How do I open a favicon file?

Check the file extension first

Favicon describes the purpose of the file, not one required format. The file may end in .ico, .png, .svg, .jpg, or another image extension. The extension determines which app can open it.

• PNG or JPEG: open it with a browser, image viewer, or image editor.
• SVG: open it in a browser or vector editor. A text editor can show its XML source.
• ICO: use an ICO-compatible browser, viewer, or editor. Convert it to PNG when your usual image app cannot read it.

How to inspect an ICO favicon

1. Try opening or dragging the .ico file into your browser.
2. If the preview fails, use an image viewer or editor that lists ICO as a supported format.
3. To see every embedded size, use the ICO to PNG extractor.

An ICO file is a container and can hold several versions of the same icon. A normal preview may show only one. Extracting the file reveals each stored size as a separate PNG.

Do not rename the extension

Changing favicon.ico to favicon.png does not convert the image. It only changes the filename, so apps may report a damaged or unsupported file. Decode or convert the ICO instead.

Microsoft documents ICO as an icon container with its own decoder in the ICO format overview.

Opening a favicon from a website

If you know the icon URL, open that URL directly in a new browser tab. When you do not know it, the Favicon Extractor can find the icons declared by a public page and let you inspect the detected files.