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See how to fix missing settings icon issues on Windows 10, MacBook and iPhones, and download free icons online, in this article.
Settings icon for Windows 10
Windows Settings is part of Microsoft Windows, which was introduced in Windows 8. This allows the user to customize and configure the operating system. Provides access to the most important configuration options and parameters on the user’s computer. Although very similar to the original control panel, the settings menu displays categories of possible user interactions and activities, instead of listing all the devices and options that the user should select.
In Windows 10, the application was renamed “Settings”. Contains additional options previously reserved for the desktop control panel. Windows Update, which was previously part of the Windows 10 Control Panel, is now just part of Settings. As it is also a universal Windows application, this version of the settings is also used in Windows 10 Mobile for smartphones and tablets. On October 4, 2015, Microsoft’s Brandon LeBlanc announced that the settings would eventually override the control panel.
Windows 10 Settings has the following categories:
● system
● equipment
● Phone (introduced in the Windows 10 Autumn Creators Update)
● Network and Internet
● Adaptation
● Applications (introduced in the Windows 10 Creators Update)bills
● Time and language
● Games (introduced in the Windows 10 Anniversary Update)
● Access available
● Search
● Cortana (introduced Windows 10 Fall Creators Update; removed from Windows 10 May 2020)
● privacy
● Update and security
Display Windows 10 desktop settings icons
Your desktop icons may be hidden, and this is why your settings icon is missing on Windows 10. To view them, right-click on the desktop, select View, and then click Show Desktop Icons. To add icons to the desktop, you should do the following:
- Select Start, and then select Settings> Personalization> Themes.
- In Themes> Related settings, select Desktop icon settings.
- Select the desired icons on the desktop, then select Apply and OK.
Note that when you’re in tablet mode, your desktop icons may not display correctly. You can find the program by searching for its name in File Explorer. To turn off tablet mode, select the activity center (next to the date and time) in the system tray, then select tablet mode to turn it on or off.

How to create a shortcut to desktop icon settings in Windows 10
Windows 10 lets you create shortcuts to get to what you need quickly. Shortcuts are handy little icons that you can place on your desktop for quick access to frequently used items. You can do this by replacing the icon with another system icon and uploading or creating your icon.
Option 1 Create Icons
- Open the windows. Click on the Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- Type start, click Paint, and press Enter. Make sure you don’t press Enter until the Paint icon looks like the color palette at the top of the Start window.
- Click the File button; it’s the blue button in the upper-left corner of the Paint window.
- Click the Open button. You will find this option in the File menu. This will open a window where you can open the location of the file.
- Select an image. You may need to click anywhere on the left side of the open window (such as Images) to find an image you want to open.
- Click the Open button. This will open your image in the Paint window.
- Click the File button again. It’s in the upper left corner of Paint.
- Select Save As. This option is at the top of the File menu.
- Click on the BMP image. This is the option to the right of the Save button. This will open a Save As window where you can name your file.
- Enter your file name and then .ico. This will save your file as an icon file. For example, you can name your file “shortcut.ico”.
- Click on a folder to save the file. Do this in the Save As area on the left panel. The Pictures folder is a safe place to store a shortcut file.
- Click the Save button. It’s at the bottom of the window. When you do this, your icon will be saved in the folder you selected.
- Replace the program icon with the icon you created. Use a browsing method and choose a custom icon from the folder where it is stored.
Option 2 add desktop shortcuts
- Open the Start menu. Click the Windows logo in the lower-left corner of the screen, or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
- Click File Explorer. It is located in the lower-left corner of the Start window.
- Click the desktop folder. It is located on the left side of the File Explorer window.
- Click the Home tab. You can find this tab in the upper left corner of the research window.
- Click the New Item button. It is located in the New section of the toolbar at the top of the window.
- Click the link. You can find this option in the New Item drop-down menu. A window with new shortcut options will appear.
- Click the Browse button. It is located in the center of the page. This will open a pop-up window.
- Scroll down and click the program or file folder. For example, if the program or file is in the Documents folder, click My Documents. You may need to click multiple folders to find the program or file for which you want to create a shortcut.
- Click the OK button. This sets the desktop shortcut as the destination for the item you selected. If you rename the desktop icon or move it to a new folder, the shortcut no longer works.
- Click Next and enter a name. The default shortcut name is the same as the program name.
- Click Finish. It is located in the lower right corner of the window. This will create your shortcut to the folder of your choice.
Fix iPhone Settings Icon missing problem – Why is my iPhone Settings Icon missing?
Applications or icons can disappear from the home screen for various reasons. iPhone users will likely see missing apps after upgrading to iOS 14. This is not a bug. This is due to the new app library, which acts as an app drawer for iPhone users. Other reasons include manually uninstalling or uninstalling apps from the home screen.

