The fastest way to change a folder thumbnail
On Windows, right-click the folder, select Properties, click the Customize tab, then Change Icon. Pick a new icon from the built-in library or browse to an image file on your computer. Click Apply and OK. On Mac, right-click the folder, select Get Info, drag an image file onto the small folder icon in the top-left corner of the info window, then close it. Both methods take under a minute.
The icon you choose stays with that folder alone — it does not change how Windows or Mac displays other folders. You can revert to the default folder icon at any time by following the same steps and selecting the original icon.
Key Takeaways
- Windows folders accept custom icons through the Properties menu, where you can choose from built-in options or point to image files stored anywhere on your computer.
- Mac folders accept custom thumbnails by dragging an image directly onto the folder icon in the Get Info window.
- Custom folder icons are stored with each individual folder and do not affect other folders or system-wide folder appearance.
- You can use any image format (JPG, PNG, BMP, ICO) as a folder icon, though smaller images display more clearly at normal folder view sizes.
Changing folder icons on Windows
Open File Explorer and locate the folder you want to change. Right-click it and select Properties from the menu. In the Properties window, click the Customize tab at the top. You will see a button labeled Change Icon — click it.
A dialog box opens showing the default Windows folder icons. Scroll through to pick one, or click Browse to navigate to an image file anywhere on your computer. Windows accepts JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, and ICO files. Once you have selected an icon, click OK, then Apply, then OK again to close Properties. The folder icon updates immediately in File Explorer.
If you want to use an image file that is not in a standard icon format, Windows will still accept it — the system converts it on the fly. However, very large image files may display pixelated or blurry at normal folder view sizes, so images between 256×256 and 512×512 pixels work best.
Changing folder thumbnails on Mac
On Mac, the process is simpler because you drag rather than browse. Right-click the folder and select Get Info. A window opens showing details about the folder. At the top-left corner, you will see a small folder icon. Find an image file you want to use — a JPG, PNG, or other image format — and drag it directly onto that small folder icon. Release the mouse, and the folder icon updates to a thumbnail of that image.
To remove a custom thumbnail and return to the default folder icon, open Get Info again, click the folder icon in the top-left, and press Delete. The standard folder icon reappears.
Where to find or create custom folder icons
You do not have to create icons from scratch. Many websites offer free icon libraries — search for "free folder icons" or "free icon packs" to find collections you can download. These are often packaged as ZIP files containing dozens of icons in ICO or PNG format. Download them, extract the ZIP, and you have a folder full of icons to choose from.
If you want to make your own, take a screenshot or photo, crop it to a square (512×512 pixels works well), and save it as a JPG or PNG. You can also use simple image editors like Paint (Windows) or Preview (Mac) to create a basic icon. The key is keeping the image square so it displays evenly as a folder icon.
Why custom folder icons are useful
Custom folder icons help you organize visually. If you have a folder for a specific project, client, or category, a distinctive icon makes it stand out in File Explorer or Finder. This is especially helpful if you have many folders at the same level and want to spot the one you need without reading names.
Custom icons also work well for color-coding. If your workflow uses red folders for urgent items and blue folders for archived items, custom icons reinforce that system at a glance. Unlike folder colors (which some systems do not support consistently), custom icons work the same way across Windows and Mac.
Reverting to the default folder icon
On Windows, right-click the folder, select Properties, click Customize, then Change Icon. The first icon in the dialog is always the default Windows folder icon. Select it and click OK, then Apply, then OK.
On Mac, right-click the folder, select Get Info, click the custom icon in the top-left corner, and press Delete. The folder returns to the standard Mac folder appearance.
Troubleshooting custom folder icons
If a custom icon does not appear after you set it, the image file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format. Try a different image file. On Windows, if the icon looks pixelated, the image is too small — try a larger version. On Mac, if dragging does not work, make sure you are dragging the image file itself, not a shortcut or alias to it.
If you delete the image file after setting it as a folder icon, Windows and Mac both keep a copy of the icon stored with the folder, so the icon remains even if the original image is gone. However, if you move the folder to a different computer, custom icons may not transfer — the icon is stored locally on each machine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change the icon for a folder inside OneDrive or Google Drive?
On Windows and Mac, yes — the steps are the same. The custom icon is stored locally on your computer, not in the cloud, so it appears only on the device where you set it. Other people with access to the shared folder will see the default folder icon on their machines.
What image size works best for a folder icon?
Square images between 256×256 and 512×512 pixels display most clearly. Smaller images may look blurry when enlarged; larger images take up more space without improving appearance. If you are unsure, 256×256 is a safe starting point.
Will a custom folder icon sync to other computers if I use cloud backup?
No. Custom folder icons are stored locally on each computer. If you back up your files to cloud storage, the icon settings do not transfer. You would need to set the custom icon again on each machine where you want it to appear.
Can I change the icon for the entire Documents or Downloads folder?
On Windows, yes — the steps are identical. On Mac, system folders like Documents and Downloads cannot be customized through Get Info. You can create your own folder inside Documents and customize that instead.
What happens if I change a folder icon and then rename the folder?
The custom icon stays with the folder. Renaming does not affect the icon you set. The icon remains until you manually change it back to the default or delete the folder.