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What Is a File Icon?

A file icon is the small picture beside a file’s name. It can show the app used to open the file, or a preview such as a miniature photo.

What it looks like

Two copies of report.pdf each have a small badge on a corner, a circle on one and a square on the other. The badges are labelled One app’s picture and Another app’s picture. Both names end in .pdf.

The drawing shows the same file with two different app pictures. Changing the app can change that picture without changing the file name ending or turning the file into another kind.

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