter type code. Converting to PNG pulls out the largest one and saves it as a normal, transparent picture.

ICNS to PNG: getting a macOS icon out of its container

Apple introduced the ICNS format with Mac OS 8.5 in 1998 and kept extending it as screens gained pixels. Every Mac app carries one inside its bundle, and Xcode still produces an AppIcon.icns from the app icon set in an asset catalog when it builds a macOS app. Outside a Mac, almost nothing reads the format, and even on a Mac most editors want a PNG.

Unlike a Windows ICO, which tops out at 256 × 256 px, an ICNS can hold a 1024 × 1024 image for Retina displays, and many of its members store their pixels as PNG data already. That is why converting is lossless here: the largest member is decoded and written out unchanged in size, with transparency intact.

Sizes and type codes inside a Mac icon file

Common ICNS members; the PNG is taken from the largest one present.
Type code	Pixels	Shown as	Since
is32 + s8mk	16 × 16	Small list icon	Mac OS 8.5
il32 + l8mk	32 × 32	Finder icon view	Mac OS 8.5
it32 + t8mk	128 × 128	Large Finder icon	Mac OS X 10.0
ic08	256 × 256	Large Finder icon views	Mac OS X 10.5
ic09	512 × 512	Large previews	Mac OS X 10.5
ic10	1024 × 1024	512 pt at 2x on Retina	Mac OS X 10.7

ICNS

Apple Icon Image

ICNS is Apple's icon container format, used for application, folder and document icons in macOS since Mac OS 8.5 in 1998. A single file bundles several sizes, from 16×16 up to 1024×1024 pixels, including Retina versions, usually stored as PNG data with transparency. Xcode and macOS read it directly, but it is rarely used outside Apple platforms. Windows and most web tools cannot open ICNS without a converter.

Compression: Lossless
Transparency: Yes
Animation: No
Introduced: 1998 · Apple

ICNS converter

PNG

Portable Network Graphics

PNG is a lossless raster format published in 1996 by the PNG Development Group and later standardised by the W3C and ISO. It keeps every pixel exactly, supports full alpha transparency and handles text, sharp edges and flat colours without artefacts. That precision makes it ideal for screenshots, logos, icons and interface graphics. The trade-off is size: photographs saved as PNG are often several times larger than the same photo as JPEG or WebP. All browsers, operating systems and editors open PNG files.

Compression: Lossless
Transparency: Yes
Animation: No
Introduced: 1996 · PNG Development Group

PNG converter

People convert ICNS to PNG to use a Mac app icon outside macOS packaging: in a tutorial, a slide, a website or a Windows editor; the other direction, PNG to ICNS, is for developers building an app.

Retina sizes, Xcode icon sets and what the PNG keeps

@2x memberRetina icon · ic10 · 512@2x: A copy of an icon size drawn with twice the pixels in each direction for Retina screens. A 512 pt icon at 2x is 1024 × 1024 px; macOS picks it automatically on high-density displays.

If the icon set you upload lacks the 1024 px member, which is common in older apps, the PNG comes out at the largest size that exists, often 512 or 256 px. The converter does not upscale on its own; enlarging a 128 px icon only makes a soft picture.

Only the image survives conversion. ICNS files can also carry a table of contents, a dark-mode variant and template icons for menus; those are ignored. If you are going back the other way to ship your own app, PNG to ICNS builds a full set from one 1024 px artwork, and our explainer on JPG, JPEG and PNG covers why icons are kept in PNG rather than JPG.

Questions about Mac ICNS icons and PNG

Where do I find the .icns file of an installed Mac app?

In Finder, right-click the app in Applications, choose Show Package Contents and open Contents › Resources. The icon is usually named AppIcon.icns or after the app. Copy it elsewhere before uploading; do not move it out of the bundle.

Why is the PNG 1024 px when the icon looks small in the Dock?

Modern icon sets include a 512 × 512 image at 2x for Retina screens, which is 1024 × 1024 actual pixels. macOS draws a smaller member in the Dock, but the PNG takes the largest so you have the most detail to work with.

How do I export every resolution in an icon set, not just the largest?

On a Mac, Terminal's iconutil -c iconset AppIcon.icns unpacks all members into a folder of PNGs. The converter here returns one PNG per file, the largest, which covers most uses since smaller sizes can be made from it with Resize image.

Is the rounded-square shape and shadow part of the PNG?

Yes, for icons built to Apple's design since macOS Big Sur in 2020. The shape, shadow and transparent margin are drawn into the artwork, so the PNG has clear corners and some empty space around the visible tile.

Can Windows open ICNS files without converting?

Not with built-in tools. Windows Photos and Explorer do not read Apple's icon format. Converting to PNG works from any browser, and if a Windows program needs an icon, go on to PNG to ICO.

Can I use an app's icon in my own presentation or article?

Icons belong to the companies that made them. Showing one to refer to the app, as reviews and tutorials do, is common practice; using it as your own logo is not. Check the developer's brand guidelines if in doubt.