For a company as skilled in design as Apple, the choice to entirely overhaul the Finder icon in macOS Tahoe 26 was perplexing. Traditionally, the icon showcased a deep blue on the left and a softer blue on the right, but for reasons that are hard to comprehend, Apple decided to switch the color arrangement with macOS Tahoe. In an instant, Apple erased years of convention, leaving numerous Mac fans bewildered. Everything Apple does is intentional, yet this design choice appeared utterly random and poorly planned.
Fortunately, Apple listened to the pleas of the Mac community. Earlier this week, the company launched macOS Tahoe beta 2 and restored the Finder icon’s color scheme to its original form.
As a reference point, here’s the original version of the Finder icon in macOS Tahoe:
And this is how the Finder icon has appeared for years:
With the most recent macOS beta, the Finder icon now appears as follows:
Justice has been restored.
Well, somewhat.
There’s still a minor issue with the design. In my view, the light blue section on the right fails to extend to encompass the outer edges of the icon itself. While the original Finder icon balanced both colors equally, the updated Finder icon emphasizes the dark blue on the left, making the light blue on the right seem almost secondary.
