The fastest way to color a folder on Mac

Open Finder and locate the folder you want to color. Right-click the folder and select Get Info from the menu. At the top of the window that opens, you'll see a small colored circle next to the folder icon. Click that circle to open the color palette, choose your color, and close the window. The folder changes color when ready.

That's the complete process. You don't need any third-party tools or system settings. The color sticks to that specific folder and shows up in Finder views, on your desktop, and in any window where you browse files.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any folder, select Get Info, and click the colored circle next to the folder icon to open the color picker.
  • Mac offers 8 built-in colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray, and a default no-color option.
  • Colored folders appear in all Finder views — icon view, list view, column view, and gallery view — so the color is visible everywhere you browse.
  • You can color as many folders as you want, and each folder's color is independent, so you can use colors to organize by project, priority, or category.
  • Removing a color is as straightforward as opening Get Info again and clicking the blank circle in the color palette.

Where to find the color picker in Get Info

When you open Get Info for a folder, the color circle appears in the top-left corner of the window, directly to the right of the folder's icon and name. On newer Macs running macOS Monterey or later, the circle is slightly larger and more prominent. On older versions, it's smaller but in the same location.

If you don't see a colored circle, you're looking at a file instead of a folder — the color feature only works on folders. Close that window, make sure you've selected a folder, and try again.

All 8 colors Mac offers and how to use them

The color palette contains eight options: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, gray, and a blank circle (which removes the color). Many people use colors to sort folders by purpose — for example, red for urgent projects, green for completed work, blue for client folders, and gray for archives. Others organize by person: one color per family member or team member.

The colors are solid and consistent across all Macs and all Finder views. You won't see different shades or gradients — each color is the same shade every time. This makes it straightforward to recognize your system at a glance, even when folders are small in a list view.

Coloring folders in different Finder views

The color appears the same whether you're looking at folders in icon view (large thumbnails), list view (rows with details), column view (nested columns), or gallery view (preview pane). The colored circle or background shows up consistently, so your color system works no matter how you prefer to browse your files.

If you're using Smart Folders or viewing folders in the sidebar, the color still displays. The only place colors don't show is in the Dock — if you pin a folder to the Dock, it appears with its regular icon, not the color you assigned.

Removing or changing a folder's color

To remove a color, right-click the folder, open Get Info, and click the blank circle in the color palette (the first option on the left). The folder returns to its default gray appearance. To change a folder from one color to another, follow the same steps but click a different color instead of the blank circle.

You can change colors as many times as you want. There's no limit to how often you reassign colors, so if your project status changes or you reorganize your system, you can update the colors to match.

Coloring nested folders and subfolders

Each folder is colored independently. If you have a main folder and several subfolders inside it, you can color them all differently, or color only some of them. Coloring a parent folder does not automatically color its subfolders — you have to color each one separately by opening its Get Info window.

This independence is useful when you want a visual hierarchy. For example, you might color a main project folder red and its subfolders orange, yellow, and green to show different stages of work within that project.

What happens to folder colors when you move or copy them

The color stays with the folder no matter where you move it. If you drag a red folder from your Desktop to your Documents folder, it remains red. If you copy a colored folder, the copy gets the same color as the original. The color is part of the folder's properties on your Mac, not tied to its location.

If you share a colored folder with someone else via email, cloud storage, or an external drive, the color may not transfer to their Mac. Colors are stored locally on each computer, so the other person sees the folder in its default gray. When they color it on their end, that color appears only on their Mac.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create custom colors or use colors other than the 8 built-in ones?

No. Mac's Finder only offers the eight built-in colors. You cannot create custom colors, hex codes, or RGB values through the standard Get Info method. If you need more color options, third-party file managers exist, but the native Finder tool is limited to these eight.

Do colored folders slow down my Mac or use extra storage?

No. Assigning a color to a folder uses no extra storage space and has no impact on your Mac's performance. The color is just a visual label stored in the folder's metadata — it's one of the smallest pieces of information your Mac tracks.

Will my folder colors show up on my iPhone or iPad if I use iCloud Drive?

No. Folder colors are a Mac-only feature and do not sync to iOS or iPadOS. When you view your iCloud Drive folders on an iPhone or iPad, they appear in their default colors. The colors remain on your Mac but are not visible on other devices.

What if Get Info doesn't open when I right-click a folder?

Make sure you're right-clicking directly on the folder itself, not on empty space next to it. If the context menu doesn't appear, try using the keyboard shortcut: select the folder and press Command + I. This opens Get Info directly without needing to right-click.

Can I color the Trash folder or system folders?

You can color the Trash folder the same way you color any other folder. System folders like Applications, Library, and System are protected, so Get Info opens but the color circle may be grayed out or inactive. These folders are not meant to be modified, so Mac prevents coloring them.