Folder Icons For Mac Rating: 8,9/10 4972 reviews

When you download an app on Android or Windows, you get an option, or it automatically creates a shortcut on the home screen or the desktop. On Mac too creating a folder or app shortcut is extremely easy. It hardly requires four clicks. We first make an alias and then move it to the desired location.

You can add shortcuts for folders and apps to the desktop or Dock of your Mac. The first method below is the one I prefer. The second method is also quick, but it at times copies the folder instead of making the shortcut. Anyways, here are two easy ways to create desktop shortcuts on Mac running macOS Big Sur or Catalina.

How to Create Desktop Shortcuts on Mac

The Simple Folder Icon Pack allows you to give an original touch to your desktop no matter the file types or applications you choose to associate. To learn more about changing your default Mac OS X. Choose “Go” and you’ll instantly be brought to the appropriate resources folder containing all system icons for Mac OS X that are found throughout the Mac The folder is best viewed in “icon” view with a reasonably visible icon size, which perhaps isn’t too surprising considering this the system icon folder.

Step #1. Decide which folder’s or app’s desktop shortcut you want to create. Find where the folder is located. If you cannot find it, see the end for instructions.

Step #2.Right-click on the folder or app name and click on Make Alias.

Step #3. You will see that a shortcut is immediately created for that folder or app. Press enter key. It has the word alias at the end of the name.

Step #4. Drag this shortcut to your desktop or Dock. You may also copy the shortcut and paste it on the desktop.

This is it!

You have successfully created the desktop shortcut for a folder or app. Now you may quickly use this to open that folder, or launch the app. You may repeat this with as many folders and apps you like.

If you wish, you may select the shortcut, press the enter key, and rename it to remove the word ‘alias.’

Finally, if you wish to see the original folder, right-click on the shortcut icon and click on Show Original.

Note 1: Even if you move the original folder to some other location, the shortcut you created still works. Beautiful! Isn’t it.

Note 2: You may use this method to create shortcuts even for files like image, document, zip, music, movie, etc.

Not able to Find the Folder Location?

Finding applications is clear. You click on Finder → Applications, and there you have all your applications. Knowing the location of the Folders you create is also straightforward.

But for some folders, especially system folders like Downloads, Documents, etc. it may be a bit tough to know the path. Here are some ways to know it.

#1. From Sidebar: Launch Finder, place your pointer on the folder name in left Sidebar, and then right-click. Finally, click Show in Enclosing Folder. Now follow the above steps.

#2. Using Path Bar: Be inside Finder and click on View from the menu bar. Now click Show Path Bar. A tab will be added to the bottom of the Finder. It has the location/path for the folder you click or select.

#3. Use Spotlight Search: Launch Spotlight Search by clicking the search icon in menu bar or press Command (⌘) + Space Bar. Now type the folder name and then scroll to the bottom of the search result and click on Show all in Finder… Click on the folder and follow the above steps to make its shortcut.

#4. Use Siri: I do not like Siri on Mac, notably older Macs. Anyways, you may ask Siri on Mac to ‘Show Download Folder’ (or any folder) and then go to the bottom of the result and click on Show all results in Finder… Now you may follow the above steps. Please note that this does not always work.

Create Desktop Shortcuts on Mac Using Drag and Drop

The above method is swift and simple. It is the one I prefer. However, there is an additional way to create folder and app shortcuts on Mac.

Step #1. Be at the location of the folder or app you want to create the shortcut of.

Step #2. Press and hold Option (⌥) + Command (⌘) key together. Do not leave the hold. Now click on the folder or app and drag it to the desktop.

Note: When you use this method, there are chances that you may unwillingly and unknowingly copy or move the folder instead of making its shortcut. Don’t worry. Press Command (⌘) + Z to undo and try again, or use the first method.

Add Folder Shortcuts to Dock on Mac

I recently wrote a post where I explained how to add website shortcuts to Dock on Mac. It is an interesting article. Similarly, you may add shortcuts to your Dock too.

Follow any of the above methods and make the shortcut of the folder or app (you may directly add an app to Dock, but anyway). Now drag that shortcut from Desktop to the rightmost part of Dock (Second left to the Trash icon).

Wrapping up…

These were two easy ways to create shortcut icons on Mac. There is a third method that I know of, which requires Terminal and some command lines. However, it is tricky and beyond the simplicity of the average user. Also, if you change the folder location, the shortcut stops working. So I did not mention this method.

Secondly, on Macs running OS versions before Catalina, you may also click on a Folder or App and then press together Command (⌘) + L. It will instantly make the alias. It works on my old MacBook Pro running macOS Sierra, but on a different MacBook Pro running the latest version of macOS Catalina, this quick method does not seem to work.

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What are your thoughts regarding shortcuts on Mac? Have you used it on Windows? How was the experience there? Share your opinion in the comment section below.

