Changing Default App icons on macOS

Default App icons on macOS

Suppose there’s one thing to hate about the new macOS Big Sur release, I’m sure most of you would agree that it’s the default app icons. This default app icons on Big Sur have received polarizing reviews; many users describe them as outright “ugly”.

Suppose you feel the same, you’ll be glad to know that Apple does provide a way to change the Default App icons on macOS, and it’s reasonably easy to do once you know.

Set Default App icons on macOS Big Sur

  1. Collect custom icons for your apps in PNG format
  2. Convert icons from PNG to ICNS
  3. Set custom icons for macOS apps
  4. Revert to Default App icons on macOS

Method 1: Collect custom icons for your apps in PNG format

Well, Before you change the Default App icons on macOS, you need to collect the custom icons you’ll use as replacement icons for your macOS apps.

You can do this from several sources. Other many web-based icon repositories offer free downloads. Simultaneously, some may allow you to download icons in various formats directly, and others might require you to sign up for a free account. So, Some of the popular icon repositories, where you can download a variety of icons include, IconsDB, PNGTree, FlatIcon, Icons8, and more.

Now, Ensure that you download your icon images in PNG format and store them in a distinct location on your Mac. Apple uses a unique structure for its icons on macOS, and let’s say it’s easier to convert and set up when your images are in PNG.

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Method 2: Convert icons from PNG to ICNS

Though, Though, Apple uses a proprietary file format called the Apple Icon Image format (ICNS) for macOS icons. So, To convert our downloaded icons, we can use a web-based PNG to ICNS converter tool. Here, we will use the free image converter tool provided by CloudConvert. The below steps will teach you to convert the PNG files using CloudConvert PNG Converter.

  1. First, On your Mac, navigate to the CloudConvert PNG to ICNS Converter web app.
  2. Tap on “Select File” and browse for the downloaded icons in PNG format; you can simultaneously select multiple PNG files. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop multiple PNG files into the web interface.
  3. Tap “Convert” and wait for the conversions to complete.
  4. So, When conversions are done, you can either download the converted files individually by clicking on the “Download” button adjacent to each file or download them all at once as a ZIP file by clicking on “All Files” from the bottom-right corner and selecting “Download All”.

Method 3: Set custom icons for macOS apps

Here, Follow the steps below to change the default application icon for apps on macOS:

  1. Start, Open Finder on Mac, and navigate to the “Applications” folder.
  2. Choose an app for which you want to change the icon. So, Right-click on the same, and choose “Get Info”.
  3. Now, Drag the desired custom icon file (in ICNS format) that you have converted earlier from Finder to the app icon placeholder near the top-left corner of the Info panel.
  4. Close the Info panel when done.
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Should be revert to The app icon should be changed to the new desired one and reflected throughout macOS. Again the same steps for all of the apps you want to change the default app icon.

Note: You can Utilize similar approach to change the icons of any file or folder on macOS. For more details, check out Apple’s support article on the same.

Revert to Default App icons on macOS

Suppose you no longer wish to keep custom icons for your apps, it’s relatively easy to revert to the original app icons. Follow these steps below to do so:

  • First, Open Finder on Mac, and navigate to the “Applications” folder.
  • Choose an app for which you want to remove the custom icon. Next, Right-click on the same, and choose “Get Info”.
  • Then, In the Info panel, select the app icon placeholder near the top-left corner, and hit the “Delete” key.
  • Next, Close the Info panel when done.

The application icon of the particular app the original one. Again the same steps for all of the apps you wish to revert the app icons to their originals.

Also, Check :

By changing the Default App icons on macOS, you’d probably do away with one of the biggest annoyances of macOS Big Sur. I suppose this was a helpful tip for you, let us know in the comments below.

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