Every Mac comes with a range of icons that are used to represent your files, hard drives and folders in the βFinderβ window and on the Desktop, but you donβt have to use these default icons.
While macOSβ default icons do communicate some basic information about each item, macOS uses the same icon for all folders and all hard drives, plus it uses the same icon for all files of the same type. Replacing some of the default folder icons with custom icons can help you see, at a glance, whether a folder contains something exciting like photos of your vacation, or something more practical like tax returns. It can also help you differentiate between files of the same type (which by default all have the same icon) and, if you have several hard drives that you switch between on a regular basis, then assigning a different icon to each drive can help you keep track of which hard drive is currently connected to your Mac.
In this article, Iβm going to show you how to replace any folder, file or hard drive icon, with any image thatβs stored on your Mac.
Where can I get custom icons?
You can use any image as an icon, including photos youβve taken yourself or, if youβre feeling inspired, then why not open up your favourite image-editing software and create your own icons? If you do decide to try your hand at icon design, then youβll find some useful advice over at Appleβs OS X Human Interface Guidelines.
If youβd prefer something ready-made, then youβll find countless alternative Mac icons available online. If you have an idea about the kind of icon you want to use, then itβs always worth performing a quick Google search to see whether this turns up any results, for example you could try searching for βMac icon camera,β βMac icon OWC Expressβ or βMac icon Game of Thrones.β Finally, if youβre open to suggestions, then youβll find lots of alternative Mac icons on sites such as IconArchive and InterfaceLIFT.
Customise any folder or file
To change a folder or file icon:
- Open a βFinderβ window and navigate to the image you want to use as your new icon.
- Open the image in your Macβs Preview app, by Control-clicking the file, then selecting βOpen with > Preview.β
- Select βEdit > Select Allβ from the Preview toolbar, followed by βEdit > Copy.β
- Close the Preview application.
- Navigate to the folder or file where you want to use your new icon.
- Control-click the folder and select βGet Info.β
- Youβll see the file or folderβs current icon in the upper-left corner of the βGet Infoβ window. Click this icon once to select it; it should now be highlighted blue.
- Paste your new icon over the current icon, by pressing the βCommand+Vβ keys on your keyboard. The βGet Infoβ menu should update to display your new icon.
- Close the βGet Infoβ menu.
Check the file or folder in the βFinderβ window; you should see that it has a brand new icon!
Applying Custom Hard Drive Icons
You can also change the icon that represents a hard drive, including external hard drives such as USB flash drives:
- Make sure the drive in question is connected to your Mac.
- Open a βFinderβ window and navigate to the image you want to use as your new icon.
- Open the image in your Macβs Preview app.
- Copy this image, then close the Preview app.
- In the βFinderβ window, navigate to the drive where you want to use this icon.
- Control-click the drive and select βGet Info.β
- Click to select the driveβs current icon.
- Paste your new icon over the default icon, using your Macβs βCommand + Vβ shortcut.
- Enter your admin username and password if prompted.
- Close the βGet Infoβ window.
Rinse and repeat for every hard drive that you want to customise.
Restore your Macβs Defaults
To restore a file, folder or driveβs default icon, simply:
- Control-click the folder, file or drive in question.
- Select βGet Info.β
- In the βGet Infoβ window, click to select the icon in the upper-left corner.
- Press the βDeleteβ key on your keyboard, and the folder, file or drive will revert to its default icon.
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