However, we found that downloading and using ICNS files (Apple’s icon file system) worked perfectly fine. How to Change Icons on a Mac . Firstly, right-click on an empty space anywhere on the screen. Easily Change App Icons to Big Sur Style Icons. On your Mac, copy the picture you want to use to the Clipboard. Last Updated: December 3, 2020 Instead of cluttering my desktop with tons of shortcuts, documents and folders like I did with Windows, I decided to keep everything clean and minimalist in macOS, so as not to spoil the view. Choose Accessibility. For iOS, you can make use of Siri Shortcuts to replace your apps’ icons. In the upper-left corner of the Info Sheet, you will see a smaller version of the folder icon. You can increase/decrease the icon size as well as the text size for each icon. If you don't have a Google Chrome shortcut on your desktop, make one by right-clicking the Google … Align and resize items in icon view on Mac, Sort and arrange items in the Finder on Mac. Change App, File, and Folder Icons Using PNG Images. The first thing you’ll need is an icon. In most cases it's as simple as copy-pasting the image into the right window. The folder icon is replaced with the picture you chose. We even tried changing the icons, closing the app, and then restarting our Mac, and the icons wouldn’t change. The process is similar to changing folder and application icons, but it’s different in a few key ways. On your Mac, select the file or folder, then choose File > Get Info. How to change icons on a Mac: Swapping the existing icons. … Now that you know how you can use custom icons on Mac, you can go ahead and change the icons of any app that you always secretly wished had a different icon. At the top of the Info window, select the custom icon, then choose Edit > Cut. You can change any file icon on Mac by following the same steps. Change app icon on macOS. I'm trying to replace the start-up disk icon with another image (tried jpg and png), but in the Get Info window, the new image only shows as an image icon (not the pic itself). When the Settings window opens, you’ll see a menu on the left. And it goes beyond icons! If you’re a Mac user, the icons’ overall generic appearance can get a bit tiring. After you paste, if you see a generic JPEG or PNG image instead of your own picture, make sure you click the icon in the Info window before choosing Edit > Copy. Follow these few simple steps to change Folder icons on Mac: Copy the image you want to use as your custom Folder icon. 3. This is an easy way to customize the appearance of items in the file system, and it can be a fun way to add a customized look to the desktop and home folder on a Mac. Certain special icons cannot be changed this way, including the Finder and Trash icons. So it’s a good idea to take things into your own hands until that happens, and change your app icons yourself. … Apple shouldn’t allow it. Open Finder and select folder Once you change the icon of the application, then you drag it over to the dock. You'll find numerous sites that offer free and low-cost icon collections for the Mac… At the top of the Info window, click the icon, then choose Edit > Copy. We've been helping billions of people around the world continue to learn, adapt, grow, and thrive for over a decade. Select the user account on the left. Changing the Icon of a Program on Mac. If that still doesn't work, try copy-pasting a second time, or restart your computer. When it comes to icons of any sort, PNG, with its transparent background, is the most popular format out there.You can find any PNG icon online (as long as it’s square and high-resolution) and make it an icon for any app, file, or folder on your Mac. Add your own lock-screen wallpaper. Changing Your Login Icon. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. After you paste, if you see a generic JPEG or PNG image instead of your own picture, make sure you choose Edit > Copy before pasting. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0 Change folder icons on Mac. Click the icon at the top of the Info window. Now that you have your icon file, you can use it for any third-party app of your choice. If Edit > Paste isn’t available, make sure you click the icon at the top of the Info window. Apple products are copyrighted and can’t be reproduced in your icons or images. If you want to create your own file icons. The ICNS file format is the icon format that’s used on macOS. You can use one from an existing folder or app on your Mac, and we’ll touch on that later, but if you’re looking for a new icon, you’ll need to ensure that it ends in the extension .icns. ... As you can see, it is very easy to customize any folder, file or hard drive icon on your Mac. To change the icon of a folder, open Finder and select the folder you would like to change the icon of. These are the steps on how to customize folder icons on a Mac. To add a custom image, Copy it, select this same user icon, and select Paste. One way to do this is to double-click the picture file, which opens it in the Preview app , then choose Edit > Copy. Modifying this control will update this page automatically, Change the picture for you or others in apps, Make it easier to see what’s on the screen, Insert photos and documents from iPhone or iPad, Sync music, books, and more between devices, Manage cookies and other website data in Safari, Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. It is nothing but copying the folder of an icon in .icns format and then paste it to that folder which you want to change. In general, avoid displaying replicas of devices, because hardware designs tend to change frequently and can make your icon look dated. Navigate to the app that you want to change the icon for. Discover how to change the icons in Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. Select the file or folder whose icon you want to replace, then choose File > Get Info. Looks cheap and android. Now go to the folder or file whose icon you wish to change; Select and click on the option Get Info; Here click on the icon and select Edit; Now you need to Paste the icon that you had previously copied. Step 2: Then, click on View by on the top right position of the screen and select "Large icons" to change the control panel icon size. With this tip you can change icons for macOS apps as well as folders. ... Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. How to change Mac app icons. This will only change the icon for that specific file, not for all files of that type. The easiest way to find Mac icons is to search on the phrase "Mac icons" in your favorite search engine. So if you want to change icon on Mac, iPhone, and iPad at the same time — basically get every Apple icon in one folder — this tool will help you. On your Mac, select the file or folder whose icon you want to use, then choose File > Get Info. You can change them with, You can also open this window with the hotkey. Double-click the picture or icon you want to use to open it in your Mac's built-in Preview app. If you have an iSight camera, either standalone or built in to your Mac, you can use it to take a picture right from the Edit Picture dialog and turn that photo into an icon on the spot. You select the application, and then drag the icon of the application over to the dock. Copyright © 2021 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. You can group more icons in a folder on the first screen or navigate to the next screen for viewing the app list. By using our site, you agree to our. If you want to alter certain special icons such as Finder, you'll need to delve a little deeper into the Apple system. Right-click the app and select Get Info from the context menu. Don’t place your app icon throughout the interface. How To: Change List Colors & Icons in iOS 13's Reminders App for a More Customized Look How To: Change Your Android's Screen Resolution Without Root Access How To: Use El Capitan's New Split View Mode in Mac OS X Mavericks or Yosemite How to change an app icon on macOS Find an image you would like to use for your App icon … 2. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. SEE ALSO: 12 USB Type-C Accessories for the New MacBook Pro Use Custom Icons on your Mac. This means, Mac will arrange icons on the Launchpad in five rows and seven columns containing 35 icons on single window. How to change desktop icon size in Windows 10 Option 1: Right-click desktop. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Apple uses the ICNS file format, which can convert any image to the correct size, even icons. At the top of the Info window, click the icon. Then press COMMAND + I or use File –> Get Info to bring up the Info Sheet. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you can’t find this tab, select the Advanced section to reveal a new menu below. Related: How to Change Icons in Gnome 3. If you think your account should have access, expand the "Sharing and Permissions" section at the bottom of the Get Info window. Choose Edit -> Select All in Preview's menu bar, or use the keyboard shortcut Command-A . How to change Mac folder icons (hint: it works for apps too) Here’s a snapshot of my current desktop. Tutorial for changing macOS icons. Open Finder. Tested. You can change the icon of just about any file, folder, volume, or application in Mac OS X. Using icon located on the web. This really is a terrible workaround for what could be simple - iOS native ability to change app icons and icon packs in the app store. RELATED: How to Change Drive Icons in Windows. And, without further ado, follow these methods on how to change desktop icon size in windows, mac, and Linux. Select the file or folder whose icon you want to replace, then choose File > Get Info.. At the top of the Info window, click the icon. Why it isn't working? Then nothing happens when I paste. While I expect most major developers will update their Mac app icons to be in line with Apple’s new design, it could take some time. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 400,718 times. The image should now be applied to the app, but for it to fully take effect, you should restart your Mac. But with the arrival of COVID-19, the stakes are higher than ever. But I do hate those boring folder icons. During our testing, we found that standard JPG or PNG files would not trigger the icons to be changed. On your Mac, copy the picture you want to use to the Clipboard. Click the current user icon and select your new choice from the menu that appears. So, you can use almost any image as an icon. You can’t select an account for a user that’s currently logged in … It will show you the new icon. Thanks! To add a custom image, Copy it, select this same user icon, and select Paste. Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Changing Mac app icons is a simple and painless process and can be fun to do for a custom macOS look and feel. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By default, the Launchpad shows the icons in 5×7 format. Change your account name's permission setting to "Read&Write.". You can also check this in Launchpad. Step 3: Click on "Mouse" option and this will open the Mouse properties. You can change the icon of most folders, applications, and documents. Learn more... On Mac OS X, you can change the icon for almost any file on your computer. % of people told us that this article helped them. This article has been viewed 400,718 times. One way to do this is to double-click the picture file, which opens it in the Preview app , then choose Edit > Copy.. This article has been viewed 400,718 times. After that, go to the view menu. If you wish to change the folder icon color in Mac: Simply download the macOS default folder icon png image > Open it in Preview > Click to tools … The first method to change the icon on a Mac is to swap the icon of an existing folder with some other folder. For one thing, the change carries over from one Mac to another, which is great if there’s an external … You can adjust the size of desktop icons in macOS or OS X from the Finder by going to View->Show View Options (Command-J). To restore the default icon, select the file icon in the Get Info window and use the, All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. You can also choose to hide the Device’s icon if you like. How to change the icon of files and folders. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Every dollar contributed enables us to keep providing high-quality how-to help to people like you. Many icon collections are available on the web. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. To change your user icon, open System Preferences and select Users & Groups. Click the current user icon and select your new choice from the menu that appears. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. To change your user icon, open System Preferences and select Users & Groups. Here is the step by step process. Select the other file or folder, then choose File > Get Info. If the application's already on there, you remove the application from the dock by right-clicking the application and then clicking "Remove from dock." Steps to Change Your Mouse Cursor Size and Color on Windows Computer Step 1: Click on Start and then "Control panel". Asset Catalog Creator Pro can generate app logos, splash screens, and all kinds of universal assets. You cannot change the app icon for Apple-related apps, such as Messages, Calendar, Music, and Podcasts. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Change-Mac-OS-X-Icons-Step-1-Version-7.jpg\/v4-460px-Change-Mac-OS-X-Icons-Step-1-Version-7.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/2d\/Change-Mac-OS-X-Icons-Step-1-Version-7.jpg\/aid835833-v4-728px-Change-Mac-OS-X-Icons-Step-1-Version-7.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"