How to Change App Icons on Mac (and Tile Icons in a Second Dock)

You can change the icon of an app, file or folder on a Mac with Finder's Info window, and on recent macOS you can also change the colour and style of every icon at once in Appearance settings. Here are both, plus a third option if what you really want is a launcher whose icons you choose.

Short answer: select the item, choose File > Get Info, click the small icon at the top of the Info window and choose Edit > Paste with an image on the clipboard; Edit > Cut restores the original. If what you want is a launch bar where every tile has the icon you pick, our pick, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: each tile can show the app's icon, any SF Symbol or an emoji, with your own label. It is a $9.99 one-time purchase on the Mac App Store, macOS 14 or later.

Disclosure: I build Jetty.

Change an icon with Get Info

Apple's steps, from its Mac User Guide (Apple Support):

1. Open the picture you want to use and choose Edit > Copy to put it on the clipboard.
2. Select the file or folder whose icon you want to replace.
3. Choose File > Get Info.
4. In the Info window, click the small icon at the top, below the title bar.
5. Choose Edit > Paste. If Paste isn't available, you may have clicked the large icon below Preview instead.

Apple's page describes this for files and folders. An app in the Applications folder shows the same Info window, but the page does not say whether every app accepts a new icon, so try it on one app first.

Restore the original icon

Select the item, choose File > Get Info, select the small icon at the top of the Info window, then choose Edit > Cut (Apple Support).

Change the style of all icons (macOS 26 and later)

System Settings > Appearance has an "Icon & widget style" option. Apple lists Default, Dark, Clear and Tinted; with Tinted, icons are shown in the colour you choose, and a Folder color option sets the colour of folder icons in Finder (Apple Support). This changes the look of icons across the system, not one app's artwork. The same Apple page on files and folders says folder icons can also be customized with colours, symbols or emoji.

Dock icons

The Dock shows each app's own icon; it has no setting of its own for icon artwork. Everything the Dock itself can change (size, magnification, position, effects) is in how to customize the Dock on Mac.

Tile icons you choose: a second dock with Jetty

If the goal is a launcher that looks the way you want, changing the apps themselves is the long way round. Jetty adds bars of tiles next to the Dock, and every tile's icon and label are yours to set:

• Three icon sources per tile: the app's own icon, any SF Symbol, or an emoji. Right-click a tile and choose Edit Tile; Reset Icon goes back to the default.
• Labels on or off, and a custom label per tile ("Mail" can read "Inbox").
• Tiles for more than apps: files, folders, websites and Shortcuts get the same icon choices.
• Bars on any edge (top, bottom, left, right) or floating, up to four, with tabs.

Honest limits: Jetty changes the look of its own tiles only. It does not change an app's real icon in Finder or the Dock, and the icon picker offers the app icon, SF Symbols and emoji, not image files. Bars are on the main display only, and Jetty does not change the macOS Dock.

For the rest of the look (wallpaper, accent colour, widgets), see how to customize your Mac desktop; for tidying what is on it, how to organize your Mac desktop.

How we checked

On 2026-10-10 we read Apple's Mac User Guide pages on customizing folders and files and on Appearance settings; the steps above quote them. Jetty's icon options come from its source code and are listed on the facts page; I build Jetty.

FAQ

How do I change an app icon on Mac?

Copy the image you want, select the app or file, choose File > Get Info, click the small icon at the top of the Info window and choose Edit > Paste. To restore it, select the small icon again and choose Edit > Cut.

How do I get custom app icons on my Mac?

Paste an image into the item's Info window as above, or change the style of all icons in System Settings > Appearance > Icon & widget style. For a launch bar with icons you pick, our pick, in my opinion as its developer, is Jetty: SF Symbols or emoji per tile, without touching the apps.

Can I change Dock icons on Mac?

The Dock has no icon setting of its own; it shows each app's icon. For a second dock where you choose each tile's icon, our pick is Jetty (I build it).

How do I change the color of icons on Mac?

On macOS 26 and later, open System Settings > Appearance, choose Tinted under "Icon & widget style", then pick the colour. Folder color sets the colour of folder icons in Finder.

Get Jetty on the Mac App Store. $9.99 one-time purchase, macOS 14 or later.