Changing the Chrome icon to a custom icon is very useful if you are trying to customize your Windows desktop to match a certain aesthetic or don’t like the current default icon. In this tutorial, I will show the simplest way to customize the Chrome icon, how to troubleshoot frequent issues you might encounter after changing the Chrome icon, and how to restore the original icon to track back when needed. Let’s get started.
Related: How to change the default icon of all folders in Windows 10 & 11
Before You Begin
- You need the administrator rights to change the Chrome icon.
- Make sure you have the icon file in the ‘.ico’ file format available in your system. If the icon is in a different format, such as ‘.png’, you’ll need to convert it to ‘.ico’. For example, I downloaded a PNG icon from FlatIcon, converted it to ‘.ico’ format, and saved it in a folder on my computer.
Steps to Change Chrome Icon
1. Press the “Start” button and search for “Google Chrome.”
2. Right-click on the Google Chrome entry in the Start menu and select “Open File Location.”
3. Right-click the Google Chrome shortcut file in the File Explorer and select “Properties.”
4. Click the “Change Icon” button.
5. Press the “Browse” button.
6. Navigate to the folder with the custom icon, select the icon, and click “Open.”
7. Click “OK” in the Change Icon window.
8. Click “OK” in the Google Chrome Properties window.
9. Press the “Continue” button when prompted for admin rights.
10. Restart your computer. Press the Start button, click the “Power” icon, and select “Restart.”
Important Note:
- After changing the Chrome icon, you should not move or delete the icon from its location. Doing so will make Chrome use the default icon.
Troubleshooting
The icon file should be in “.ico” format: Make sure that the icon you are using is in .ico format. Otherwise, you cannot use it. If it’s in some other format, such as “.png” or “.jpg,” convert it to the “.ico” file format. If you cannot see the file format at the end of the file name, enable file extensions (for Windows 11).
Clear icon and thumbnail cache: If you are not seeing the new icon immediately, clear the icon cache and thumbnail cache. After that restart your computer and you should the new icon for Chrome.
Unpin and pin the Chrome icon to the taskbar: After changing the icon, you need to re-pin Chrome to the taskbar to update the icon display. To do this, right-click on the existing Chrome icon on the taskbar and select “Unpin from taskbar.” Then, find Google Chrome in the Start menu, right-click on it, and choose “Pin to taskbar” to re-pin it.
Restore the Original Chrome Icon
To restore the original Chrome icon, follow the below steps:
1. Open the “Start menu,” and type “Google Chrome” in the search bar.
2. Right-click on the Google Chrome item and select “Open File Location.”
3. Right-click the Google Chrome shortcut file in the File Explorer and select “Properties.”
4. Under the “General” tab, select the entire path in the Target field, right-click on it, and select “Copy.” This will copy Chrome’s executable path to the clipboard.
5. Click the “Change Icon” button.
6. Select the entire path in the field, right-click, select “Paste” and then press Enter. This will paste Chrome’s executable path and load the default Chrome icons.
7. Select the default icon (usually, the first one), and click “OK.”
8. Click “OK” in the main window.
9. “Restart” your computer and you are done. The original Chrome icon is restored. Like before, you have to re-pin the Chrome icon on the taskbar.
Wrapping Up — Customizing Chrome Icon
As you can see, using a custom icon for your Chrome browser is very easy. However, do keep in mind that once you change the icon, you shouldn’t delete the custom icon from its place. If you do so, Chrome will use the default icon or the icon may not display correctly. Follow these steps, you can change the icon of any program you want. Just make sure to use an icon file (.ico) instead of a regular image file (like .png or .jpg).
If you have any questions, comment below. I will answer.
