Different Google Drive icon in sidebar?

Question

I do not understand why in the sidebar there is not the Google Drive icon, while the folder in /Users/name/Google Drive has the right icon. How can I solve? Any idea?

Answer 1

Sadly, this is simply not possible in macOS. The Google Drive app, and now its successor Backup and Sync from Google, give the actual folder named "Google Drive" its custom icon in the conventional way, much the same way you could paste a custom icon on any other folder.

Unfortunately, all custom folder icons are ignored when displayed as Favorites in the Finder sidebar. You can confirm this by adding any folder with a custom icon to the sidebar. You can also show your home in List view to see that "Google Drive" does indeed have a custom icon optimized for that tiny display size. Finder is simply designed to ignore it, presumably to keep the Finder user interface as uniform as possible.

Answer 2

I recommend using 'XtraFinder' or 'TotalFinder', which enable custom sidebar icons in Finder (and have many other useful features as well).
The 'Backup and Sync from Google' app that manages your Google Drive folder will reset the folder icon - but you CAN make it retain a custom icon easily;
Within your primary 'Google Drive' folder, create a sub-folder and name it 'Google Drive'.
Apply your custom icon to this folder, and drag it into the sidebar.
Now, your folder icon will not be reset when 'Backup and Sync' runs or updates.

Unfortunately the standard version of Finder does not display custom icons.
HOWEVER, you can work around this a few different ways. TotalFinder and XtraFinder are two great apps that I've used with great success, and both allow custom (and colorful!) folder icons.
You can use a custom icon for your Google Drive folder by right-clicking on your folder, clicking 'Get Info', then dragging and dropping your icon file onto the folder icon in the upper-left corner of the folder info panel.
There is a minor problem with this, however - the 'Backup and Sync' app replaces any custom folder icon with the generic Google Drive folder icon. This happens irregularly, every few days or so, and it's a pain in the butt to repeat the process.
Fortunately, you can fix this issue (permanently) by replacing the .icns files in the Backup and Sync app itself with your custom .icns file, which should prevent the folder from reverting to the standard icon.