MacOS Default Icons Locations

MacOS-Icons.md

How to Find ANY Icon

1. Open the application such that you see the icon on your screen.
2. Open Activity Monitor
3. Double click the name of the application (i.e. Finder or System Preferences)
4. Select "Open Files and Ports"
5. Copy the output to a file and then grep for .icns

Similarly you could run this command, but it may take several minutes to complete:

sudo lsof -n | grep 'icns'

How to get File Icons

1. Alt click "Get Info" on the file
2. Select the icon in the upper left
3. ⌘+c to copy
4. Open Preview
5. ⌘+v to paste

You can save the full pack or select an individual icon and copy / paste into a new png with Preview.

Common Icons

open /System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/

open /System/Library/Extensions/IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily.kext/Contents/Resources/

open /System/Library/Extensions/IOStorageFamily.kext/Contents/Resources/

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources/

Accounts.icns
Actions.icns
AirDrop.icns
AlertCautionBadgeIcon.icns
AlertCautionIcon.icns
AlertNoteIcon.icns
AlertStopIcon.icns
AliasBadgeIcon.icns
AllMyFiles.icns
ApplicationsFolderIcon.icns
BackwardArrowIcon.icns
Bonjour.icns
BookmarkIcon.icns
BurnableFolderIcon.icns
BurningIcon.icns
CDAudioVolumeIcon.icns
ClippingPicture.icns
ClippingSound.icns
ClippingText.icns
ClippingUnknown.icns
Clock.icns
ColorSyncProfileIcon.icns
ConnectToIcon.icns
DeleteAliasIcon.icns
DesktopFolderIcon.icns
DeveloperFolderIcon.icns
DocumentsFolderIcon.icns
DownloadsFolder.icns
DropFolderBadgeIcon.icns
EjectMediaIcon.icns
ErasingIcon.icns
Everyone.icns
ExecutableBinaryIcon.icns
FavoriteItemsIcon.icns
FileVaultIcon.icns
FinderIcon.icns
ForwardArrowIcon.icns
FullTrashIcon.icns
General.icns
GenericAirDiskIcon.icns
GenericApplicationIcon.icns
GenericDocumentIcon.icns
GenericFileServerIcon.icns
GenericFolderIcon.icns
GenericFontIcon.icns
GenericNetworkIcon.icns
GenericQuestionMarkIcon.icns
GenericSharepoint.icns
GenericStationeryIcon.icns
GenericTimeMachineDiskIcon.icns
GenericURLIcon.icns
GenericWindowIcon.icns
GridIcon.icns
GroupFolder.icns
GroupIcon.icns
GuestUserIcon.icns
HelpIcon.icns
HomeFolderIcon.icns
InternetLocation.icns
InternetLocationAFP.icns
InternetLocationFTP.icns
InternetLocationFile.icns
InternetLocationGeneric.icns
InternetLocationHTTP.icns
InternetLocationMAILTO.icns
InternetLocationNEWS.icns
InternetLocationVNC.icns
KEXT.icns
KeepArrangedIcon.icns
LibraryFolderIcon.icns
LockedBadgeIcon.icns
LockedIcon.icns
MagnifyingGlassIcon.icns
MovieFolderIcon.icns
MultipleItemsIcon.icns
MusicFolderIcon.icns
NetBootVolume.icns
NewFolderBadgeIcon.icns
NoWriteIcon.icns
NotLoaded.icns
Notifications.icns
OpenFolderIcon.icns
PicturesFolderIcon.icns
PrivateFolderBadgeIcon.icns
ProblemReport.icns
ProfileBackgroundColor.icns
ProfileFont.icns
ProfileFontAndColor.icns
PublicFolderIcon.icns
ReadOnlyFolderBadgeIcon.icns
RecentItemsIcon.icns
RightContainerArrowIcon.icns
ServerApplicationsFolderIcon.icns
SidebarAirDrop.icns
SidebarAirportDisk.icns
SidebarAirportExpress.icns
SidebarAirportExtreme.icns
SidebarAirportExtremeTower.icns
SidebarAllMyFiles.icns
SidebarApplicationsFolder.icns
SidebarBonjour.icns
SidebarBurnFolder.icns
SidebarDesktopFolder.icns
SidebarDisplay.icns
SidebarDocumentsFolder.icns
SidebarDownloadsFolder.icns
SidebarDropBoxFolder.icns
SidebarExternalDisk.icns
SidebarGenericFile.icns
SidebarGenericFolder.icns
SidebarHomeFolder.icns
SidebarInternalDisk.icns
SidebarLaptop.icns
SidebarMacMini.icns
SidebarMacPro.icns
SidebarMacProCylinder.icns
SidebarMoviesFolder.icns
SidebarMusicFolder.icns
SidebarNetwork.icns
SidebarOpticalDisk.icns
SidebarPC.icns
SidebarPicturesFolder.icns
SidebarPrefs.icns
SidebarRecents.icns
SidebarRemovableDisk.icns
SidebarServerDrive.icns
SidebarSmartFolder.icns
SidebarTimeCapsule.icns
SidebarTimeMachine.icns
SidebarUtilitiesFolder.icns
SidebarXserve.icns
SidebariCloud.icns
SidebariDisk.icns
SidebariMac.icns
SidebariPad.icns
SidebariPhone.icns
SidebariPodTouch.icns
SitesFolderIcon.icns
SmartFolderIcon.icns
StatusBarCDROMIcon.icns
StatusBarTrashIcon.icns
Sync.icns
SystemFolderIcon.icns
ToolbarAdvanced.icns
ToolbarCustomizeIcon.icns
ToolbarDeleteIcon.icns
ToolbarFavoritesIcon.icns
ToolbarInfo.icns
ToolbarLabels.icns
TrashIcon.icns
UnknownFSObjectIcon.icns
UnlockedIcon.icns
Unsupported.icns
UserIcon.icns
UserUnknownIcon.icns
UsersFolderIcon.icns
UtilitiesFolder.icns
VCard.icns
com.apple.airport-express.icns
com.apple.airport-extreme-tower.icns
com.apple.airport-extreme.icns
com.apple.apple-tv.icns
com.apple.cinema-display.icns
com.apple.emac.icns
com.apple.ibook-g4-12.icns
com.apple.ibook-g4-14.icns
com.apple.imac-aluminum-20.icns
com.apple.imac-aluminum-24.icns
com.apple.imac-g4-15.icns
com.apple.imac-g4-17.icns
com.apple.imac-g4-20.icns
com.apple.imac-g5-17.icns
com.apple.imac-g5-20.icns
com.apple.imac-iSight-17.icns
com.apple.imac-iSight-20.icns
com.apple.imac-iSight-24.icns
com.apple.imac-unibody-21-no-optical.icns
com.apple.imac-unibody-21.icns
com.apple.imac-unibody-27-no-optical.icns
com.apple.imac-unibody-27.icns
com.apple.ipad.icns
com.apple.iphone-3g.icns
com.apple.iphone-4-black.icns
com.apple.iphone-4-white.icns
com.apple.iphone-7-1.icns
com.apple.iphone-7-2.icns
com.apple.iphone-7-plus-1.icns
com.apple.iphone-7-plus-2.icns
com.apple.iphone-8-7.icns
com.apple.iphone-8-plus-3.icns
com.apple.iphone-x-1.icns
com.apple.iphone-x-2.icns
com.apple.iphone.icns
com.apple.ipod-touch-2.icns
com.apple.ipod-touch-4-black.icns
com.apple.ipod-touch-4-white.icns
com.apple.ipod-touch.icns
com.apple.led-cinema-display-24.icns
com.apple.led-cinema-display-27.icns
com.apple.macbook-black.icns
com.apple.macbook-retina-gold.icns
com.apple.macbook-retina-rose-gold.icns
com.apple.macbook-retina-silver.icns
com.apple.macbook-retina-space-gray.icns
com.apple.macbook-unibody-plastic.icns
com.apple.macbook-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbook-white.icns
com.apple.macbookair-11-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbookair-13-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbookair.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-retina-display.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-retina-touchid-silver.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-retina-touchid-space-gray.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-retina-usbc-silver.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-retina-usbc-space-gray.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-13-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-15-retina-display.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-15-retina-touchid-silver.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-15-retina-touchid-space-gray.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-15-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-15.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-17-unibody.icns
com.apple.macbookpro-17.icns
com.apple.macmini-server.icns
com.apple.macmini-unibody-no-optical.icns
com.apple.macmini-unibody.icns
com.apple.macmini.icns
com.apple.macpro-cylinder.icns
com.apple.macpro.icns
com.apple.powerbook-g4-12.icns
com.apple.powerbook-g4-15.icns
com.apple.powerbook-g4-17.icns
com.apple.powerbook-g4-titanium.icns
com.apple.powermac-g4-graphite.icns
com.apple.powermac-g4-mirrored-drive-doors.icns
com.apple.powermac-g4-quicksilver.icns
com.apple.powermac-g5.icns
com.apple.time-capsule.icns
com.apple.xserve-g4.icns
com.apple.xserve.icns
iDiskGenericIcon.icns
iDiskUserIcon.icns
public.generic-lcd.icns
public.generic-pc.icns

