Fix: Square Icons Showing in Postman File Upload on Ubuntu

If you are using Postman on Ubuntu 23.04 and notice that file icons appear as square placeholders or broken symbols, this guide will help you fix it quickly.

Problem Overview

After upgrading to Ubuntu 23.04, users may see square icons instead of proper file and folder icons inside Postman’s file upload dialog.

  • Missing file icons
  • Broken folder symbols
  • UI rendering issues in Snap apps

Root Cause

The issue is usually caused by:

  • Corrupted font cache
  • Snap package isolation issues
  • Postman fontconfig cache corruption
  • System upgrade breaking font mappings

Solution Steps

Step 1: Rebuild Font Cache

sudo fc-cache -r -v

This refreshes system font mappings and fixes missing icons in most cases.

Step 2: Find Postman Font Cache

find ~/snap/postman/ -name "fontconfig"

This locates Postman’s cached font configuration folders.

Step 3: Remove Font Cache

rm -rf ~/snap/postman/common/.cache/fontconfig/
⚠️ If multiple folders are found, remove all of them carefully.

Step 4: Restart Postman

snap restart postman

Or simply restart Postman from the application launcher.

Result

After applying the fix:

  • File icons render correctly
  • No more square placeholders
  • Postman UI works as expected

Why This Works

The issue occurs because Snap applications maintain isolated caches. Clearing and rebuilding font cache forces Postman to regenerate correct font mappings.

Final Thoughts

This is a common UI issue in Snap-based applications after OS upgrades. It can be fixed easily without reinstalling Postman.

If the issue continues, consider reinstalling Postman or switching to the .deb version for better system integration.

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