Compressed (zipped, or .ZIP files) are becoming more common. But why? The reason compressed files are regularly used is because it combines many files into one, reduces the total size with data reducing mechanisms, and most times protect files from possible damage. It’s also inefficient to download dozens of files, one by one, compared to a simple ZIP containing all your required files.
Most devices have built-in zipping capabilities, so you may not notice much when opening a ZIP file. If you’re still having issues, see how you can easily unzip that ZIP file on your smartphone or PC computer.
Windows
To unzip a file or archive on your computer, go to the File location.
- Open “File Explorer”
- Go to the folder holding the file (e.g., Downloads folder)
- Right-click the archive file
- Press “Extract All”
If the file shows no option to Extract using Windows’ native archive functionality, you may need to use a free program like 7-Zip.
7-Zip supports many more archive types than Windows’ native tool. Learn more and download 7-Zip on their official website.
Mac
On Mac, you can unzip a file by either:
- Double-clicking the file. The extracted files will be in the same folder as the archive.
- Using “Finder” > Locating file > Right-clicking > Open with > Archive Utility.
iPhone
On iPhone, you can use the Files app’s built-in extraction.
- Open the Files app and locate the zip archive.
- Tap on it, and it will automatically extract in the folder it is in.
Android
Most Android phones come with compressing and decompressing functionality built-in.
- Open the Files (or File Manager) app.
- Locate the file, usually in the Download folder if recently downloaded.
- Long-press (or press then click Menu or ellipsis) then press Decompress (or unzip).
It may ask you to choose where you’d like to extract then start unzipping.