How to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10

by Sudip Majhi

If you want to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10, here is how you can do that. At times, you might want to use a different icon for the Recycle Bin or reset the Recycle Bin icon for your convenience. If so, you can use this guide to get the Recycle Bin icon as per your requirements.

How to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10

Recycle Bin, as the name implies, stores all your deleted files, folders, documents, images, videos, etc. Every time you delete something, it gets deposited in the Recycle Bin. Although it doesn’t act normally when you delete something with the Shift button on, in other cases, it comes about how it’s been depicted here.

Recycle Bin shows two different icons – when you have some files in Recycle Bin and when it is empty, the Recycle Bin icons appear as per the contents. However, it is possible to change the Recycle Bin icon with the help of in-built options.

How to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10

To change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10, follow these steps:

  1. Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
  2. Switch to the Personalization tab.
  3. Click on the Themes menu on the right side.
  4. Click on the Desktop icon settings option at the bottom.
  5. Select Recycle Bin (full) or Recycle Bin (empty) option.
  6. Click on the Change Icon button.
  7. Select an icon you like to show for Recycle Bin.
  8. Click the OK button twice to save the change.

To learn more about these steps, continue reading.

To get started, press the Win+I to open the Windows Settings panel on Windows 11. Following that, switch to the Personalization tab on the left side and click on the Themes menu on the right side.

Here you can find an option called Desktop icon settings. You need to click on this option to open the Desktop Icon Settings panel on your screen.

How to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10

Following that, you have two options or things to change – empty Recycle Bin and full Recycle Bin. You need to select one option at a time and click the Change Icon button.

How do I create a custom Recycle Bin icon

Next, you need to select an icon you want to show in the place of the default Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop.

How do I change the Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11

Then, click the OK button twice to save the change. You need to repeat the same steps for the other icon as well.

How do I create a custom Recycle Bin icon?

To set or create a custom Recycle Bin icon, you need to open the Desktop Icon Settings panel. You can either search for it in the Taskbar search box or open it via Windows Settings. Then, choose Recycle Bin (full) or Recycle Bin (empty) option, and click the Change Icon button to select an icon you like. You can also click on the Browse button to select a custom Recycle Bin icon.

That’s it! I hope it helped.

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How to remove Recycle Bin on Desktop

To remove Recycle Bin on Desktop, follow these steps:

  • Press Win+I to open Windows Settings.
  • Go to the Personalization > Themes
  • Click on the Desktop icon settings option under the Related settings menu.
  • Head to the Desktop icons section.
  • Remove the tick from the Recycle Bin checkbox.
  • Click the OK button to save the change.

Once done, you won’t find the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop. However, if you want to get to the Recycle Bin, you need to open the same Desktop Icon Settings panel and tick the Recycle Bin checkbox before clicking the OK button.

How do I get the Recycle Bin icon?

To get back the Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10 PC, you need to open the Desktop Icon Settings properties on your computer first. Then, you can head to the Desktop icons section visible on your screen. Here you can find a checkbox related to the Recycle Bin. You need to tick this checkbox and click the OK button.

How do I reset my Recycle Bin icon?

To reset your Recycle Bin icon, open the Desktop Icon Settings panel on your PC. You can use the Windows Settings to get to it. Then, you can see an option named Restore Default. You need to click on this button. Finally, click the OK button to get the job done.

Wrap up: Change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11/10

It is not that difficult to change Recycle Bin icon in Windows 11 or Windows 10. However, it is rather easy on Windows 11 than on Windows 10. You need to open the Desktop Icon Settings panel to get started. After that, all you need to do is to select an icon you want.

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