diff --git a/src/core/inspector.rs b/src/core/inspector.rs
index cc12fb6..5d8eece 100644
--- a/src/core/inspector.rs
+++ b/src/core/inspector.rs
@@ -603,6 +603,50 @@ fn make_app_id(name: &str) -> String {
         .to_string()
 }
 
+/// Quickly extract just the icon from an AppImage (for preview).
+/// Only extracts .DirIcon and root-level .png/.svg files.
+/// Returns the path to the cached icon if successful.
+pub fn extract_icon_fast(appimage_path: &Path) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    if !has_unsquashfs() {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    let offset = find_squashfs_offset(appimage_path).ok()?;
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().ok()?;
+    let dest = tmp.path().join("icon_extract");
+
+    let status = Command::new("unsquashfs")
+        .arg("-offset")
+        .arg(offset.to_string())
+        .arg("-no-progress")
+        .arg("-force")
+        .arg("-dest")
+        .arg(&dest)
+        .arg(appimage_path)
+        .arg(".DirIcon")
+        .arg("*.png")
+        .arg("*.svg")
+        .stdout(std::process::Stdio::null())
+        .stderr(std::process::Stdio::null())
+        .status()
+        .ok()?;
+
+    if !status.success() {
+        return None;
+    }
+
+    let icon_path = find_icon(&dest, None)?;
+
+    // Generate app_id from filename
+    let stem = appimage_path
+        .file_stem()
+        .and_then(|s| s.to_str())
+        .unwrap_or("unknown");
+    let app_id = make_app_id(stem);
+
+    cache_icon(&icon_path, &app_id)
+}
+
 /// Inspect an AppImage and extract its metadata.
 pub fn inspect_appimage(
     path: &Path,
diff --git a/src/ui/drop_dialog.rs b/src/ui/drop_dialog.rs
index 76cfcb4..c8a830d 100644
--- a/src/ui/drop_dialog.rs
+++ b/src/ui/drop_dialog.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use std::rc::Rc;
 use crate::core::analysis;
 use crate::core::database::Database;
 use crate::core::discovery;
+use crate::core::inspector;
 use crate::i18n::{i18n, ni18n_f};
 
 /// Registered file info returned by the fast registration phase.
@@ -63,6 +64,28 @@ pub fn show_drop_dialog(
         .body(&body)
         .build();
 
+    // For single file, try fast icon extraction for a preview
+    if count == 1 {
+        let file_path = files[0].clone();
+        let dialog_ref = dialog.clone();
+        glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
+            let result = gio::spawn_blocking(move || {
+                inspector::extract_icon_fast(&file_path)
+            })
+            .await;
+
+            if let Ok(Some(icon_path)) = result {
+                let image = gtk::Image::builder()
+                    .file(icon_path.to_string_lossy().as_ref())
+                    .pixel_size(64)
+                    .halign(gtk::Align::Center)
+                    .margin_top(12)
+                    .build();
+                dialog_ref.set_extra_child(Some(&image));
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     dialog.add_response("cancel", &i18n("Cancel"));
     dialog.add_response("keep-in-place", &i18n("Keep in place"));
     dialog.add_response("copy-only", &i18n("Copy to Applications"));