To change folder colors in Windows 11, right-click a folder, select Properties > Customize > Change Icon, and choose a colored ICO file through Browse. Windows has no general folder-color picker, so you change the folder’s appearance by replacing its icon. For frequent changes, Folder Painter or Folder Marker adds colored icons to the folder’s right-click menu.
The short version
- No extra coloring app: Save a colored ICO file, then apply it through the folder’s customization controls.
- Make your own icon: FolderIcon.App lets you choose a shade in your browser and export an ICO file.
- Faster changes: Folder Painter and Folder Marker let you choose colors from a folder’s right-click menu.
- Easy reversal: Restore the default icon before removing a folder-color application.
| Method | Best use | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Windows folder properties | Customize individual folders | Requires an available icon or colored ICO file |
| FolderIcon.App | Create a custom shade in your browser | Apply the exported ICO through Windows properties |
| Folder Painter | Choose colors from a context menu | Requires adding its menu integration |
| Folder Marker | Color one or several selected folders | Some options require Home or Pro |
| Shortcut properties | Color a folder shortcut independently | Leaves the target folder’s icon unchanged |
Apply a colored icon to a folder
Save your colored ICO file in a permanent location, then open File Explorer and find the folder you want to customize. Right-click it, select Properties, open the Customize tab, and select Change Icon. Select Browse, locate your ICO file, and select Open.
Choose OK, then select Apply and OK to finish. Repeat the sequence for other folders, choosing a different ICO file whenever you want a different color. If you do not have an ICO file, you can select an available icon from Windows’ existing icon library or create colored artwork using the browser method below.
To reach the same controls with the keyboard, press Windows + E, select the folder, and press Alt + Enter to open Properties. Continue through Customize > Change Icon. These shortcuts open the customization controls; they do not select a color directly.
You need an ordinary folder with a Customize tab and permission to save customization changes. If that tab is missing, you cannot use this particular route for the selected item. An editable shortcut to the folder has separate icon controls, covered below.
Create a colored folder icon
Use FolderIcon.App when you want to choose your own shade without installing a folder-color application. Open FolderIcon.App and select Start creating. Under Folder Style, select Windows, then adjust Folder Hue, Saturation, and Folder Brightness.
Select Download icon and export the icon in ICO format. Save it in a permanent location before selecting it through the folder’s Properties > Customize > Change Icon > Browse controls. Keep the file in that location after applying it so the customization can continue using the selected artwork.
Use Folder Painter for quick color changes
Download Folder Painter from the official Folder Painter product page and extract the archive. Run FolderPainter_x64.exe, choose an icon pack, and select Install to add its menu integration. Sordum lists Windows 11 as supported.
Right-click a folder in File Explorer and select Show more options if you need to open the classic context menu. Select Change Folder Icon, then choose a color. When Change Folder Icon is already visible in the first menu, select it directly.
Before applying a color, check Change the icon of subfolders if you want the change to include folders inside your selected folder. When you want the icon to travel with the folder, open Folder Painter, check Copy icon while in folder, select Install, and then reapply the color to that folder. The target location must still allow folder customization.
To undo a change, right-click the folder and select Change Folder Icon > Default Folder Icon. Restore the folders you want to return to normal before removing the menu integration. Open Folder Painter and select Uninstall to remove that integration.
Use Folder Marker for several folders
Open the official Folder Marker download page, choose the Free, Home, or Pro edition, and download and install it. Basic single-folder coloring is available in Free, while palettes differ by edition. Folder Marker licenses Free and Home for noncommercial home use.
Select the folders you want to change in File Explorer, then right-click the selection and select Show more options if needed. Open Mark Folder and choose a colored folder icon. Use Mark Folder directly when it is already visible in the first context menu.
To work from the application window, open Folder Marker, select Browse, and choose a folder. Select a colored icon, then select Apply. For multiple targets, open Folder > Multiple Folders, select Add to add your targets, then choose the icon and select Apply.
Home and Pro also let you apply an icon throughout a folder tree. Check Apply selected icon to all subfolders before selecting Apply. Leave that option unchecked when you only want to customize the selected folder.
To reverse a change, right-click the folder and select Mark Folder > Restore Default. For several folders, select the targets inside Folder Marker and choose Action > Restore Default Icon for Chosen Folder(s). This lets you undo a batch without restoring each folder separately.
Change a folder shortcut independently
You can give a folder shortcut a different colored icon from the folder it opens. Right-click an existing folder shortcut, select Properties, and open the Shortcut tab. Select Change Icon, then Browse.
Choose your colored ICO file and select Open > OK > Apply > OK. Only the shortcut’s appearance changes; the target folder keeps its own icon. You need permission to edit the shortcut for this change to work.
Fix a custom icon that does not appear
After applying a new icon, press F5 to refresh File Explorer. If you still see the old appearance, return to the customization controls and confirm that you selected the intended ICO file. Also check that the folder offers the relevant customization tab and allows you to save changes.
Microsoft says Windows security updates released on or after June 9, 2026 can block folder customizations that use an untrusted desktop.ini file. This can affect downloaded or remote customizations. Trusted customizations remain supported, so you can still use custom folder icons.
When the customization comes from a known internal or managed source, Microsoft recommends adding that source to the Trusted Sites list. If the affected folder’s desktop.ini file carries the Mark of the Web and its content is trusted, open PowerShell and run the following command. Replace the example path with the actual path to that folder’s desktop.ini file.
Unblock-File "C:\Your\Folder\Path\desktop.ini"Press F5 in File Explorer again after unblocking the file. Use this remedy only for a customization you trust, since it removes the file’s trust restriction rather than choosing or applying a new color.
Restore yellow folders and remove an app
For an icon applied through Windows’ folder properties, right-click the folder and select Properties > Customize > Change Icon. Select Restore Defaults, then OK > Apply > OK. For Folder Painter or Folder Marker, use the corresponding restore command described above.
Restore the affected folder icons before uninstalling a coloring application. Removing an app is not a dependable way to return every customized folder to its original appearance. Portable tools can also require their own command or control to remove context-menu integration.
To remove an installed application, open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps. Find the application, open More, and select Uninstall. For Folder Painter’s context-menu integration, use its own Uninstall button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Windows accent color change folder colors?
No, you cannot recolor individual folder icons through Settings > Personalization > Colors. Those settings control interface mode and accent colors.
Can you change the default folder icon across Windows?
Yes, Folder Marker offers a system default option. Open Folder Marker, select a colored icon, then select Action > Use selected icon as the system default folder icon. To reverse it, select Action > Restore System Default Folder Icon. Special folders and folders with existing custom icons can behave separately.
Can Folder Marker make a custom icon travel with its folder?
Yes, you can do this with the Home and Pro editions. Check Make customized folder distributable before applying the icon. This option is separate from applying an icon to subfolders.
Can you use a gradient instead of a solid folder color?
Yes, you can select Gradient in CustomFolder 4 or FolderSmith. CustomFolder 4 requires 64-bit Windows 10 version 1909 or later and the .NET 8 Desktop Runtime x64. FolderSmith also offers gradients with its Windows 11 folder style, but free usage has a monthly folder-application allowance.