To further customize windows 10 desktop you can replace or change the default recycle bin icon to a custom icon. Here’s how.
Windows 10 uses the generic trash icon as the default recycle bin icon. Out of the box, the icon look pretty good with its minimal design. The default icon has two states. i.e, when there are files in the Recycle Bin, the icon appears full and when it’s empty, the icon appears empty.
If you got bored with the default recycle bin icon, you can change it to anything you want. In fact, you can set two different icons for two recycle bin states. i.e, when it is empty and when it has files in it. Let me show you the process of changing the recycle bin icon in Windows 10.
Steps to Change Recycle Bin Icon in Windows 10
- Right-click on the desktop.
- Select “Personalize” option.
- Select the “Themes” tab in the Settings app.
- Scroll down and click on the “Desktop icon settings” under “Related settings”.
- Select the “Recycle Bin (Full)” icon and click the “Change icon” button.
- Click on the “Browse” button.
- Go to the folder where you saved the icon, select it, and click “Open“.
- Click “Ok” in the icon selection window.
- Select the “Recycle Bin (Empty)” icon and click on the “Change icon” button.
- Click the “Browse” button.
- Select the icon in the Browse window and click “Open“.
- Click on the “Ok” button.
- To save changes, click “Apply” and “Ok” buttons to save changes.
- Close the Settings app.
Note: The custom icons should be in .ico format. You can use free websites like IconArchive or DeviantArt to find and download custom icons.
That is it. You’ve changed both Recycle Bin Full and Recycle Bin Empty icons in Windows 10. You should instantly see the changes on the desktop.
When the Recycle Bin is full or has files in it, it should show the full icon.
When the Recycle Bin is empty, it should show the empty icon.
Don’t forget to keep the custom icons in a safe place. If the icons are deleted, the Recycle Bin might revert back to using the default Windows 10 trash icon.
I hope that helps. If you are stuck or need some help, comment below and I will try to help as much as possible. If you like this article, check out how to hide the recycle bin in Windows 10.