Suraj is a digital marketing expert on the iGB's team. He contributes to the social media section along with tips and tricks for iPhone, Apple Watch. Apart from blogging, he likes to work out as much as he can in his gym and love to listening to retro music.

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Dec 03, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

'Everything on my desktop disappeared on Mac out of the blue. Can someone tell me how to restore my Mac desktop and get back Mac icons?'

It might sound surprising, but a lot of Mac users undergo issues like this related to their Mac folder icons, dock, and desktop. For instance, the chances are that some folders can get disappeared from the desktop on Mac unexpectedly, or your Mac toolbar can get hidden as well. Don't worry – we are here to help you with every essential solution regarding Mac desktop and other related problems.

In this guide, we will discuss stepwise solutions related to numerous Mac desktop issues and even teach you how to get back lost Mac folders.

Why Does Everything on Desktop Disappear on Mac?

Before we discuss various Mac desktop issues, it is important to learn what could have caused them in the first place. When everything on my desktop disappeared on Mac, I tried to diagnose the problem and discovered the following reasons behind it:

  • You could have accidentally deleted a file or icon from the desktop.
  • The chances are that you might have disabled dock or taskbar.
  • A third-party application could have changed your desktop settings.
  • Mac settings would have been altered during an update or OS repair.
  • There might be some change in the overall display or system settings on Mac.
  • A clash between some other kernel and local OS process could have caused the issue.
  • A broken firmware process or tamper with macOS can also cause the same.
  • Sometimes, a virus or malware attack can also make your desktop icons or dock disappear.

Problem 1: Folders Disappeared From Desktop Mac

When it comes to everything disappearing from the desktop, the first problem must be the missing folders or hidden Mac folder icons. There would be a problem with system settings, or you might have accidentally deleted something as well. Don't worry – we have an easy solution for both of these issues.

1. Disable the iCloud Drive Sync

Many users have noticed that when the iCloud sync option is enabled on their Mac, it leads to the temporary unavailability of certain folders on the desktop. This is because while iCloud syncs the data, the relevant Mac folder icons become missing or hidden. If you want, you can wait for the sync to finish or disable it altogether.

  1. Firstly, go to your Mac's System Preferences and open the iCloud application.
  2. From here, disable the iCloud Drive option by unchecking it.
  3. If you want, you can also go to its 'Options' to further customize things.

In the end, close the iCloud application on your Mac and go to the desktop to see if the icons are still missing or not on Mac.

2. Use a Missing Folder Recovery Tool

If you have accidentally deleted a folder from your Mac's desktop, then this would be an ideal solution for you. With Recoverit Mac Folder Recovery software's help, you can get back all kinds of deleted and lost content.

This includes the deleted folders on Mac as well. The tool is developed by Wondershare and is extremely easy to use. It can help you recover data lost due to a virus attack, formatted disk, accidental deletion, corrupt storage, and every other common scenario. The application features different scanning modes and is known for its high data recovery rate.

You can get the Mac desktop folder or any other content back using Recoverit by following these steps.

Step 1: Select the desktop disk.

Go to the official website of Wondershare Recoverit and install the recovery tool on your Mac. When you launch it, you can select a location to scan. In this case, we will be performing data recovery on Mac's internal hard drive (Macintosh HD) instead of any other connected source.

Step 2: Scan the desktop disk.

As soon as you click on the 'Start' button, Recoverit will take the needed steps for data extraction. If you want positive results, then try not to close the application in between.

Step 3: Preview and recover desktop folders.

When the data recovery process is completed, the application will display the results on the interface. You can go to any category of your choice from here and preview the retrieved content. Make the needed selection and click on the 'Recover' button to save your files to a secure location.

In this way, you can easily get your documents that were disappeared back on Mac. If the quick scan could not fulfill your requirements, you could do a deep scan as well. To do this, click on the 'All-around Recovery' and wait as Recoverit would extract data from your Mac's storage. While the deep scan would take more time than the quick scan, the results would also be far better.

How to Recover Desktop Files on Mac

Problem 2: Downloaded Folder on Mac's Dock Disappeared

If you are a regular Mac user, you must be familiar with the Downloads folder on Mac's dock. By default, the Downloads folder is available on the dock for us to access with a single click. Nevertheless, there are times when the Downloads folder gets disappeared from Mac's dock. You would have done it by mistake, or an overwriting of settings could have also caused the same issue. To fix this and get the Download folder back on the dock, follow these steps:

1. Drag the Downloads Folder from the Home Directory

This is the easiest and the fastest solution to get the Downloads folder back on Mac's dock. Firstly, we will go to the Home directory to access the folder, and later we will reposition it on the dock.

