How to Re-Enable Desktop Icons in elementary OS

To bring back desktop icons in elementary OS, install the third-party Desktop Folder app. Pantheon has no built-in desktop-icons toggle; the app adds panels for files, folders, links, and launchers. On elementary OS 8.1 and 8.1.1, use the Classic session because Desktop Folder does not fully support Wayland.

Before you install Desktop Folder

Desktop Folder is an optional app layer, not a system setting. elementary OS’s desktop guide describes its standard desktop as the Panel and Dock.

In OS 8.1, Secure Session (Wayland) is the default, but the login screen still offers Classic. The project README warns that Wayland support is incomplete. Its latest upstream release is v1.1.3 from September 2020, so treat the app as legacy software and test it before relying on it.

1. Switch to the Classic session on OS 8

Save your work and sign out. At the login screen, open the gear menu beside the password field, select Classic, and sign in. If the greeter later returns to Secure, select Classic again.

If your release has no session menu, skip this step. On OS 8.1 or 8.1.1, Classic is the practical compatibility choice for this app.

2. Install Desktop Folder

Open AppCenter, search for Desktop Folder, and install it if the listing is available. If it is missing, the Ubuntu 24.04 archive used by OS 8 lists the desktopfolder package in Universe. Install it from Terminal with APT:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install desktopfolder

If APT cannot find the package, check your configured software sources; do not add an unfamiliar repository just to install this legacy app.

3. Open the app and add items

Open Applications, search for Desktop Folder, and launch it. Drag files, folders, links, or .desktop app launchers into a panel to place them on the desktop. The panels can be resized and repositioned.

The panel comes from Desktop Folder, not Files or an elementary OS toggle. If it disappears, check that the app is running and that you are in the Classic session.

Arrange the panels

Desktop Folder supports panels that can be resized, repositioned, and colored. Keep a compact panel for folders, documents, or .desktop launchers you open often, and leave the rest of your folder structure in Files. This provides quick access without changing how the Dock, Applications menu, or System Settings work.

4. Check that it returns after login

The project README says Desktop Folder starts automatically the next time you log in. Sign out and back in, or restart, to check. You do not need to copy a launcher into an autostart directory or run chmod on a filename from the wrong folder.

Troubleshooting

• No panel appears: switch to Classic, then launch Desktop Folder from Applications.
• AppCenter has no listing: try sudo apt install desktopfolder. If APT cannot locate it, review the enabled software sources before proceeding.
• Full-screen windows behave oddly: test your usual apps first. A 2024 elementary community discussion reported a full-screen conflict with Desktop Folder on OS 8; that report may not match every setup.
• You want the default desktop back: close the app or uninstall it through AppCenter. Files, the Panel, and the Dock remain available.

To undo the workaround on OS 8, remove Desktop Folder through AppCenter while in Classic, sign out, and choose Secure from the gear menu at the greeter. The standard session returns, but the desktop panels disappear with the add-on.

What to expect

Desktop Folder can bring shortcuts and files back, but it is not a native feature and may not work reliably in every session or app. Use it on Classic if desktop icons are important; otherwise, keep Secure Session and use Files and the Dock. The project README includes source-build instructions for advanced users, but the packaged install is simpler.