/System/Library/Extensions/IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily.kext/Contents/Resources/

CompactFlash.icns
FibreChannelHD.icns
FireWireHD.icns
Floppy.icns
MagnetoOptical.icns
MemoryStick.icns
MemoryStickProDuo.icns
MiniSD.icns
Removable.icns
SASHD.icns
SCSIParallelHD.icns
SD.icns
SmartMedia.icns
SuperDisk.icns
TransFlash.icns
USBHD.icns
XD.icns

/System/Library/Extensions/IOStorageFamily.kext/Contents/Resources/

External.icns
Internal.icns
Removable.icns

Nice list, this helped a lot. Apple has split off the new M1 Pro/Max MacBook Pro icons into a separate bundle. The newest Watches and iPhones are also separated out. You can find them here:
/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Library/
For example, the new MacBooks show up under:
CoreTypes-0002.bundle/Contents/Resources/

What about these icons? I can't seem to find them with this method:

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SystemDesktopAppearance.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Assets.car

Can get some additional icons from here. Specifically around the wallpaper icons.

Does anybody know where I can find the "generic folder" icon? (Yes, I know that I can simply extract it from any folder using its Get Info window, but this is not what I'm asking.)

Yes, it can be found in GenericFolderIcon.icns in

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources

• and as PNG files in

  /System/Library/CoreServices/IconsetResources.bundle/Contents/Resources
  

But what is strange is that the icon there (which seems to be the same in both places) is not the one you usually see in Finder.

Left: the icon from GenericFolderIcon.icns. Right: the actual folder icon in Finder.

macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

Have you find where is located the atual folder icon ?

Does anybody know where I can find the "generic folder" icon? (Yes, I know that I can simply extract it from any folder using its Get Info window, but this is not what I'm asking.)

Yes, it can be found in GenericFolderIcon.icns in

/System/Library/CoreServices/CoreTypes.bundle/Contents/Resources

• and as PNG files in

  /System/Library/CoreServices/IconsetResources.bundle/Contents/Resources
  

But what is strange is that the icon there (which seems to be the same in both places) is not the one you usually see in Finder.

Left: the icon from GenericFolderIcon.icns. Right: the actual folder icon in Finder.

macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/IconFoundation.framework/Versions/A/Resources/Assets.car