  1. First, click on the 'Go' option on the menu and open the Home directory from here.
  2. Once the Home directory is opened, you can access multiple folders from here. Find the 'Downloads' folder where all the downloaded data is stored.
  3. Now, drag the Downloads folder and drop it to a relevant position on the dock. This will make the Downloads folder reappear on the dock.
If you accidentally removed downloads on your Mac computer, you need to know the best way of recovering deleted downloaded files and folders.

2. Reset the Mac Dock

If the dock on your Mac is not working in an ideal manner, then you should consider resetting it as well. This will restore the dock to its default settings, which would automatically have the Downloads icon present. Here's how you can quickly reset the dock and even resolve issues as the Mac dock disappeared.

  1. Click on the 'Go' option from the menu and visit the 'Utilities' folder.
  2. Here, you can view all the utility tools on your Mac. Launch the Terminal app from here.
  3. Now, enter the following commands on Terminal and press Enter: defaults delete com.apple.dock; killall Dock
  4. Close Terminal and try to access the Downloads folder on the dock once again.

Problem 3: Mac Desktop Icons Disappeared

A lot of times, users complain that their Mac's desktop icons have been disappeared. Why did Mac desktop icons disappear? What can make the icons gone? Sometimes missing icons are due to disk permissions or a macOS fault. In most cases, the reason is simple. An application could have overwritten the desktop icon settings, making them hidden or go missing. Therefore, if you wish to get your Mac icons back, then follow these steps.

  1. Click on the Finder on your desktop and go to its Preferences.
  2. Once the Finder Preferences tab is opened, go to its General section.
  3. Here, you can see an option to show various icons on Mac. Just make sure that the relevant options (like hard disk, connected drives, etc.) are enabled here.

Problem 4: Toolbar on Mac Disappeared

The toolbar is one of the most important features on Mac's desktop, which is often termed as the 'menu bar' by many. Apart from having the icons of the important apps, it also gives us access to numerous settings and tools. Also, it displays time, notifications and helps us manage our system. Though, there could be a change in your system's settings that might have made the Mac toolbar hidden. You can easily fix the Mac toolbar missing issue by following these solutions.

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1. Use System Preferences to Show the Toolbar

Just like the dock, you can also get back the Mac toolbar hidden on your desktop via System Preferences.

  1. Firstly, go to the Apple menu on the top left and visit System Preferences.
  2. From here, visit the General preference panel settings to explore the available options.
  3. Under the Appearance section, you can view an option for 'Automatically hide and show the menu bar.' Just disable this feature by unchecking the box to make the toolbar stay on Mac's desktop.

2. Exit the Full-Screen Mode

Mac comes with a full-screen feature that lets us have an uninterrupted and wider view of the screen. While the full-screen mode is good for watching videos, it makes the Mac toolbar hidden, making it harder for you to access its settings. Therefore, you can exit the full-screen mode to get the toolbar back.

To exit the full-screen mode, go to the menu bar location, and hover the cursor. Once you see it, go to the 'View' menu and click on 'Exit Full Screen.'

Additionally, you can also use the keyboard shortcuts to do the same as well. Just press the Command + Control + F keys at the same time to exit the full-screen mode and get back to the toolbar on your Mac.

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Problem 5: Mac Dock Disappeared

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As you know, the dock is the inbuilt feature of Mac that allows us to access all the vital apps and settings quickly. Ideally, you can customize your Mac's dock as per your needs. Sometimes, while customizing, users end up hiding the dock by mistake. Also, a sudden change in your OS can cause this problem. When my dock disappeared on my Mac, I followed these steps, and it quickly solved the problem.

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1. Use System Preferences to Hide or Show the Dock

The easiest way to fix the Mac dock disappeared is by visiting the System Preferences on your Mac and changing the dock settings.

  1. Firstly, go to the Apple logo on the top and click on the 'System Preferences' button.
  2. From the System Preferences window, you can open the 'Dock' settings.
  3. Here, you can see an option for 'Automatically hide and show the Dock.' Ensure that the feature is disabled (unchecked) so that the dock will stay visible all the time.

2. Use the Keyboard to Show or Hide the Dock

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As you know, Mac has a setting to hide the dock automatically, and it will only be visible when we hover the mouse over it. If you still can't access the dock, follow this quick drill to fix the Mac dock disappeared issue.

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  1. Move the mouse arrow over the dock to view it or press the Option + D keys simultaneously.
  2. Once the dock is visible, right-click it to get its context menu.
  3. From here, click on the 'Turn Hiding Off' option, which will make the dock static and visible permanently.

After reading this post, you would resolve queries related to the toolbar on Mac disappeared, or Mac dock disappeared. From getting back the missing dock to desktop icons, we have listed solutions for every common issue. If the Mac folder icons are missing on the desktop, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery to get them back. If you have accidentally deleted some files, you will retrieve them using this reliable data recovery tool. You can also download it for free on your Mac and use it when needed to recover missing files and folders without any trouble.

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