How To Open Zip Files On iPhone: Use These 2 Methods

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Do you want to open a zip file on your iOS device?

There are many reasons why you may want to do so. Maybe you want to save space on your device by compressing some files, or perhaps you received a zip file from someone else that you need to open.

Whatever the reason, there are a couple of ways that you can open a zip file on your phone. In this article, I’ll teach you how to open zip files on iPhone easily!

Why Do We Even Need Zip Files On Our iPhone?

Unzipping files isn’t difficult at all, but it’s still important to ask why we need zip files on our iPhones in the first place. After all, they can’t be opened directly and still need to be unzipped in order to show their contents on our screen, which can be time-consuming.

Here are some reasons why you may need them:

  • You want to transfer many photos or videos. If you’re going to transfer or email a lot of photos or videos from one device to another, a zip file can be beneficial. After all, you can create a zip file with multiple files in it, even those with different file types.
  • You want to save space on your device. A zip file can also help you to save space on your device. By compressing files, you can fit more onto your device.
  • You want to password protect your files. Another reason to zip files is for security purposes. A zip file can be password-protected, unlike regular files.

That said, there are also many reasons why you need to unzip a zip file. For instance, if you want to request your tweet archive from Twitter or your account information from Facebook, those platforms will send those files to you in a compressed format: zip.

Additionally, if you want to receive full-resolution photos on WhatsApp, it can only be done through a zip file – which you will then have to unzip once you get it on your phone.

In other words, these methods that I’ll discuss below can help you open zip files downloaded from the internet quickly and easily.

2 Ways To Open Zip Files On iPhone

There are a couple of different ways that you can open zip files on your iPhone.

Using The Files App (Video)

The first is to use the native Files app. This is a built-in app that comes with every iOS device like iPhone and iPad that was designed to give users access to their files. It can also be used to zip files and unzip a zip file.

To open these compressed files using the Files app, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Files app on your iPhone. On newer iPhones, you can do this by swiping right on your homepage and typing “Files” on your search bar.
Opening Files app using the built in search function in an iPhone device
  1. To find the zip file that you want to open, you can type its name on the search bar at the top part of the Files app. You can also simply type “zip” and click “Zip archive” to bring up all the zip files on your phone.
Typing zip keyword in the search box inside Files app to find the zip archive command
  1. Now, you’ll see all of the zip files on your iPhone. Tap the zip file of your choice.
Located the zip files inside the Files app in iOS
  1. Doing that will automatically unzip the zip file. With your zip file unzipped, you can now click “Preview Content.”
Preview content button automatically unzips the zipped file
  1. If you want to save the unzipped file on your iPhone, click the Share icon on the lower left side of the screen.
Share icon located in the lower left side of the screen
  1. You should see plenty of options here. Click ‘Save to Files’ to keep the unzipped version. You can also email it to yourself or somebody else by clicking the Mail app or Gmail app icon at the top.
Save to files option pop-up on an iPhone device

Here’s our video showing how to unzip files on iPhone using the Files app.

YouTube player

Using Third-Party Apps

If you don’t have the Files app or would prefer to use a different method, there are also many third-party apps that you can download that will allow you to open a zip file.

Some of these include iZip, WinZip, and Unzip. Simply choose the third-party app that you prefer and follow the instructions for opening zip files within that app. For the most part, these apps all work precisely the same.

For the purposes of this tutorial, I’ll show you how to use WinZip to unzip your files on your iPhone.

  1. Go to your iPhone’s App Store and type “WinZip” on the search bar at the top.
Third party apps like Winzip found in the official App Store
  1. Click “Get” to download and install the app, then open it.
Downloading a third party app by clicking the GET button in the App Store
  1. If you’re asked to enable some permissions for WinZip, click Allow to enable them. If not, you’ll go straight to the app’s main menu which contains folders.
My Files app which contains files and folders in an iOS device
  1. You’ll see all the compatible files here. Go to the zip file that you want to open. Again, you can use the search bar to look for it.
Recent files that is available in the Files app in iOS
  1. Tap the zip file you want to unzip to see its contents.
Choosing a specific file to open and view its contents
  1. If there’s anything in particular that you want to unzip, simply click on the zip file to unzip it automatically.
Selecting a zip file automatically opens the file
  1. As you can see, here are all the files inside the zip file. You can choose to extract just one file.
All the files that are inside the opened zip file in an iOS device
  1. You can now share it wherever you want, similar to how it’s done using the native Files app – by clicking the Share toggle icon.
A sample text file that is opened and can be shared by clicking on the share zip button on the bottom center of the screen

There’s also another way to open zip files on the WinZip app.

  1. If you want to unzip all the contents of the folder, you can also click on the 3-button icon on the right side of the file name.
3-button icon that reveals additional options for the file selected
  1. Select “Unzip.”
One of the options after clicking the 3-button icon is the Unzip command
  1. Choose where you want to save your file. You can save it to your Downloads folder directly or you can save it in a new folder.
Chossing a specific location like Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud to save the file
  1. Click “Unzip” and wait for it to finish unzipping. 
Unzip button located on the bottom right corner of the screen in My Files app on an iOS device
  1. Once “Success” shows up on your screen, that means your file has been unzipped.
Success icon shown after a a file has been successfully unzipped

Obviously, there are many other apps than these three mentioned. But if you’re just looking for a simple app that can help you extract zip files from your iPhone, iCloud Drive, or even Google Drive, all of these are safe choices.

WinZip, in particular, is from a reputable company that also creates apps that open and extract zip archives on desktop computers.

FAQs

Can I Unzip A File On My iPhone?

You can unzip a file on your iPhone. There are two ways to do it: using the native Files app or through a downloaded app.

Why ZIP File Is Not Opening In iPhone?

A zip file is not opening in iPhone for many reasons. Maybe it’s corrupt. Maybe it’s not compatible with the app you’re using. Maybe the app doesn’t have the necessary permissions. There are many possibilities.

Opening Zip Files On iPhone: In Conclusion

So there you have it – everything you need to know about opening zip files on your iOS device.

You can do it in two ways, either by using the built-in app called Files or by downloading an app from the App Store and using that to unzip your zip file. Some of the best apps are WinZip, iZip, and Unzip, so any of them should be a great choice.

Was this article helpful? If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below!

About The Author

  • Hemant Mendiratta

    Hemant Mendiratta is a co-founder of TechUntold and a passionate tech blogger, avid gamer, and social media guru who keenly monitors useful apps and gadgets. He is the ideator of our Instagram tool StoryHoot which allows watching Instagram stories anonymously. You can connect with him on: Facebook, Twitter.

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Hemant Mendiratta

Hemant Mendiratta is a co-founder of TechUntold and a passionate tech blogger, avid gamer, and social media guru who keenly monitors useful apps and gadgets. He is the ideator of our Instagram tool StoryHoot which allows watching Instagram stories anonymously. You can connect with him on: Facebook, Twitter.

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