Folderly

A tiny native macOS utility for customizing folder icons.

Folderly lets you drop in a folder, choose a visual style, preview it live, and apply the generated icon directly to Finder.

No account.
No cloud.
No AI.
No background service.

Just folders.

Download

Download the latest version of Folderly from Releases.

For v0.2.0, download:

Folderly-v0.2.0.zip

Install

1. Unzip the archive.
2. Move Folderly.app to your Applications folder.
3. Open Folderly.

If macOS blocks Folderly

Folderly is currently distributed outside the Mac App Store and is not notarized by Apple.

If macOS prevents it from opening:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security.
2. Scroll down to the security section.
3. Find the message about Folderly.
4. Click Open Anyway.
5. Confirm Open.

You only need to do this the first time.

Features

• Drag and drop folders
• Choose folders directly from Finder
• Live icon preview
• Monogram icons
• SF Symbol icons
• Custom folder-shaped icons
• Built-in color palettes
• Custom foreground and background colors
• Apply custom icons directly to Finder
• Restore the original macOS folder icon
• Native dark and light mode
• Native SwiftUI + AppKit implementation
• Custom Folderly app icon
• Native .app bundle distribution
• No third-party dependencies

Requirements

• macOS 14 or later
• Apple Silicon for the current published build

For source development:

• Swift 6.2 or later
• Apple Swift toolchain / Command Line Tools

Run locally

Clone the repository, enter the Folderly directory, then run:

swift run

Or build first:

swift build

How it works

Folderly generates a native NSImage for the selected visual style and applies it to a folder using macOS NSWorkspace.

The custom icon remains attached to the folder after Folderly closes.

The original macOS icon can be restored at any time from inside Folderly.

Icon styles

Monogram

Generates initials automatically from the folder name.

Examples:

MISSU PHOTOS -> MP
Developer    -> D
Client Work  -> CW

Symbol

Uses SF Symbols to create minimal symbolic folder identities.

Folder

Keeps the visual language of a folder while applying a custom color and symbol.

Philosophy

Folderly is intentionally small.

It does not try to become a Finder replacement or a file manager.

Its job is simple:

Make folders easier to recognize and nicer to look at.

Privacy

Folderly:

• does not upload files
• does not read folder contents
• does not require an account
• does not use analytics
• does not connect to external services

Folderly only needs the selected folder path in order to apply or restore its custom icon.

Project Status

v0.1.0

Available now:

• Folder selection
• Drag and drop
• Monogram style
• Symbol style
• Folder style
• Built-in color palettes
• Custom colors
• Finder icon application
• Restore default icon
• Dynamic editor sizing
• Native dark and light mode
• Custom Folderly app icon
• Release .app bundle
• GitHub release ZIP

Planned:

• Developer ID signing
• Apple notarization
• Keyboard accessibility improvements
• Additional icon presets

Development

Folderly uses:

• Swift
• SwiftUI
• AppKit
• Swift Package Manager

There are currently no third-party dependencies.

Build verification:

swift build

Run:

swift run

License

MIT License.

See LICENSE.