How To Unzip & Open Files On Your iPhone Or iPad.
Starting with iOS 11, it was possible to unpack or compress files on Apple iOS products in the default Files app. This means that zipping and unzipping files on iOS is very easy and there is no risk of doing it on your iOS device.
The process is simple and only takes a few minutes. For those who need more control over the archives they create, we will also offer several alternative applications that can be used to archive and decompress files on iOS.
How to unzip files on iOS
First, you need a zip file on your iPhone. You can download this in Safari, via email, or from contacts in instant messaging apps. Just click on the file link and a message will appear asking if you want to download it. Click “Download” and the file will be saved in your file application.
- Swipe down on the home screen to go to search.
- Find files and tap the Files app when it appears.
- You can find the recently downloaded zip file by touching the latter or by searching for the file name.
- Then navigate to the folder where you saved the .zip file. Press and hold the .zip file and new options will appear. Click Unzip and the files will be unzipped to a new folder.
- On iPhone, the original .zip file will remain after unpacking. To delete it, press and hold the zip file and then tap Delete.
How to compress files on iOS
If you want to zip files on iPhone, it’s very easy. First, you need to move the files that you want to compress into one folder.
- Create a folder by swiping down in the Files app.
- Click the three dots icon on the left.
- Click New Folder – give it a name and click Finish.
Now that you have a folder, it’s time to move your files into it. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each file you want to add to the new zip file.
- Find the file in your file application, press and hold it and press Move.
- Tap the folder you just created.
- Repeat the steps above for each file.
- After moving all files, press and hold the created folder and a list of actions will appear.
- Click “Compress” here. The Files app will automatically create a new .zip file for you, which you can send to other users, transfer to other devices, or save to your iPhone.
Why should I create Zip files on iOS?
Zip file creation is a process known as compression. He got this name for a reason. When you zip files together, they are compressed and the overall file size is reduced. This means you can store more files on your phone by zipping the files together.
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When you are ready, you can unpack the archives and the contents of the zip archive will be added to your device in their original quality. If you have thousands of photos or videos, archiving can be a great way to save storage space.
You must remember that file browsers and applications cannot access the files in the archive until they are decompressed again. You should only archive files if you know you are not going to access them regularly.
Archiving files can also be a great way to send files to other users. It is very easy to collect multiple files and folders into one archive and then send that single archive via email or instant messages. If you try to upload multiple files and folders without first archiving them, you will find it takes a long time to upload each file manually.
Since .zip archives reduce the overall size of files, you can use archiving to reduce the time it takes to upload and download files that you are also sharing.
Alternative Zip apps and unzip them on iOS
While you can use the default Files app on iOS to zip and unzip files, if you need more control, you can use an alternative app from the App Store.
These apps can add new archive file formats, introduce encryption, or add passwords to your zip files.
Before we show you these apps, remember that these are third-party apps, so we can’t expect to run as smoothly as the default Files app. When using third-party apps, you should expect ads or in-app purchases.
iZip
iZip
iZip has a simple file browser with many advanced features in the settings menu. You can browse specific categories such as files, photos, audios and documents. You can also view files via Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive.
With this approach, it can be difficult to select multiple folders at once or multiple files with different file types. Instead, you will need to browse and select files of similar file types and zip them together.
For example, you can select multiple videos at once or multiple selfie photos, but not both.
Once you have selected the files, you can click to zip them to iOS and a new archive will be created immediately. To unzip files, simply tap on the archive and you will be prompted to unzip them.
To change the settings for archiving files, click the settings button in the upper right corner. Here you can choose which settings will be automatically applied each time you create a zip archive.
iZip isn’t perfect, but it’s relatively unobtrusive with ad placement and works well even if you have to scroll through more menus to access the features you want.
Unpack
Decompress
Unzip was an archiving application that was as easy to use as possible. Tap on the archive file and it will automatically unzip without any other menus or prompts. By default, Unzip also has very limited access to your files, so if you’re concerned about privacy, Unzip is a great option.
To access more files, you have to click the + button in the upper right corner and click Import Photos or Import Music. Then you can choose which files or photos to import. The permission request will appear every time you request new files.
If you want to add password blocking to your archives and remove ads, you must purchase the professional version for $ 1.99. Alternatively, you can purchase each feature (ad removal and password lock) for $ 1. Without it, the ads can be a little intrusive – you have the regular 5-second non-skippable ad and banner ads at the bottom of the app.
To create a zip file, you have to click the edit button in the upper right corner and then click to select the files you want to zip. When archiving, you can also add standard password-protected encryption.
As such, Unzip is much simpler than iZip and gives you more control over which files it accesses – you have less control over the archive file type or compression settings, but it’s a great alternative for those looking to unzip files with the click of a button.
Summary
Has this article helped you learn how to unzip and zip files on iOS? Do you have any questions or advice of your own? Join the comment section below and we’ll see you there.
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