How to change icons in Gnome 3

If you don't like the current files and folders in Gnome, you can use a different theme icon. You can change any file or folder icon into a custom icon.

If you don't like the current files and folders in Gnome, you can use a different theme icon. If there is only one specific icon you want to change, it is very easy to change the icon in Gnome 3. You can change any file or folder icon into a custom icon, as long as you have their own icons in SVG or PNG format.

Note : Although this tutorial is for GNOME 3, the same trick can be done on other Linux file managers and desktop managers.

Start by activating your favorite file manager to find files or folders whose icons you don't like.

How to change icons in Gnome 3 Picture 1 Start by activating your favorite file manager

Right-click on the folder and select Properties . Although it's unclear, the image in the upper left is not only a preview of the active icon, but also the point where you can change the icon, since it acts like a button. Click the image, and a file requester will appear.

How to change icons in Gnome 3 Picture 2 Right-click on the folder and select Properties

Point the file dialog to the image you want to use as an icon. It is worth noting that GNOME officially supports the XPM format, in addition to SVG and PNG files. However, Gnome still recommends that you avoid this format as it is only supported for backward compatibility reasons.

How to change icons in Gnome 3 Picture 3 GNOME still recommends that you avoid the XPM format

When you return to the main Properties window , the icon preview at the upper left of the property sheet will be updated, displaying the image you selected in the previous step.