How to Customize File and Folder Icons on Your Mac

Being extremely fond of customization, I’m always on the lookout to find some cool ways to add personal touches to my Mac. Personalization sort of keeps mundane feeling at bay, doesn’t it? And for those who have a liking for personalization, macOS offers a nice way to customize file and folder icons on Mac. Aside from giving a unique look to the files, it also makes it a tad easier to recognize a specific item. If this sounds interesting to you, let me show you how you can create custom icons for your favorite folders on macOS.

Create Custom Icons for Files and Folders on Your Mac

Create Custom Icons for Files and Folders on Your Mac

Probably the best part about this hack is that you can make a custom icon for any file using your own photos and even the icons downloaded from the web. As it works even on older macOS versions likemacOS Mojave, compatibility shouldn’t be a barrier either. What’s more, you also get the option to choose the icon from another file. With that said, let’s get started!

  1. To get started,double-click on a photo or iconto open it in the Preview app.

Note:It’s worth noting that if any icon (downloaded from online) is in the .icns format, you will be able to directly drag it on the icon in a file’s Info panel.

  1. Now, click on theEditmenu and chooseSelect All.Alternately, you can also use theCommand-Akeyboard shortcut.

  2. Next, selectEdit > Copyin the Preview’s menu. Alternately, use theCommand-Ckeyboard shortcut.

  3. Next up,right-click on the file or folderwhich icon you wish to change and choose theGet Infooption in the menu.

  4. Up next,click on the icon locatedat the top left corner.

  5. Now, click on theEditmenu and choosePasteor use theCommand-V keyboard shortcut.

  6. Finally,close the Info panel. Voila! The change would come into effect instantly. Take a look at the screenshot below.

Note:

How to Revert Files or Folders to Their Default Icon on Your Mac

How to Revert Files or Folders to Their Default Icon on Your Mac

If you ever want to restore the original icon of a folder, you can do so without any hassle.

  1. First off, select the file or folder. Then, click on theFilemenu and chooseGet Info.

  2. Now,choose the custom iconlocated at the top of the info window, click on theEditmenu, and chooseCut.

  3. Finally, close the “Get info” window and you will be done.

Create Cool Custom Icons for Your Favorite Files and Folders on macOS

So, that’s the quick way to give a custom look to all of your favorite folders on macOS. As the process is pretty simple, you can use it to style all of your desktop folders. Unlike iOS, macOS offers more personalization options. For instance, you canhide Apple Musicin the stock Music app,create an image resizing Automator quick actionand also be able toadd a dark/light mode switch. What’s your take on it? If you know any cool personalization tips, feel free to share them with us in the comments below.

Rajesh Mishra

An old school bibliophile who turned a tech nerd out of obsession. When he is not digging into hacks and tracking down stories that are breaking the internet, you may find him reciting poems.

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