- Customizing and Changing Icons on Windows 10
- Changing Standard Desktop Icons
- How do I Make my desktop look great?
- How do I See my Desktop in Windows 10?
- Customizing Taskbar Notification Area Icons
- Recommended Icon Sizes
- Where is the secret button on Windows 10?
- How do I change the lockscreen on Windows 10?
- How do I customize my Desktop Windows 10?
- Tips for Icon Customization
- How do I change the show desktop button in Windows 10?
- How do I use a custom image on Windows 10 lock screen?
- How do I switch from taskbar to desktop in Windows 10?
- How do I change the color of my Desktop in Windows 10?
- References
Customizing and Changing Icons on Windows 10
Whether you want to spice up the look of your Windows 10 desktop by changing standard icons like This PC and Recycle Bin or customize which system icons show up in the notification area of your taskbar, it’s easy to tailor Windows 10’s icons to your liking. In this guide, we walk through the steps for icon customization on Windows 10 using native settings.
Changing Standard Desktop Icons
The standard desktop icons like This PC, Recycle Bin, Control Panel, etc. can easily be swapped out for custom icons to give your desktop a more personalized look. Here’s how to change desktop icons on Windows 10:
- Right-click on an empty space on your desktop and select “Personalize” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on “Themes” in the Personalization window and then select “Desktop icon settings.”
- A window will pop up allowing you to choose which desktop icons you want to customize – click on the icon you want to change like This PC or Recycle Bin.
- Click the “Change Icon” button and you’ll be able to choose a new icon from a library of stock icons or browse your computer for a custom .ico file.
- Hit “OK” after selecting your new icon to apply the change.
Repeat steps 3-5 for any other desktop icons you want to customize. It’s quick and easy to give your standard Windows desktop icons a whole new look.
How do I Make my desktop look great?
No matter what Windows version you’re using (Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, or Windows 11), making your desktop look fantastic is super simple. Let’s take our Taskbar, for example. Right-click on your Taskbar. Then, select Taskbar settings.
How do I See my Desktop in Windows 10?
Pressing on “Peek at desktop” enables the option, adding a checkmark next to it. Once the option is enabled, you can hover the mouse cursor over the Show desktop button at the end of the taskbar to reveal the Desktop. Moving the cursor away from the area gets you back to your open windows to resume your activity.
Customizing Taskbar Notification Area Icons
In addition to changing up desktop icons, you can also customize which system icons show up in the notification area of your Windows 10 taskbar along the bottom right. Here’s how:
- Right-click on an empty space on your taskbar.
- Select “Taskbar Settings” from the context menu.
- Scroll down and click on “Select which icons appear on the taskbar” under the “Notification area” section.
- Toggle icons on or off to customize which appear in your taskbar notification area.
From here, you can choose to show/hide any system icons like Network, Volume, Action Center, Touch Keyboard, and many others. Enable or disable them at your discretion to tailor your taskbar notification area.
Recommended Icon Sizes
When selecting custom icons, it’s important to choose icons sized appropriately for the Windows environment. Microsoft recommends including these standard icon sizes for the best multi-resolution support across various DPI scaling settings and high resolution displays:
- 16×16
- 24×24
- 32×32
- 48×48
- 256×256
These common icon sizes ensure your custom icons will display properly on all versions of Windows. While other sizes like 128×128, 96×96, 72×72, and 64×64 may work, sticking to the standard sizes guarantees broad compatibility.
Where is the secret button on Windows 10?
There’s a secret button in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. Don’t see it? Look all the way to the bottom and right, beyond the date and time. There, you’ll find a small little sliver of an invisible button. Click it to minimize all your open windows at once; click it again to bring everything back.
How do I change the lockscreen on Windows 10?
Even though Windows 10 offers several settings to modify your lockscreen, some people simply don’t care for it. To disable the lockscreen, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows in your Registry Editor. Right-click on the Windows folder to create a new key and name it “ Personalization ”.
How do I customize my Desktop Windows 10?
Windows 10 makes it easy to customize the look and feel of your desktop. To access the Personalization settings, right-click anywhere on the desktop, then select Personalize from the drop-down menu. The Personalization settings will appear. Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using the Personalization settings.
For desktop icon customization, 32×32 and 48×48 sizes tend to work best. Taskbar notification area icons are usually 16×16 or 24×24. Match your replacements to the existing icon sizes for a seamless customized look.
Tips for Icon Customization
When selecting new icons, choose ones that are clean, simple, and easy to visually parse at a glance for the best user experience. Icons with too much complex detail can be difficult to discern in the small notification area.
Stick to solid colors rather than gradients, which can wash out at small sizes. Use distinct silhouetted shapes and outlines for clarity. Familiar imagery and concepts make for intuitive icons that users can quickly recognize.
For broader system-wide icon themes, explore Microsoft’s offering of icon packs for Windows 10 instead of changing icons one by one. This allows you to change them all in one go.
With this handy guide, you’re now equipped to easily customize desktop and taskbar notification area icons to personalize your Windows 10 experience. Change it up as often as you like – have fun making Windows your own with custom iconography! Let us know if you have any other Windows 10 customization tips in the comments.
How do I change the show desktop button in Windows 10?
There are two ways to accomplish this reconfiguration of the Show Desktop button. For the first, click or tap the Start Menu button on the bottom left-hand side of the Taskbar, click the Settings icon, and then click the Personalize tab. Click the Taskbar link in the left-hand navigation bar to reveal Figure B.
How do I use a custom image on Windows 10 lock screen?
The lock screen uses “Windows spotlight” as the default option to display different backgrounds every time you sign in to Windows 10, and while this option pulls stunning images from the cloud, you can also set any image you want. To use a custom image on the Windows 10 Lock screen, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Personalization.
How do I switch from taskbar to desktop in Windows 10?
The taskbar offers one more way to switch to Desktop. First, right-click or press-and-hold an unused area of the taskbar to open the contextual menu. Then, click or tap on “Show the desktop. ” All open windows are minimized, and you can see the Desktop background.
How do I change the color of my Desktop in Windows 10?
Here’s how to change your desktop’s colors in Light, Dark, or Custom mode. Navigate to Windows logo key > Settings > Personalization > Colors. In the Choose your mode list, select the Light option. a. Select Automatic to have Windows choose a color for you. b. Manually select an accent color under Recent colors, Windows colors, or View colors.
