How do I scale the enormously sized desktop icons on Ubuntu 18.04?

Question

I just upgraded to 18.04 (with GNOME 3.28) from 16.04. I am using gnome-shell, gnome-ubuntu-desktop. After upgrading the icon size on desktop are very large.

I am unable to find my option to decrease the size in preferences. How do I decrease it?

Solution 1

1. Open Files (aka Nautilus)

2. Grid view: Change your icon view from "list" to "grid" first by clicking the button next to the hamburger menu.

   

3. Zoom out: Click on the hamburger menu (three-horizontal-lined button at top-right) and decrease the icon size by clicking the "zoom out" button (or Ctrl+-).

This should also reduce the size of the icons in your desktop.

Solution 2

You can also resize icons by right clicking on each icons and select resize. Then you resize it up to a certain allowed minimum.

Solution 3

In case you have a wheel mouse

Open Nautilus and click on the show directory as symbols icon (middle of the button on the top-right of nautilus's window) an press Ctrl+Scroll Mouse up/down.

Comments

[Gabriel Staples]

Best answer: askubuntu.com/a/118672/327339

[Kulfy]

@GabrielStaples I believe the option has been moved from there at least for Nautilus 3.26.4 which is the default file manager in Ubuntu 18.04.

[Johano Fierra]

Neat... even though this answer doesn't really help the OP's issue as well as the accepted answer, I really like this feature.

[user1133275]

Thank you! ... how to disable that keybinding?

[v1h5]

This is so silly, yet so useful. Thank you :) :) Tried so many cumbersome methods and this one finally worked.

[maan81]

Is there a way to adjust the range ? I like to have more than the displayed limit. 50% .. 133%

[WesternGun]

Agree, this is silly. And not very intuitive.