Customize macOS 26 Tahoe: Folder appearance and Safari colors
macOS 26 “Tahoe” introduces stronger, more vibrant colors in Finder and even tints menus in apps like Safari. Not everyone likes the change, but Apple provides multiple ways to adjust the look to your taste.
Quick summary
- Finder folders can use bolder colors by default in Tahoe.
- Safari’s menu area can show color tints that some users find distracting.
- You can customize folder colors with tags, set a global folder color, and add icons or emojis to folders.
How to adjust folder appearance
- Change folder color using Tags
- Open Finder → Finder menu → Settings → Tags.
- Create or edit a tag and pick a color.
- Enable “Tint folders based on Tags” (if available) and assign the tag to folders.
- Set a default folder color
- Apple menu → System Settings → Appearance → Folder Color. Choose a preset or custom color to apply to new/untagged folders.
- Add icons or emojis
- Right‑click a folder → Customize Folder → choose an icon set or an emoji.
Notes
Apple briefly experimented with a swapped Finder icon color in beta but reverted to the classic look after feedback while keeping the new “Liquid Glass” style.
Further reading
- MacRumors: macOS Tahoe Finder color change
- iDownloadBlog: Customize Mac folder icons
- Apple: All New Features in macOS Tahoe (PDF)
Did you try the new visuals? Leave a comment below with your setup and whether you kept the default look or customized it.