How to Change the Icons for Your Favorite Apps on macOS

Personalizing your Mac is one of the easiest ways to make it feel more like your own. One fun and simple way to customize your desktop is by changing the icons for your favorite apps. macOS makes it relatively straightforward to update app icons, allowing you to add some flair and organization to your desktop. Here’s how to do it in just a few steps:

Step 1: Find the Icon You Want to Use

Before you change an app’s icon, you’ll need to find a new one. You can use a custom image or download an icon from online sources such as icon packs or websites like IconArchive or Flaticon.

Make sure the image you choose is in a square format (preferably 512×512 pixels for the best quality). You can also use any PNG or JPG image you like, but it’s recommended to convert it into the .icns format, which is optimized for macOS icons. There are several online converters that can help with this.

Step 2: Open the App’s Info Panel

1. Locate the app whose icon you want to change in Finder.
2. Right-click on the app’s icon, and select “Get Info” or press Command + I on your keyboard. This opens the info panel for the app, where you can see various details about the app.

Step 3: Copy the New Icon

1. Once you’ve found your new icon, open it in Preview.
2. In Preview, select the icon image (either by pressing Command + A or selecting it manually).
3. Then, copy the icon by pressing Command + C.

Step 4: Paste the New Icon onto the App

1. Now, go back to the “Get Info” window for your app.
2. In the upper-left corner of the info panel, you’ll see the current app icon.
3. Click on the app’s icon in the Info panel so it’s highlighted.
4. Now, paste the new icon by pressing Command + V.

Step 5: Close the Info Panel

After pasting, you should see the new icon immediately replace the old one in the Info panel. Close the panel, and the app’s icon will be updated across your system.

Step 6: Refresh the Icon (If Needed)

In some cases, you might not see the new icon reflected immediately on your desktop. To refresh, you can either:

• Restart your Mac.
• Reboot Finder by typing Command + Option + Esc, selecting Finder, and clicking Relaunch.

Bonus Tips

• Restore the Original Icon: If you ever want to revert to the original icon, go back to the “Get Info” window, select the app’s icon, and press Delete. This will remove the custom icon and return the app to its default.
• Use a Custom Folder Icon: You can also apply custom icons to folders on your Mac in the same way, helping you organize your files with a personal touch.
• Apps like LiteIcon: If you want to change icons in bulk or don’t want to manually do it for each app, there are third-party apps like LiteIcon that make it easy to change system and app icons in one go.

Conclusion

Changing the icons of your favorite apps on macOS is a simple and fun way to personalize your Mac. Whether you’re looking to make your desktop more visually appealing or simply organize apps according to a theme, the process is quick and easy. With these steps, you can give your Mac a fresh look every time you open it!