How to Change App Icons on a Chromebook (What Works)

ChromeOS has no setting to change app icons on a Chromebook. You can’t swap the icon of an Android app or a built-in app like Files. You can give a website shortcut a custom icon, though. You change the site’s tab icon for a moment, then create the shortcut while the new icon is showing.

Before you start

• Applies to: Website shortcuts on any Chromebook. Not Android apps or system apps.
• You need: A square image file online, like a PNG from an icon site. Copy its direct link (it should end in .png or .jpg).
• Time: About 5 minutes.

Which icons can I change?

• Website shortcuts: Yes, with the trick below.
• Installed web apps (like YouTube Music): Usually no. They use the icon the site sets.
• Android apps from the Play Store: No.
• Built-in apps (Files, Settings, Camera): No.

How do I give a website shortcut a custom icon?

This uses a bookmarklet, which is a bookmark that runs a tiny bit of code on the page you are viewing. It only changes the page on your screen. It does not change the website.

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + O to open the Bookmark manager.
2. Click the three-dot menu and choose Add new bookmark.
3. Name it Change icon. In the URL box, paste this, then click Save:
   javascript:(function(){var u=prompt('Image URL');if(!u)return;document.querySelectorAll('link[rel*=icon]').forEach(function(l){l.remove()});var l=document.createElement('link');l.rel='icon';l.href=u;document.head.appendChild(l);})();
4. Open the website you want a shortcut for.
5. Click your Change icon bookmark, paste the image link, and click OK. The tab icon changes.
6. Don’t reload the page. Click the three-dot menu, go to Cast, save, and share, and choose Create shortcut.
7. Leave Open as window unchecked, then click Create.

The new shortcut shows up in your launcher with your icon. Right-click it and choose Pin to shelf if you want it there.

Why didn’t my icon change?

• The page reloaded. Run the bookmarklet again and create the shortcut right away.
• The site is a full web app. Some sites, including many Google sites, give Chrome their own app icon, and that wins over the tab icon.
• The image link is wrong. Open the link in a new tab. It should show only the image.
• You already had a shortcut. Remove the old one first, then make the new one.

FAQ

Can I use icon packs on a Chromebook?

No. ChromeOS doesn’t support icon packs. Android launchers from the Play Store only change icons inside that launcher, not on the shelf.

Will my custom icon last?

Yes. It stays until you delete the shortcut or reset the Chromebook.

Can I rename an app instead?

Only website shortcuts. You pick the name when you create the shortcut. Android and built-in apps keep their names.

The bottom line

You can’t restyle every icon on a Chromebook, but website shortcuts can look the way you want. Make the shortcut while your custom icon is showing, then pin it to the shelf.

Related guides

• How to Customize Your Chromebook Desktop
• How to Pin a Chrome Profile to Your Taskbar
• How to Change the Shelf Position in ChromeOS