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I know how to change an application icon, but when that app updates (e.g. browser), icon reverts to the one that application has.

I imagine, that the update process works something like replacing the package I have, with a new one, so the icon change occurs because the new package simply doesn't have that icon associated.

Is there a way around this? Is there an app/prefPane handling this? Or do I have to change icon every time an app updates?

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You have to change the icon every time it updates because, as you have correctly pointed out, the Package is replaced and therefore your icon is overwritten by the original one.

To make your life easier, you might want to take a look at CandyBar, it makes that job easier :)

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  • What about something waiting for a folder event, and then it checks the icon against a stored icon somewhere else?
    – ConstantineK
    Apr 28, 2011 at 13:58
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    A folder action could potentially check for the icon upon certain action (opening?) but I suspect it's way TOO much work for replacing the icon of Chrome (as I suspect the user is trying to do). ;-)
    – Martin Marconcini
    Apr 28, 2011 at 14:10
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    Yeah it certainly would be a lot of work for an automatic icon change. You could probably just write a bash script to search the app bundle for the icon and replace it whenever it updates. Double click to replace.
    – ConstantineK
    Apr 28, 2011 at 15:50
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One solution I've found is to create an alias for the application (Using 'Right Click' > 'Create Alias') and then store the actual application someplace out of sight. Then, you can change the alias's icon and it'll function exactly the same.

Since aliases only redirect you to the app, they don't actually become updated when used, meaning that the icon should never change.

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  • I tried this out, and unfortunately it doesn't appear you can change the icon of an alias. Sadly it still uses the original application's icon.
    – trisweb
    Nov 29, 2022 at 19:02

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