Mac Desktop Icons Disappeared: Why & How to Restore Items on MacBook?

Solution to the disappearance of Mac desktop icons

Your Mac desktop icon suddenly disappeared? Don't worry, this is not a serious problem, this article will guide you on how to recover them.

The reasons for the icon disappearing may include: the stacking function of Finder is enabled; the file is moved to another location; the file of Finder or desktop preferences (PLIST) is corrupted; and the "Desktop and Document" function of iCloud Drive is switched back to the local desktop folder after using the "Desktop and Document" function.

How to restore desktop icons:

Method 1: Restart Finder and Mac computer

This is the easiest solution to fix temporary failures in Finder.

1. Click the Apple menu in the menu bar and select "Force Exit".
2. In the pop-up window, select "Finder" and click the "Restart" button in the lower right corner.

If the problem remains the same, try restarting the Mac.

Method 2: Delete the corrupt preference file

A corrupt Finder PLIST file may cause the icon to disappear. Deleting these files usually does not negatively affect the system.

1. Click Finder and select Go to > Go to Folder in the top menu bar.
2. Enter ~/Library/Preferences/ in the text box and click the "Go" button.
3. Find the com.apple.finder.plist file, drag it to the Trash and delete it after backup, or right-click to select "Move to Trash".

Method 3: Use iCloud Cloud Drive to recover lost icons

If you have previously synced your desktop and document folders to iCloud and then disabled this feature, the icon may disappear.

1. Click Finder and select “iCloud Cloud Drive” in the sidebar.
2. Open the Desktop folder and copy and paste everything onto your Mac desktop.

If you delete the desktop file while using another Apple device or iCloud.com, you can also use iCloud.com's recovery feature to restore:

1. Use your Apple ID to log in to iCloud.com.
2. Click the profile icon in the upper right corner and select “iCloud Settings”.
3. Click the "Data Recovery" tab, select "Recover Files", and follow the prompts to complete the operation.

Method 4: Unhide the desktop icon

The icon may have been accidentally hidden.

1. Click Finder in the Dock and select "Finder" > "Preferences" > "General".
2. Select the project you want to display on the desktop (external disk, hard disk, CD, DVD, iPod, and connected server).

Or use the terminal command to unhide:

1. Open the terminal (Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal).
2. Enter and execute the command: defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop true; killall Finder

Method 5: Start Mac in Safe Mode

Third-party applications can cause this problem. Safe Mode startup can rule out this possibility.

(Step on Intel Mac)

(The steps for M1 Mac are omitted)

Method 6: Update macOS

Outdated system may have bugs, causing the icon to disappear.

1. Click on Apple menu > "About this machine".
2. Click the "Software Update" button to install available updates.

If the Dock also disappears, you can follow these steps to reset Dock preferences:

1. Click Apple Menu > System Preferences > Dock and Menu Bar.
2. Uncheck "Auto Hide and Show Dock" and "Auto Hide and Show Menu Bar".

Try the above method and believe that your desktop icon will be able to return to normal soon. If the problem persists, consider using professional Mac system maintenance tools for fixing.

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