Get Color Icons Back in iTunes 10 Sidebar

Yes, you can get color icons back in the iTunes 10 sidebar, and it takes about ten seconds. The switch is a hidden preference that Apple left in the software, and this article shows you exactly how to flip it, what it does, and why the icons went gray in the first place.

Why the Sidebar Icons Turned Gray

When iTunes 10 launched in September 2010, Apple introduced a new, cleaner look. The sidebar (the column on the left that lists Library, Store, Playlists, and Devices) changed from colorful, glossy icons to monochrome gray ones. This was part of a broader design shift toward a more minimal, unified interface that also affected other Apple apps of that era. The gray icons were a deliberate aesthetic choice, not a bug or a glitch.

However, many long-time iTunes users preferred the older, colorful icons from iTunes 9 and earlier. Apple, perhaps anticipating this, left a hidden preference in the software that lets you switch back to the colored icons. This preference is not visible in any menu or settings window; it can only be changed by typing a command into the Terminal (on macOS) or Command Prompt (on Windows).

How to Restore the Color Icons (macOS)

On macOS, you use the defaults command to change a hidden setting in iTunes’ preferences file. Here are the exact steps:

1. Quit iTunes completely. Make sure it is not running in the background (check the Dock and the menu bar).
2. Open the Terminal application. You can find it in Applications → Utilities → Terminal, or search for it with Spotlight (Cmd+Space).
3. Type or paste the following command, then press Return:

defaults write com.apple.iTunes show-genre-icons -bool TRUE

4. Relaunch iTunes. The sidebar icons should now be colored.

If you ever want to go back to the gray icons, repeat the process but change TRUE to FALSE.

How to Restore the Color Icons (Windows)

On Windows, the process is slightly different because there is no defaults command. Instead, you need to edit the iTunes preferences file directly. The file is named itunesprefs.xml and is located in your user profile folder. Here is what to do:

1. Quit iTunes completely.
2. Open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder (replace YourUsername with your actual username):

C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\iTunes

3. Find the file named itunesprefs.xml and open it with a text editor like Notepad.
4. Inside the file, look for a line that contains show-genre-icons. If it does not exist, you will need to add it. The line should look like this:

<key>show-genre-icons</key><true/>

5. If the value is <false/>, change it to <true/>. If the line is missing, add it at the end of the file, just before the closing </dict> tag.
6. Save the file and relaunch iTunes.

If you cannot find the itunesprefs.xml file, make sure you have enabled “Show hidden files” in File Explorer (View tab → check “Hidden items”).

What the Setting Actually Does

The hidden preference is called show-genre-icons. Despite the name, it controls the color of all the sidebar icons, not just genre icons. When set to TRUE, iTunes uses the older, colorful icon set. When set to FALSE (the default), it uses the gray monochrome icons.

This setting is a leftover from development. Apple likely used it to test both icon sets before deciding on the gray look. It is not documented in any official Apple support page, but it has been known and used by the iTunes community for years.

Common Problems and Fixes

• Icons are still gray after following the steps: Make sure you quit iTunes completely before changing the setting. On macOS, check that the Terminal command was entered exactly as shown, including the spaces. On Windows, ensure the XML file is saved with the correct encoding (UTF-8) and that you have write permissions.
• The setting resets after an iTunes update: A software update may overwrite the preferences file, reverting the icons to gray. Simply repeat the steps after the update.
• Cannot find the itunesprefs.xml file on Windows: The file may be in a different location if you installed iTunes from the Microsoft Store instead of the standalone installer. In that case, search for itunesprefs.xml in your user folder. If you cannot find it, you can try the macOS Terminal method if you have access to a Mac; otherwise, the setting may not be available on the Store version.

Does This Work on Newer Versions of iTunes?

This trick works on iTunes 10 and all later versions up to the final iTunes release (12.x) on both macOS and Windows. However, it does not work on the newer Music, TV, and Podcasts apps that replaced iTunes on macOS Catalina and later. Those apps have their own separate preferences and do not use the same icon system.

If you are using macOS Catalina or later, you cannot get the colorful sidebar icons back in the Music app. There is no known hidden preference for that. Some users have tried to modify the app’s resources, but that is not recommended and can break the app.

Why Bother? The Nostalgia Factor

For many users, the colorful icons are more than just aesthetics. They represent a simpler era of iTunes, before the app became bloated with features. The blue music note, the orange movie reel, the purple TV screen—these were familiar and easy to distinguish at a glance. The gray icons, while cleaner, can be harder to tell apart, especially for users with visual impairments.

Restoring the color icons is a small but satisfying way to personalize your iTunes experience. It is a harmless tweak that does not affect performance or functionality. It is also a great conversation starter for those who remember the early days of the iPod.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will this damage my iTunes library?

No. The setting only changes the appearance of the sidebar icons. It does not touch your music files, playlists, or any other data. It is completely safe.

Can I use this trick on my iPhone or iPad?

No. The sidebar with icons only exists in the desktop version of iTunes. iOS devices do not have a file system that you can access in this way, and the Music app on iOS does not have a sidebar.

What if I accidentally delete the itunesprefs.xml file?

If you delete the file, iTunes will recreate it with default settings the next time you launch it. You will lose any custom preferences you had, but your library will be unaffected. You can then follow the steps above to add the color icon setting again.

Does this work on the iTunes Store version from the Microsoft Store?

It may not. The Microsoft Store version of iTunes is sandboxed and may not have the same preferences file location. If you cannot find the file, you may need to install the standalone version from Apple’s website to use this tweak.

Is there a way to change the icon color to something other than the original colors?

No. The hidden preference only toggles between the two built-in icon sets: gray and the original colorful ones. There is no way to customize individual icon colors without modifying the app’s resource files, which is not recommended.

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