Apple has added a handy feature to the Files app that lets you personalize folders with colors and icons. This not only gives you a better overview, but also makes your digital workspace more personal, tailored to the way you work.
This smart feature makes organizing files much more intuitive and works in conjunction with tags. Plus, the colors sync with iCloud, so they’re visible not only on your iPhone or iPad, but also on a Mac, provided you use iCloud Drive.
Personalize folders in Files
Since iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, you can easily personalize folders in Files by giving them a color, symbol or emoji. This way you can visually distinguish each folder, which makes organizing and finding important folders a lot easier. The adjustments are synced with your Mac (macOS 26 or newer required) and vice versa.
Customize folders in Files
- Open the Files app for iPhone or iPad
- Place your finger on the folder you want to adjust
- Wait a few moments
- In the context menu, choose ‘Customize folder and tags…’
- Tap ‘Tags’ to choose a color
- Select a symbol
- Tap ‘Emoji’ to add an emoticon
Once you’ve edited the folder, you can save your changes by tapping next to the editing window on an iPad. Tap the check mark on an iPhone to confirm the adjustment.
Folder color associated with tags
The folder color in Files is linked to the tag you assign to the folder. This means that if you select a color tag, the folder will automatically be that color and thus stand out visually. If you already had tags associated with folders, you will notice that the folder color has changed.