Learn how to personalize the Apple Files app in iOS 26 by changing folder colors and adding icons or emojis to folder images to distinguish them from regular blue folders.
Similar to customizing the look of your Finder folders in macOS Tahoe 26, the Files app on iPhone and iPad running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 also lets you switch from the usual blue color to other popular colors, such as Green, Red, Orange, Blue, Purple, Gray, and Yellow. You can also add one of the many stock symbols or emojis in the center of your folder icon to further enhance its look.
In addition to being an excellent customization tool, these new changes serve a practical purpose: to let you find a folder quickly at first glance when you have multiple folders in one location. As an example, I use my “iDB” folder every day, so I have changed its color to orange and added an iPhone emoji, which allows me to notice it immediately among the multiple folders I have on iCloud Drive.
Change folder color and add an icon in iOS 26 Files app
Adjusting the folder icon color is linked to the Tags feature, so that’s what you’ll have to use. Secondly, if you change the color and add an icon to a folder saved in iCloud, that change will be reflected across all your iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 devices.
1) Open the Files app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the Browse button to see all your locations, and go to iCloud Drive, On My iPhone/iPad, or Dropbox (if you have added it).
2) Touch and hold a folder icon and select Customize Folder & Tags from the menu.
3) To change the folder color, tap the Tags button at the top, then select one of the tag colors except White, and hit the checkmark icon. Note that you can add more than one tag to a folder; however, in this case, the tag color you select most recently will be used as the folder icon color.
4) To add an icon, select one from the customization pane. To add an emoji instead, tap its button and make your selection. With folder color and/or icon added, tap the checkmark icon to save your changes.
You can change the folder color and add an icon to most of your local and iCloud folders, except for a few like the Shortcuts and Downloads. Additionally, folders created by third-party apps will also not allow you to customize their appearance.
Remove the custom folder color and icon
If you change your mind and want to revert to the default folder color with no icons, you can do that just as easily in a few taps.
1) Touch and hold a personalized folder in the iOS 26 Files app and tap Customize Folder & Tags.
2) To return to the default blue folder color, tap Tags and unselect the selected colors.
3) To remove the added folder icon or emoji, tap the Clear button and then hit the checkmark icon to save your new preferences.
What do you think of this new feature and the latest iOS 26 in general? Sound off in the comments section below.