How to Change a Folder Icon on Your Mac

The fastest way to change a folder icon

To change a folder icon on a Mac, right-click the folder, select Get Info, click the icon in the top-left corner of the window, and paste a new image. The system accepts PNG, JPEG, TIFF, and other common image formats. You can find free icon images online, copy them to your clipboard, and paste them directly into the Get Info window—no file saving required.

The whole process takes about two minutes. If you want to use an icon from another process or folder, you can copy that icon the same way and paste it into your target folder. If you want to undo the change, click the icon in Get Info and press Delete to restore the default folder appearance.

Key Takeaways

Right-click your folder, choose Get Info, click the icon at the top-left, and paste an image to change the folder icon when ready.
You can paste images directly from your clipboard without saving them as separate files first.
The Mac accepts PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and other standard image formats for folder icons.
To restore the default folder icon, click it in Get Info and press Delete.
Custom folder icons stay with the folder even if you move it to a different location on your Mac.

Finding and preparing an image for your folder icon

You can use any image as a folder icon—a photo, a screenshot, a graphic you designed, or an icon you found online. Search for "free icons" or "folder icons" in your web browser to find thousands of options. Websites like Flaticon, Icons8, and The Noun Project offer icons in PNG format, which works best because PNG supports transparent backgrounds.

When you find an image you like, right-click it and select Copy Image (or Copy if you are copying from a file on your Mac). The image is now in your clipboard, ready to paste. You do not need to read it or save it anywhere—copying to the clipboard is enough.

If the image is very large or very small, the Mac will scale it to fit the folder icon space, so you do not need to resize it first. However, square images work better than tall or wide ones, because the icon space is square.

Pasting the image into your folder's Get Info window

Locate the folder you want to change. Right-click it and select Get Info from the menu. A window will open showing details about the folder. At the very top-left of this window is a small icon—this is the folder's current icon, usually a plain gray folder shape.

Click that icon once to select it (it will show a blue highlight around it). Now paste the image you copied earlier by pressing Command + V or by right-clicking and selecting Paste. The new image will replace the folder icon when ready. Close the Get Info window, and your folder will now display the new icon on your desktop and in Finder.

Copying an icon from another folder or process

You do not have to find icons online. You can copy the icon from any other folder or process on your Mac. Right-click the folder or process whose icon you like, select Get Info, and click the icon at the top-left of that window. Press Command + C to copy it.

Now open the Get Info window for the folder you want to change, click its icon, and paste with Command + V. This method is useful if you want to match icons across multiple folders or if you like the look of an process's icon.

Restoring the default folder icon

If you change your mind about a custom icon, restoring the default is straightforward. Right-click the folder and select Get Info. Click the custom icon at the top-left of the window to select it, then press the Delete key. The folder will return to the standard gray folder appearance.

This works for any folder you have customized, no matter how long ago you changed it. The Delete key removes only the custom icon—it does not affect the folder's contents or any files inside.

Custom icons and what happens when you move or share folders

A custom folder icon stays with the folder when you move it to a different location on your Mac, rename it, or put it in the Trash. The icon information is stored as part of the folder itself, not as a separate file.

If you share the folder with another Mac user via email, cloud storage, or an external drive, the custom icon will travel with it. However, if the other person does not have the same image file on their Mac and you used a local file (rather than pasting from the clipboard), the icon may not display on their computer. To avoid this, always paste images directly into Get Info rather than linking to files.

Troubleshooting custom folder icons

If you paste an image and nothing happens, make sure you have actually copied something to your clipboard. Try copying the image again and pasting it. If the image appears but looks blurry or distorted, it may be too small or in a format the Mac does not handle well—try a PNG or JPEG instead.

If a custom icon disappears after you restart your Mac, it usually means the image file was deleted or moved. This happens only if you used a local file path instead of pasting directly. To prevent this, always copy and paste images directly into the Get Info window rather than selecting them from your hard drive.

If you cannot right-click a folder to open Get Info, the folder may be locked or you may not have permission to change it. System folders and some process folders cannot be customized. Try the process on a folder you created yourself to confirm the feature is working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a photo of myself as a folder icon?

Yes. Copy the photo to your clipboard, open Get Info for the folder, click the icon, and paste. The Mac will scale the photo to fit the icon space. Square photos work best, but any shape will be resized automatically.

What image formats work for folder icons?

PNG, JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and most other common image formats work. PNG is best because it supports transparent backgrounds, which makes the icon look cleaner. Avoid very large files—the Mac handles them fine, but they take longer to paste.

Will the custom icon show up on Windows if I share the folder?

No. Custom folder icons are a Mac feature. If you share the folder with a Windows user via cloud storage or external drive, they will see the default folder icon on their computer. The icon information does not transfer to Windows systems.

Can I change the icon of the Applications folder or Desktop?

You can change the Desktop icon, but system folders like Applications are protected. Try right-clicking and selecting Get Info—if the icon does not highlight when you click it, that folder cannot be customized. You can always create a new folder and customize it instead.

If I delete a folder, does the custom icon get deleted too?

Yes. The icon information is stored as part of the folder itself, so when you delete the folder, the custom icon goes with it. If you move the folder to Trash and then empty Trash, the icon is permanently removed along with the folder.

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