If you have recently installed or upgraded to Windows 10 from a previous version of Windows and have started exploring Windows 10, you will notice the new set of icons on the desktop, file explorer, and other areas of the operating system.
The new Recycle Bin icon is not pretty but looks decent when it’s full. There are many more icons in Windows 10 that don’t look good on a modern operating system. Since the Recycle Bin icon is there right on the desktop and visible always, you may want to change the default icon of Recycle Bin in Windows 10 with a cool looking one.
Luckily, like previous Windows versions, you don’t need to download a third-party utility to replace the default Recycle Bin icon with a custom one. There is a provision under Desktop Icon Settings to change Recycle Bin, This PC, and Network icons.
Accessing Desktop Icon Settings is not very straight-forward in Windows 10, unlike previous versions as the classic Personalization window (which had links to desktop icon settings) has been dropped out, but it’s good that Microsoft didn’t remove the feature like some other classic features.
NOTE: If the Recycle Bin is not showing up on the desktop, refer to our how to add Recycle Bin to Windows 10 desktop guide.
Change Windows 10’s Recycle Bin icon with a custom one
Here is how to change the default icon of Recycle Bin in Windows 10:
Step 1: Navigate to the Settings app > Personalization > Themes. In the Related Settings section, you will find the Desktop icon settings link. Click on it.
Step 2: Here, click on Recycle Bin (full) icon and then Change icon button.
Step 3: When you see Change Icon dialog, either select an icon from the icons listed in the box, or click the Browse button to navigate to the folder containing the icon file that you would like to use as Recycle Bin icon and then click Open button to set the selected icon as Recycle Bin icon.
The only condition is that the icon file must be in .ico format, meaning you can’t simply select an image file. That said, there are many free tools and online services out there to convert image files into icon files.
NOTE: There are many places on the web from where you can download cool icons for free. One of them is DeviantArt.
Step 4: Now that we have changed the Recycle Bin (full) icon, it’s time to change the Recycle Bin (empty) icon. To do so, select Recycle Bin (empty) icon, click the Change button, and then follow the instructions mentioned in Step 3.
Good luck! If you would like to change more icons, there is a free software called CustomizerGod. And to change the folder icon, please go through our how to get Windows 7-style folder icons in Windows 10 guide.
Don’t forget to check out Windows 10 Recycle Bin tips and tricks article.
Marilyn Gregory says
Very informative. One slight problem. I did not upgrade but bought a new laptop with windows 10 installed. There are no alternative icons for the bin. Also, I cannot use the browse function (in case there are other icons not shown) because I do not know what icons the file names refer to.
I do not want to download because I do not want to fall victim to the false download button malware scam. My only option is to remove the bin icon altogether – which I have done.