How to Change Desktop Folder Icons

Woman sitting on a desk using a laptop computer while changing desktop folder icons.

From fun phone cases to stickers to computer wallpaper to custom app icons, there are so many ways to personalize our devices these days. But one thing you can make your own that you might not know about is your desktop folders. Yep, those functional but boring blue folders that help keep you organized. In a few easy steps, you can customize your desktop folder icons to fit an aesthetic or just brighten up your device with personality. Our desktops folders are about to get a whole lot cuter.

The best part about this hack is that it doesn’t require any additional software, just your device and these instructions:

Customize Desktop Folder Icons:

Mac Instructions

  1. Create a new folder on the desktop.
  2. Download the image you want to have as the icon.
  3. Right click on this folder and go to the option “Get Info.”
  4. Copy the image.
  5. Paste the image unto the folder icon in the dialog box.
  6. Enjoy your new icon!

Windows 10 Instructions

  1. Create a new folder on the desktop.
  2. Right click on the folder and select the “properties” option.
  3. Click on the “customize” tab.
  4. Scroll down to the folder icon section at the bottom and select “Change Icon.”
  5. Choose a different pre-installed icon OR upload an icon of your choosing.
  6. Hit “Apply” and enjoy your new icon!

General Icon Tips

Windows 10 only allows icons to be images that are in the .ico format. You can convert images into the .ico format by using an online converter. The Microsoft site also says that the maximum size an icon can be is 256×256.

Here are some websites with free icons:

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