These icon changes are fairly minor in the grand scheme of Windows, but they’re part of a broader effort inside Microsoft to modernize Windows.
Perhaps daringly, Microsoft also notes that “and yes, the Recycle Bin icon has also been updated!” - a clear nod to some changes the company tried to make to the Recycle Bin in the past that didn’t go down well with Windows users. “Notably, the top-level user folders such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, and Pictures have a new design that should make it a little easier to tell them apart at a glance.” The new Recycle Bin icon. “Several changes, such as the orientation of the folder icons and the default file type icons, have been made for greater consistency across Microsoft products that show files,” says Amanda Langowski, Microsoft’s Windows Insider chief. The software giant has started rolling out a test build of Windows 10 that includes changes to the system icons you’ll find in File Explorer, including the Recycle Bin, Documents folders, and devices like disk drives.
Microsoft is giving the File Explorer inside Windows 10 a visual overhaul with new icons.