Five ways to get the missing iPhone Setting Icon back
Restore settings icon on iPhone
- Move it from folder to screen
The makers know that the iPhone settings icon is not removed under normal circumstances. This may be the reason why when you are moving a folder; it sometimes causes the icon to disappear. If so, you can find it on the projector on the right side of the screen. When searching, you can see the folder that the settings icon has been moved to. Then go to the folder and move the settings icon back to the home screen.
- Restart iPhone
If you are sure that the settings icon has not been moved to a folder or anywhere else, you can also restart your device to fix the missing settings icon on iPhone. This is the most common way to fix this type of problem on an iPhone. The steps to follow are very easy.
- Simply press and hold the power button until “slide to power off” appears on the screen.
- Then drag the slider to the right to turn off the iPhone.
- After step 2, you need to press and hold the power button again until you feel it vibrate. This means that your iPhone is restarting.
- Reset home screen layout
- Swipe down to open Spotlight Search, then enter ‘settings’ in the search bar and search.
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Home Screen Layout > Reset Home Screen. Once confirmed, your home screen will revert to the app’s factory icon settings, and all will be well again.
- Restore iPhone/iPad via iTunes
It should be noted that if you restore iPhone/iPad through iTunes, all your media files and other data will be erased; so, if you want to keep your data safe, better back up your device before trying it this way.
- Connect your iPhone/iPad to your computer with a USB cable > Open iTunes (if it doesn’t open automatically) > enter the device password and trust the computer.
- Select your device > Summary > Restore Device.
- Restart your iPhone/iPad
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until a slider appears > Drag the slider from left to right to turn off iPhone/iPad.
- After turning off the iPhone/iPad, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again until you see the Apple logo.
Use iOS System Recovery Tools
- AnyFix
If all the above methods do not return the settings icon, you can try the iOS System Recovery Tool – AnyFix. With this program, you can easily reset your iOS device to normal working conditions and bring all default apps to your iPhone screen. Let’s see how it works.
Step 1. You need to download this program to your computer. Install and run it after downloading.
Step 2. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a data cable, and this program will automatically detect your device. Next, click System Restore to go to the next step.
Step 3. Select the iPhone 50+ issue and then click Start Now. In the right pane, you will see a list of iPhone system issues. (The problem of losing an app is not mentioned, but this mode solves the problem.)
Step 4. There are three modes listed and just choose the standard repair. You will receive a message to alert you of some conditions; please read this message carefully before starting to repair.
Step 5. Then this program will help you download the firmware and then make the iPhone back to normal.
- Joyoshare UIFix
Joyoshare is a great tool for iOS users who are having trouble with their Apple devices, such as the iPhone.
Step 1. Download and install Joyoshare UltFix on your computer. After startup, use an Apple USB cable to connect iPhone. Click Start before iPhone is detected to continue.
Step 2. For this step, you need to select a mode to fix the problem with your iPhone system. You must select “Standard Mode” to avoid data loss. Even if you have no problem with your iPhone settings, it is enough.
Step 3. After selecting repair mode, tap on your iPhone model and follow the on-screen instructions to enter iPhone DFU or recovery mode.
Step 4. In this section, Joyoshare UltFix recognizes all the basic information about your iPhone. You must confirm this by clicking the “Download” button to download and verify the software;
Step 5. Finally, press the “Repair” button to remove the software package, and the program will start the repair process. Your iPhone’s settings icon will be back on the screen soon.
MacBook Settings Icon
System Settings is the app that comes with macOS. It allows users to change various system settings, which are divided into separate setting fields. System preferences were introduced in the first version of Mac OS X to replace the control panels in earlier versions of the Mac operating system.

Before Mac OS X was released in 2001, users would change system preferences through the Control Panel. Control panels, like the settings panels in System Preferences, were separate resources (cdevs) that you could access from the Apple menu in the Control Panel.
How to show Icons on Mac OS X
- Usually, you’ll want the active Finder window in icon view first, so choose View –> As Icons or press COMMAND+1.
- From the Finder menu, choose View –> Show View Options — or press that swingin’ COMMAND+J shortcut — to display the View Options dialog box.
Where to download free Settings icons
Are you looking for a nice settings icon aesthetic to make your desktop screen brighter? There is no shortage of free settings logo on the internet. Therefore, you may want to consider taking advantage of the huge free resources available online. Below are some websites to download free setup icons.
Flaticon
Flaticon has the largest database of free vector icons on the web, with over 70,000 icons on its website. Flaticon icons are available in SVG, EPS, PSD, and Apple PNG formats, all available depending on your preferences.
IconArchive
IconArchive is designed to be easier for professional web developers and graphic designers. With a professional tag-based character search, it offers more than 500,000 characters that are supported by a variety of operating systems, such as Windows, Linux, and Mac.
1001 free downloads
With 1001 free downloads, there are thousands of free vectors, gradients, PSDs, fonts, photos, and more to meet your design needs. They have compiled a great set of attractive free images that offer the best searchability and intuitive search function on the web.
FreePik
FreePik is a great online resource that offers more than just icons. They have a large collection of vector graphics, illustrations, photos, and PSD files. As the name suggests, its resources are free but require allocation.
Iconmoon
Iconmoon is another great resource with over 4,000 free downloadable open source icons in PNG, SVG, or web sources. One of its cool features is that you can import your icons to create a custom web font.
Conclusion
Apple macOS may be more user-friendly, but this is a matter of personal choice. Windows 10 is a wonderful operating system with a lot of features and usefulness, but it can be a bit crowded at times. Apple macOS, originally known as Apple OS X, provides a very clean and straightforward user experience.
They all have fixes for you if ever your settings icon goes missing for any reason.