How to Unzip a File on Your iPhone or iPad and How to Create Zip Files
iOS 13 adds a few much-needed features to the Files app, one of which is the ability to open ZIP and other compressed files, as well as the ability to create such files on your device. Now that this feature is built into the Files app on iOS 13, it comes much closer to how the Finder works on Mac. You still need third-party apps to open certain compressed file formats, such as RAR or 7Z, but the Files app can open ZIP and TAR files and compress your files in the ZIP format. This is good enough for most people.
So, if you are rocking an iPhone with the latest iOS 13 release, read this guide further, as we’ll tell you how to zip/unzip compressed files with the Files app.
How to zip or unpack compressed files on your iPhone or iPad
Before continuing, we want to talk about the fact that the Files app now supports downloading files from Safari and Mail. Apart from this, you can also connect external storage devices such as hard drives, pen drives and SD cards directly to your iPhone, which you can access from the Files app.
That said, follow these steps to quickly compress or unpack compressed files in iOS 13 using the Files app.
How to extract a compressed ZIP or TAR file on your iPhone or iPad.
Here’s how to extract a compressed file on iOS 13 / iPadOS 13:
- Open the Files app and locate the ZIP or TAR file.
- Now tap the file and all content will be automatically extracted in a folder with the same name. You can also tap and hold the file and then tap Uncompresses.
How to create a ZIP file on your iPhone or iPad.
This is how you create a compressed file on iOS 13 / iPadOS 13. The system only supports one format, namely ZIP.
- To create a ZIP file, simply open the Files app and place all the files you want to zip in a single folder.
- Now go back and tap the Select button at the top and select the folder that you have just created.
- Now tap the icon with the three dots in the lower right corner and tap Compress. Your zip file appears with the same name and you can then share or save it as you wish.
- If you want to zip only one file, open the Files app, tap any file and select Compress.
And by following these simple steps, you can quickly zip or unzip compressed files in iOS 13 via the Files app.
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