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How to Display Drive Icons on Your Mac's Desktop

Turn desktop drive icons on and customize their appearance

By Tom Nelson Tom Nelson Writer Tom Nelson is an engineer, programmer, network manager, and computer network and systems designer who has written for Other World Computing,and others. Tom is also president of Coyote Moon, Inc., a Macintosh and Windows consulting firm. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 11, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apple Macs iPad

What to Know

Open Finder and go to Finder > Preferences > General. You'll see the devices that can have their associated icon displayed on your desktop.Check a device to display its icon on your desktop. Uncheck any items whose icons you don't want on your desktop.Use a photo as an icon: Open in Preview, select Edit > Copy. Right-click the drive icon, click Get Info, and paste the photo over the current icon. This article explains how to show or hide drive icons on your Mac's desktop. Your Mac desktop displays icons representing your hard drive, external drives attached to your computer, connected servers, and attached items, such as CDs and DVDs.

How to Change the Drives You See on the Desktop

You may want a clean desktop if you're doing a presentation, or you may prefer that only your main hard drive icon is on your desktop. It's easy to specify which desktop drive icons are visible using the Finder. Click the desktop or open a Finder window to make sure the Finder is currently the front-most application. From the Finder menu bar, select Preferences. In the Finder Preferences window that opens, click the General tab. On the General tab, you'll see a list of devices that can have their associated icon displayed on your desktop: Hard disks: This includes internal devices, such as hard drives or SSDs. External disks: This references any storage device that's connected via one of your Mac's external ports, such as USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt. CDs, DVDs, and iPods: These icons include ejectable media, including optical devices, as well as iPods or iPhones. Connected servers: This refers to any network storage devices or networked file systems that are usable by your Mac. Place a check mark next to any items you wish to display on the desktop. The selected items will now display on the desktop. Remove the check mark to stop displaying the icon on your desktop. As soon as it's unchecked, the drive icon will be removed from your desktop. Close the Finder Preferences window. Go back to make adjustments anytime.

How to Use a Picture as a Desktop Drive Icon

It's easy to turn a default drive icon into your favorite picture. On your Mac, copy the picture you want to use to your Clipboard. An easy way to do this is to open the picture in Preview, then select Edit > Copy. Right-click the drive icon you want to replace, then select Get Info. At the top of the menu, click the current folder icon to select it, then select Edit > Paste. Your chosen picture is now your new desktop drive icon. This method works for changing icons for any file or folder on a Mac. Use a picture, an icon downloaded from the web, or another folder's icon. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Change Folder Color on Mac How to Map a Network Drive on a Mac How to Connect to a Server How to Change a Login Picture on Mac How to Find a Flash Drive That's Not Showing Up on a Mac How to Reset Your Mac's PRAM or NVRAM (Parameter RAM) How to Modify the Mac Finder Sidebar How to Use Spotlight, the Finder Search Window Personalize the Mac's Desktop Wallpaper With Your Own Pictures How to Transfer Photos From any Phone to Your Computer How to Change Folder Icons in Windows 11 How to Use Sticky Notes for Mac How to Use Column View Options in Finder on the Mac How to Remove Preference Panes From Your Mac How to Check MacBook Storage How to Copy Music From Your iPod to a Mac Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies