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Tip: Resize icons quickly on the Desktop or in a folder in Windows 10

In Windows 10, the default file management app, File Explorer has the ability to show your files and folders at several different sizes and views. These sizes include Extra Large icons, Large icons, Medium icons, List, Details, Tiles and Content view. To switch between views, you can use hotkeys, or the appropriate Ribbon command. In this article, we will review another method, which is very fancy and fast.

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Here are step-by-step instructions:
  1. Open any folder, e.g. This PC.
  2. Press and hold the CTRL button on the keyboard and start scrolling with the mouse wheel.

With every scroll, Explorer will change its view mode as long as you are holding down Ctrl. Windows 10 folder icon size 1Windows 10 folder icon size 2

On the Desktop, by default you are able to switch only between large, small and medium icons using the context (right-click) menu -> View submenu.

Windows 10 desktop icon size menu

However, using this trick, you can set any desired icon size!

  1. Minimize all open Windows. You can do this with the Win + D shortcut keys. Press those keys together on the keyboard and do not forget to check the ultimate list of all Windows keyboard shortcuts with Win keys.
  2. Once the Desktop shows, press and hold the CTRL button on the keyboard and start scrolling with the mouse wheel.

As you scroll up with Ctrl held down, the icon size will get larger, and as you scroll down, they will shrink in size.
Voila, you can even get extra large icons on the Desktop.

Windows 10 desktop icon size big

You can enable the default desktop icons as mentioned in the article "How to make Windows 10 show familiar desktop icons".

Bonus Tip: If instead of the mouse, you wish to only use the keyboard to resize icons in Explorer or on the Desktop, here is another method you can use: How to assign browser-like zooming hotkeys for resizing icons on the Desktop and in the Explorer window.

That's it.

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Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

2 thoughts on “Tip: Resize icons quickly on the Desktop or in a folder in Windows 10”

  1. Thank you so much! What a simple trick! I’ve been trying to do this with my desktop for so long. I knew you could do it in folders but who knew you could do it right on the desktop!?

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