Macs handle desktop icons slightly differently, primarily using the Finder and the "Alias" feature (the Mac equivalent of a shortcut).
Check the boxes for the icons you want to appear and click . Creating Shortcuts on macOS Apple’s macOS uses "Aliases" to represent shortcuts. Using the Finder Open Finder and navigate to your Applications folder. Right-click the app and select Make Alias . Drag the new alias file onto your desktop. Using Keyboard Shortcuts Select the item in Finder. how to add an icon to desktop