What it does
Material Icon Theme changes VS Code’s file-tree artwork and supports custom associations, folder colors, opacity, saturation and icon packs.
Install Material Icon Theme and run Material Icons: Activate Icon Theme from VS Code’s command palette. File and folder icons then follow its associations. Settings control folder colors, opacity, saturation and icon packs; cloning an existing icon can give a custom file type its own color.
File matching has a specific precedence rule. A single-star extension pattern sets the usual icon, while a double-star pattern also overrides special filename icons. Without a leading star, the entry is treated as a filename.
Custom folder artwork needs closed and expanded SVGs. User-supplied files must live within the documented VS Code extensions location, and their associations omit the .svg suffix. The public extension is free under MIT and does not require a Material Icon Theme account. Keep its copyright and permission notice when redistributing the software.
Strengths
- File associations and icon cloning support project-specific conventions.
- Folder color, saturation and opacity can be tuned.
Watch out for
- Custom expanded and closed folder states require separate artwork.
- Custom SVG paths must follow the extension’s documented location rules.
Best for
- VS Code repositories with many file types
- Teams wanting a tailored file-tree theme
Sources
- Material Icon Theme README (Oct 27, 2026)
- Material Icon Theme MIT License (Oct 27, 2026)