Windows is full of features and customizations, with the option of adjusting the Taskbar to the left, to the right, and more. Even the desktop icons in Windows 11/10 could be adjusted in multiple manners, including size, spacing, and more. So if you would like to take complete utilization of the home screen, fill it with full of icons; you can make them larger for comfortable viewing. Otherwise, you can make it smaller to include a greater number of icons on the screen. Here’s how you can change the desktop icon size in Windows 10.
How to Change Desktop Icon Size in Windows 10
While quite a few methods could be followed for accomplishing the task, below I have listed all the possible ways ranging from just a simple scroll in the mouse to change it via the Registry Editor.
- Scrolling with a Mouse
- Context Menu
- Registry Editor
- Change Taskbar Icon Size
Following any methods will be your choice, but the best you can easily switch between them.
1] Scrolling with a Mouse
Adjusting the icon size could be as easy as selecting the folders and simply scrolling the scroll wheel on the mouse. Here’s how:
- On your PC’s Desktop, select all the folders to increase/decrease the size.
- Hold the Ctrl button on the keyboard and start scrolling the scroll wheel on the mouse upward or downward to increase or decrease the size, respectively.
- Now, you’ll notice the icons getting updated in size in real-time. Stop scrolling when you are satisfied with the icon size.
2] Context Menu
If one wants to change the size of the icons on the Desktop, it can be easily accomplished using the context menu. Here’s how:
- In an empty space on the Desktop, make a single right-click.
- It will pop-open a context menu with multiple options. From the menu of options, select View > from here, select the size of an icon; options include Small Icons, Medium Icons, and Large icons.
- One can experiment with the list of options to choose which one fits them the best.
3] Registry Editor
If you are wondering how to change the horizontal and vertical spacing between the icons, sadly, there isn’t a simple or easy way to do so, but it can be achieved using the Registry Editor. Here’s how:
- Open the Registry Editor on Windows 11/10
- Navigate to the following path in the Registry Editor
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics
- Here, to change the Horizontal Spacing, Under the Right pane of WindowMetrics, find and double click the IconSpacing registry to modify it.
- To adjust the Vertical Spacing Under the Right pane of WindowMetrics, find and double click the IconVertical Spacing registry to modify it.
- Here, type in a value between a minimum of -480 to a maximum of -2730, and click OK.
Note: The default value is -1128, and the maximum is -2730.
4] Change Taskbar Icon Size
When it comes to adjusting the icon size on Windows, Taskbar also is an important area to keep in mind. Here’s how you can change the Taskbar’s icon size in Windows 11/10:
In Windows 11
We will have to use the Registry method as there is no direct way to do it here. Before we start, take a backup of the Windows Registry.
- Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following path
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
- Right-click on the right window and select New > DWORD (32-bit)
- Name the value TaskbarSi
- Set the value to one of the following to 0, 1, or 2 (small, medium, large)
- Restart the PC, and the changes will be applied.
In Windows 10
- In an empty space in the Taskbar, make a single right-click to pop-open a drop-down menu.
- Here, choose Taskbar Settings; with this, Windows will open up the settings page for adjusting options about the Taskbar.
- Here, under the Taskbar menu, you’ll find several options to navigate and turn on/off the option for Small Taskbar icons to make the icons smaller or bigger, respectively.
I hope the post was helpful, and you were able to Change the Desktop Icon Size in Windows 11/ 10 on your machine. With that said, How many of you prefer smaller icons over Medium or Large when it comes to customization?
How Do I Change the Icon Picture on My Desktop?
- Right-click on the icon, and select Properties from the menu
- Switch to the Shortcut tab, and click on the Change icon button
- Pick one from the available option or browse to select new
- Apply the change, and click on the Ok button.
How To Change the Desktop Icons in Windows?
- Right-click on the Desktop, and select Personalize
- Go to Themes, scroll down a little, and then click on Desktop icon settings
- Select the item for which you want to change the icon, and click on the Change icon button
- Select one from the list or browse to select a new one.