How To Change The Icon And Color Of Folders On A Mac
MacOS has a pretty robust search function, allowing you to easily find your files in the Finder app. However, it can be difficult to organize files inside folders, especially if you’re used to other operating systems like Windows. So, if you’re particular about how your files and folders look on your Mac or MacBook, you may want a way to make it easier to see and categorize them with just a glance.
One way to do this is by changing the icon or color of your files and folders. But doing so can be quite confusing, no matter what operating system you’re using. Even if you’re already well-versed in other operating systems in the Apple ecosystem, like iOS and iPadOS, replacing folder colors and icons can be mystifying if you haven’t done it before on a Mac.
So, to help you with your file organization and customization journey, these are the steps you need to follow to change the icon or color of your folders on your Mac. We will start the with the former as it’s much simpler. But once you know those basic steps, you’ll be able to change the color and image of an icon on most files and folders on your macOS device.
How to replace the folder icon with a picture
It’s pretty simple to change a folder icon on your Mac with a picture. As long as you already have a photo that’s ready to go, here’s how to do it:
Once done, the picture that you copied will replace the original icon in Finder. Note that you’re able to use any image file to use as an icon, unlike in Windows where you have to use an existing icon or convert the photo that you want to use into a Windows icon.
How to change the color of the folder icon
While changing the icon to a different is as simple as selecting the image you want, changing a folder’s color is a little bit more involved. Here’s how to do it:
And with that, you would see the folder change to the color that you copied. If you want to apply this colored icon in the future to other folders, be sure to save the Preview file so you can just load it as an image later.
How to revert a file or folder icon back to the original
While custom folder colors and icons are some of theways you can do to organize your desktop, there might come a time that you’d want to revert it back to the original. So, if you want to use the blue folder icon again for your folders, here’s what you need to do:
With that, the custom image will be moved to your Mac’s clipboard while the original icon of that file or folder will be restored. However, note that the custom image that you used won’t be available on the clipboard. Instead, if you open the Preview app and selected File > New from Clipboard on the menu bar, it will only show an ordinary blue folder.
Changing the image or the color of your folders in Mac is one way that you may customize it. That way, you’ll have visual cues on the contents of the folder even before you read its name or open it. But if you want even further customization, check out theseMac apps that will help you get the experience you wantfrom your Apple device.
