Best Icon Packs for Ubuntu 20.04

Ubuntu 20.04 introduced a new GNOME 3.36 with various customizations and improvements. While you can easily change the theme and use GNOME extensions, finding compatible icon packs can be a bit challenging. In this article, we will explore the best icon packs that work seamlessly with Ubuntu 20.04.

Folder Color

Folder Color is not exactly an icon pack, but it is a useful utility that allows you to assign different colors to folders. This feature helps in distinguishing important folders and making them easily recognizable. The best part is that it works with all default Ubuntu icons and other file explorers like Caja and Nemo.

To install Folder Color, use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:costales/yaru-colors-folder-color
sudo apt install folder-color

Papirus Icon Theme

Papirus is a popular icon pack that offers a wide variety of icons and supports both dark and light themes. It is continuously updated and provides icons for most third-party apps. However, it lacks cursor support.

To install Papirus, use the following commands:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:papirus/papirus
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install papirus-icon-theme

Suru++

Suru++ is a beautiful icon pack based on the Suru icon pack by Sam Hewitt. It features consistent squircle-shaped icons throughout the GNOME interface, including the launcher, dock, and settings. Suru++ also includes a cursor icon.

To install Suru++, use the following command:

wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bonandry/suru-plus-ubuntu/master/install.sh | env DESTDIR="$HOME/.icons" sh

Numix Circle

Numix Circle is another icon pack that offers consistent circular-shaped icons. It provides options for both light and dark themes. When you install Numix Circle, you will get four icon packs to choose from: Numix, Numix-Light, Numix-Circle, and Numix-Circle-Light.

To install Numix Circle, use the following command:

sudo apt install numix-icon-theme

OS Catalina

If you love the macOS theme and icons, you can get them on Ubuntu as well. Download the OS Catalina icon pack from the provided link, extract the tar file, and move it to the ~/.icons directory. After restarting GNOME, you can set OS Catalina icons.

Please note that the OS Catalina icons may not appeal to everyone.

we10x

we10x brings the 3D icons of Windows 10X to Ubuntu. To install it, download the tar file from the provided link, extract the folder, and run the following command from within the folder:

./install.sh

Pair the Windows10X icon pack with the pre-release wallpaper for a complete Windows 10X experience.

Shadow Icon

Shadow Icon is a 2D icon theme with a shadow effect on the icons. It maintains consistency in the file explorer and features circular icons throughout the interface. Shadow Icon is ideal for dark mode enthusiasts.

To install Shadow Icon, use the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/rudrab/Shadow.git
mv Shadow/ ./.icons/

Pop Icon Themes

Pop Icon Themes is a popular icon pack that comes with the PopOS distribution. It supports icons for the top bar, launcher, file explorer, cursor, shell, and more. Like Yaru and Papirus, it also supports Folder Color.

To install Pop Icon Themes, use the following command:

sudo apt install pop-icon-theme

Flattr

Flattr is a basic 2-dimensional icon pack with extensive icon support. It offers minimal file icons in black and white shades, which look elegant in Nautilus. Flattr Dark is especially appealing for dark mode users.

To install Flattr, use the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/NitruxSA/flattr-icons.git
mv flattr-icons/ ~/.icons

Luv Icons

Luv Icons is a successor to Flattr and provides support for thousands of icons. However, it may not be as extensive as Papirus. If you encounter any missing icons, you can report them on the GitHub page. Luv Icons also offers complementary wallpapers.

To install Luv Icons, use the following commands:

git clone https://github.com/Nitrux/luv-icon-theme.git
mv luv-icon-theme/ ~/.icons

Candy Icons

Candy Icons is a visually appealing theme with abstract and fancy colors. It features icons with a touch of shadow and maintains consistency throughout the interface. To install Candy Icons, download and extract the zip file from the provided link, and move the folder to the ~/.icons directory.

For complete integration, combine Candy Icons with Sweet Folders, a folder icon add-on. The process may be a bit tedious, so please refer to the provided instructions.

These are some of the best icon packs that work well with Ubuntu 20.04. Try them out and let us know your favorite in the comments.

Also Read: 7 Best Ubuntu Dynamic Wallpaper Apps