protonscr

[Feature] Add application icon

steamopen Feature RequestSteam client
ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#8354 · opened 2022-01-21 by Stormersh · updated 2025-08-31 · 13 comments · github
SStormersh 2022-01-21 github

Your system information

  • Steam client version (build number or date): January 16
  • Distribution (e.g. Ubuntu): Fedora 35
  • Opted into Steam client beta?: [Yes]
  • Have you checked for system updates?: [Yes]

Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:

During the installation of a game, there's a prompt asking if you want a desktop shortcut and/or system application icon. If you fail to select it there's currently no way to add the latter after installation.

My suggestion would be to add one along "Add desktop shortcut" - This could help on issues like #7601, especially if it's possible to select several games.

2022-01-20T23:25:52-03:00

Steps for reproducing this issue:

  1. Start installation of a game
  2. Forget to check "Create a system application icon"
  3. Finish installation
  4. Right click the game, search for an option to create one
  5. Cry?
Nnahla-nee 2022-05-21 github

Any update on this? Can't reasonably be that hard too add, just a new button calling some old code. I switched distros recently and I keep all my games on a separate drive, so for me it was a matter of simply showing steam where the folder is, however it doesn't create system icons/applications when you do this. I only managed to half fix it by manually adding a desktop shortcut to all my games then doing "mv ~/Desktop/* ~/.local/share/applications/", however this doesn't fix the issue of icons because steam doesn't correctly add the icons for those games and instead just uses the "steam" icon.

This is really annoying, but not the biggest deal in the world. It would be a lot more tolerable to fix this by hand if steam would at least tell me where its getting its icons from, it just auotmagically creates them into the ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/ icon folders and you have no idea where the actual icons are stored. Conflicting answers all over the internet and all of them are wrong... Hell if it was a symlink at least I could figure out where the icons are and fix it myself.

Ffilvarga 2022-05-31 github

Looking for exactly the same thing. Hopefully this gets solved.

Kkayomn 2022-07-31 github

This seems more like a bug than a feature request, as .desktop files added to launcher menus during installation have the game icon.

Ffilvarga 2022-08-01 github

They get only added if you check the checkbox. If you don't then you are out of luck.

SSyphdias 2023-07-09 github

Since I did not find this issue, I opened #9821, because I only searched for adding "start menu" entry.

I thought I would drop by to add my current workaround if somebody finds this. But of course a menu entry for manage would really be appreciated!

My current workaround with "Sea of Thieves" as a example

  • add desktop shortcut for the game:
    Right-click the game > Manage > Add desktop shortcut
  • move the shortcut to the "start menu" folder: e.g.
    mv ~/Desktop/Sea\ of\ Thieves.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
MManagor 2024-07-15 github

Commenting my interest in this feature so that it shows up with my involves: keyword searches.

TTheUnknownHack3r 2024-08-02 github

Commenting here as well to show interest.
For now, I guess one can make the shortcuts using the "Add desktop shortcut" button and move it to /usr/share/applications (This works for me on Arch Linux, KDE Plasma desktop)

Eesdrasjnr 2024-11-14 github

+1

I switched distros recently and I keep all my games on a separate drive [...]

Similar problem. Hope it gets solved soon or someone finds some workaround...

MManagor 2024-11-14 github

Commenting here as well to show interest. For now, I guess one can make the shortcuts using the "Add desktop shortcut" button and move it to /usr/share/applications (This works for me on Arch Linux, KDE Plasma desktop)

~/.local/share/applications/ exists so you don't have to mess with root permissions.

Jjebez1 2024-12-08 github

After a re-installation of my Debian testing KDE, Steam Windows games on a separate partition, I need this feature.

The feature request dates from 2022, Valve doesn't seem to care...

MManagor 2024-12-08 github

There are hundreds of feature requests on this bugtracker and valve having their hands full with other projects, it's kinda expected that stuff like this gets neglected.

FFedericoHeichou 2025-08-31 github

If steam sets as icon "steam" instead of steam_icon_<gameid> is because you have already some broken links under ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor called steam_icon_<gameid>.png.
In my case I installed the game first with steam's snap, it didn't work so I uninstalled it and reinstalled from official steam repo.
When I uninstalled the snap one, the links under the above folder are kept, but the target does not exists anymore.
For example:

~/.local/share/icons/hicolor/192x192/apps/steam_icon_3224770.png -> /home/<username>/snap/steam/common/.local/share/icons/hicolor/192x192/apps/steam_icon_3224770.png

If you have this problem just delete them (replace the number with the id game, you can easly find it doing cat of .desktop generated entry, it is the number in Exec).

cd ~/.local/share/icons/hicolor
# Check the esistance of those broken links
find . -name steam_icon_3224770.png
# Delete them
find . -name steam_icon_3224770.png -exec rm {} \;

Now recreate the desktop entry from steam client and it will generates the steam_icon_<gameid>.png files correctly.
Then you may need to "right click" and click "Permit execution".
Finally you can move (or copy) it under ~/.local/share/applications, so it will appear in the dash

Nothing extracted yet.