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The allure of zipped files is simple: they allow you to directly send and receive files, or batches of files, without encroaching on file size limits. Often, email providers have limits on how large attachments can be. Zip files make it easy to bypass that limitation without sending multiple emails.

1. The good: Arhive Manager for Mac it’s yours for FREE! IZip is the easiest and effective way to organize different types of archives ZIP, RAR, TAR, 7ZIP and other compressed files on your personal Mac. Best of all it is absolutely free so you can zip and unzip archive files without any limitations and restrictions.
2. How to Zip a File on Mac. Open a Finder window, then locate the file or folder you want to zip. Right-click on the said file or folder. Select 'Compress' in the drop-down menu you see. The file is then Zipped while the original is left just the way it was. How to Create Zip Files and Folder on Mac. Open a Finder window.

Zipping files can also be useful for compressing files for storage on your Mac, or an external hard drive.

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Download WinZip for free – The world's #1 zip file utility to instantly zip or unzip files, share files quickly through email, and much more. How to unzip files on mac computers. Unzipping a file on a mac computer is user-friendly and intuitive. To unzip files on a mac, simply follow the steps below: Double click the zipped file. The file will automatically be decompressed by Archive Utility into the same folder the compressed file is in.

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How do you open a zip file on a Mac? Or what's the best way to do that? There are, of course, several methods for creating archives, such as built-in utilities, Terminal, and third-party apps. Below, we are going to explore how to unzip files on Mac, how to create zip archives, and showcase some archivers that make it really easy to zip and manage zipped files.

What is a Zip file?

A zip file is a lossless way to compress and archive files and folders. You often encounter zip files in emails, as mentioned, but also when downloading from the internet. If you've ever downloaded an app or extension directly from a developer website, chances are it was a zipped file.

It uses the '.zip' filename, and its icon is typically a folder with a zipper running up the middle. Zipping files is a time-tested method, and is largely unchanged. How to install instagram app on mac. Its use-cases have expanded, though. We use zip files for sending large files and bundles of PDF or text files, but it's now used as a method to send large folders of images as well as for downloading applications or games from the internet.

How to zip files on a Mac

Before we talk about some special apps and tools, we need to mention built-in macOS's utility that allows you to compress and decompress files and folders. Your Mac's simple Archive Utility, stored in the Applications > Utilities folder, is a simple, direct way to zip files. Its functionality is limited, but it's a decent option for quick zipping and unzipping of files and folders when you need to open zip files someone has sent you.

Here's how to zip a file on Mac with the Archive Utility:

1. Find the file or files you want to zip.
   Note: if you'd like to zip multiple files, it's best to put those files in the same folder. Then you can proceed to step two.
2. Right-click on the file or folder.
3. Select 'compress'

That's all it takes. Note the zipped file or folder will be created in the same location as the file or folder you zipped. You can move it manually if you like.

If you want to zip multiple files without first adding them to a folder, that's also possible with Archive Utility. Here's how:

1. Open the folder with files or folders you want to zip up
2. Select the items you want to include in the zip file and right-click on any one of the items.
3. Select 'Compress (x) Items' from the pop-up menu.

Once again, a progress bar will display. When the compression is finished, zipped items will be stored in a file called Archive.zip, which will be located in the same folder as the original items.

How to create an encrypted zip archive

Now that you know how to create a zip file on Mac, you may be wondering how to encrypt that zipped file. Archive Utility doesn't allow for this, but you can use the Terminal to accomplish this feat. Here's how:

1. Open 'Terminal' from your Applications
2. Enter the following command: cd desktop
3. Press enter on your Mac's keyboard
4. Enter the following command: zip -e [zipped filename]
   Note: Do not use brackets. If your filename were 'test.zip', you would enter: zip -e test.zip
5. Press enter
6. Terminal will ask for you to assign and verify a password.

The encrypted file will then appear on your desktop. Opening it will require a password.

