# \[Guide\] Change "Show Apps" icon in Gnome

**URL:** <https://aerynos.discourse.group/t/guide-change-show-apps-icon-in-gnome/72>\
**Category:** Guides\
**Created:** [August 14, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://aerynos.discourse.group/t/guide-change-show-apps-icon-in-gnome/72 "2026-08-14T10:18:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Storm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex054/user_avatar/aerynos.discourse.group/storm/32/76_2.png) [@Storm](https://aerynos.discourse.group/u/Storm)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2026, 10:18am UTC](https://aerynos.discourse.group/t/guide-change-show-apps-icon-in-gnome/72/1 "2026-08-14T10:18:07Z")

</div>

This little hack that I know, you can change “Show Apps” icon in Gnome. It require that you have “user theme” gnome extension installed and ofcause a proper icon to switch with it.

Before … and … After

 ![Before](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex054/uploads/aerynos/original/1X/1a271ae30155a30edf5ddfae99b170a6b8d78855.jpeg) ![After](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex054/uploads/aerynos/original/1X/8e0cad92564865ed49c5df20bd3eb4eefbd2781d.jpeg)

Open the terminal and copy/paste;

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.themes/ChangeIcon/gnome-shell
touch ~/.themes/ChangeIcon/gnome-shell/gnome-shell.css
nano ~/.themes/ChangeIcon/gnome-shell/gnome-shell.css

```

Paste this into the terminal, but change the destination of the icon(s) and its names. Alternative is you have two different icons. One stationary icon and one for hover over the “Show Apps” icon.

```css
.show-apps .show-apps-icon {
border: none;
background-image: url("file:///home/storm/Documents/RetroRed.svg");
background-size: contain;
color: transparent; }

.show-apps:hover .show-apps-icon, .show-apps:active .show-apps-icon, .show-apps:checked .show-apps-icon, .show-apps:focus .show-apps-icon {
color: transparent; 
background-image: url("file:///home/storm/Documents/RetroRed.svg");
background-size: contain; }

```

Now you can go Gnome Tweak Tool and change Gnome Shell in Appearance to ChangeIcon.