How to Change Icons on Windows 11

Change Desktop and Taskbar Icons on Windows 11

Let’s start with the Desktop icons. You can use the Settings app on Windows 11 to change the icons for the Computer, User’s Files, Network, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open the Start menu and click the gear icon to launch the Settings app.

Step 2: Go to the Personalization tab on your left and select Themes.

Step 3: Scroll down to the Related settings section and open Desktop icon settings.

Step 4: Select the Desktop icon you wish to modify and click on Change Icon.

Step 5: In the Change Icon window, select a new icon from the available options. Alternatively, use the browse button to locate any custom icons downloaded from a third-party website.

Step 6: Once selected, click on OK.

Step 7: Click on Apply, followed by OK to save changes.

Note that if you want to change the icon of a desktop shortcut, you must access its properties. Here’s how to go about it.

Step 1: Right-click on the desktop icon > select Properties.

Step 2: Under the Shortcut tab, click on Change Icon.

Step 3: Select a new icon and click on OK.

Step 4: Hit Apply to save changes.

You can replicate the steps to change the icon of a program pinned to Taskbar by accessing its Properties, too. The steps are similar to those outlined above.

How to Change Folder Icons on Windows 11

Apart from desktop and taskbar icons, Windows also lets you change folder icons in File Explorer. The process is similar to changing the desktop shortcut icons. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press Windows key + E to launch the File Explorer.

Step 2: Right-click on the desired folder and open its Properties.

Step 3: Switch to the Customize tab and click on Change Icon.

Step 4: Select a new icon for the Folder and hit OK.

Step 5: Lastly, click on Apply to save changes.