How to Change the Color of a Folder on Mac

Folders on a Mac are blue by default — which works fine until you have dozens of them staring back at you from the desktop or Finder sidebar. Changing folder colors is one of the most practical ways to build a visual organization system, and macOS gives you a few different routes to get there. How far you can go depends on your macOS version, your comfort with third-party tools, and how granular you want your color-coding to be.

What macOS Offers Natively

Out of the box, macOS doesn't include a direct "change folder color" button. What it does offer is a label system — a color tag that appears as a dot (or colored highlight) next to the folder name in Finder list and column views.

How to Apply a Color Label in Finder

1. Right-click (or Control-click) any folder in Finder
2. In the context menu, look for the row of colored circles near the top
3. Click a color to apply it as a tag/label
4. The folder name will highlight in that color in List view; in Icon view, a small colored dot appears beneath the folder icon

You can also select a folder and use File → Tags from the menu bar, or use Command + I (Get Info) to assign a label from the info panel.

This method is built into every modern version of macOS and requires no downloads. The limitation: the folder icon itself stays blue. The color is a label overlay, not a true icon recolor.

Changing the Actual Folder Icon Color

If you want the folder icon to physically change color — not just get a label dot — you have two main approaches: manual icon replacement or third-party apps.

Method 1: Custom Colored Icons via Get Info (Manual)

macOS lets you paste a custom image directly onto a folder icon:

1. Find or create a colored folder image (PNG works well)
2. Open the image in Preview, select all, and copy it (Command + C)
3. Select the folder you want to recolor, press Command + I to open Get Info
4. Click the small folder icon thumbnail at the top-left of the Get Info window (it should get a blue highlight border)
5. Press Command + V to paste your custom icon

The folder now displays your chosen color. To revert, go back to Get Info, click the icon thumbnail, and press Delete.

This method works across most macOS versions and costs nothing — but it's manual and repetitive if you want to recolor many folders. 🎨

Method 2: Third-Party Apps

Several dedicated apps automate and expand what the manual method does:

These tools generally work by injecting custom icon data the same way Get Info does, but with a right-click workflow, color pickers, and batch processing. Some are one-time purchases from the Mac App Store; others are subscription or freemium.

Key consideration: Apps that modify system-level icons or interact deeply with Finder may require you to grant Full Disk Access in System Settings → Privacy & Security. On Macs with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3), some older tools that previously worked on Intel Macs no longer function correctly due to stricter system integrity protections.

How macOS Version Affects Your Options

Your version of macOS shapes what's possible:

• macOS Ventura and Sonoma (13–14): Full support for the manual Get Info method; most current third-party tools are compatible. Tags are well-integrated into Finder search and Smart Folders.
• macOS Monterey (12): Similar capabilities; slightly older app versions may be needed.
• macOS Big Sur (11): Apple redesigned the default folder icons here with a softer, more 3D look. Custom icons created for older flat-style folders can look inconsistent without matching that aesthetic.
• macOS Catalina and earlier: The same core methods work, but fewer third-party apps actively support or update for these versions.

🖥️ If you're unsure of your macOS version, go to Apple Menu → About This Mac.

Color Labels vs. True Icon Recoloring — Practical Differences

Understanding which method suits you depends on how you actually use Finder:

Color labels (tags) work well when:

• You primarily use List view or Column view in Finder, where the label color highlights the folder name clearly
• You want folders to show up in tag-based searches (e.g., find everything labeled "Red")
• You're on a managed or work Mac where installing third-party software isn't straightforward

True icon recoloring works better when:

• You work in Icon view on the desktop or in Finder windows
• You want visual distinction at a glance without reading folder names
• You're building a personal productivity system with strong visual hierarchy

Variables That Shape the Right Approach for You

A few factors determine which method is actually the right fit:

• How many folders need recoloring — one or two? Manual Get Info is fine. Dozens? A dedicated app saves significant time.
• Whether you use iCloud Drive or external volumes — custom icons are stored in a hidden .DS_Store file on the folder's volume. Icons on some network drives or non-APFS volumes may not persist reliably.
• Your Mac's chip (Intel vs. Apple Silicon) — this affects which third-party tools run without issues.
• Whether you share folders with other users — custom icons may not transfer when folders are shared or synced across accounts.
• How much visual customization you actually need — the built-in tag system is surprisingly powerful once you build a consistent color scheme around it.

The method that makes sense for one workflow can feel like overkill — or not enough — for another.