We should note this method is clunky, a bit confusing for many – and dealing with Terminal is always a bit nerve-wracking. There's a much better way!

Get BetterZip for all ZIP tasks

Create encrypted ZIP archives and handle compression effortlessly. BetterZip is part of Setapp, so it’s free to try for 7 days.

BetterZip is an app that makes compression and encryption a breeze. In fact, you can set BetterZip up to encrypt all files by default! It uses strong AES-256 encryption, and has the same lossless compression you'll find with any zipping method.

Here's how to encrypt zip files using BetterZip:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac.
2. From the menu bar, select 'BetterZip,' and 'Preferences'
3. From the 'Presets' menu, select the 'Save' menu
4. Select 'Clean and Zip'
5. Under 'Encryption method,' select 'Strong (AES-256)'

If you'd like to use the same password for every file you encrypt, you can enter it in the filed just below 'encryption method'. If you don't supply a password, BetterZip will prompt you for one each time you zip and encrypt a file.

BetterZip is impressive for encrypting every zip file you create. If you're looking for a simpler approach, Archiver is the app you're looking for. It uses a drag-and-drop interface, and makes encryption as easy as checking a box and assigning a password. Here's how:

1. Open Archiver on your Mac
2. Drag the file you want to zip into the app
3. Select 'encrypt' if you want to secure the file with a password
4. Enter and verify your password
5. Select 'Archive'

How to add files to an existing zip file

BetterZip is your best path forward for adding files to an already zipped file. Here's how it's done:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac
2. Select the zipped file you want to add new files to
3. Select 'Add' from the top of the betterZip window
4. Select the file or files you'd like to add to your already zipped file
   Note: If you want to add multiple files, you can shift-click to add a list, or command-click to add them one at a time.
5. Select and hold 'Save' from the top left of the BetterZip window
6. In the menu that appears, select 'Clean and Zip'

This creates a new .zip folder with the already-zipped file, as well as the files you added, all of which are now zipped in the same folder.

Unzip files on a Mac

Unzipping files on your Mac is simple. The best method is using the built-in Archive Utility app. The process is simple, and essentially a reversal of the process for zipping a file. Here's how to unzip files:

1. Right-click the zipped folder or file you'd like to unzip
2. Select 'open with'
3. Select 'Archive Utility'

The zipped file or folder will be unzipped. If you'd like to re-zip the file, simple follow the steps we've outlined in this article to zip it again.

How to open zip files as a pro

To open zipped files and folders, both BetterZip and Archive are great options. We especially like BetterZip, here, because each zipped file or folder is previewed in the BetterZip window before you open it up. That way, you always know what you're about to open!

Here's how to unzip files using BetterZip.

1. Open BetterZip
2. Select the zipped file or folder you want to unzip
3. Select 'Extract' from the top of the BetterZip window

Your file or folder will be unzipped.

Here's the method if you choose Archive:

1. Open Archive on your Mac
2. Select the zipped file or folder you want to unzip
3. Drag it to the Archive window
4. Select it from the menu
5. Select 'Extract' from the bottom of the Archive window

That's all it takes!

Look inside the archive without extraction

Viewing a zipped file without actually unzipping it can be important if you have many zipped files on your computer, or have zipped folders and can't remember where you stuck a particular file.

For this, we like BetterZip. It automatically offers up a preview of zipped files and folders on the right side of its screen. There's no guessing, or fussy methodology. All you have to do is select the file in BetterZip, and the preview loads immediately.

Extract a separate file from a zip archive

Again, we really like BetterZip for this. Here's how to do it:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac
2. Select the zipped folder with the file(s) you want to extract
3. Right click the file you want to extract
4. Select 'Extract Selected' from the drop-down menu

Unzip files and folders using Terminal

If you would rather unzip files using the Terminal, here's how to do it:

1. Open Terminal on your Mac
2. Change directory to where your zipped file or folder is located using the 'cd' command. (As an example, if your zipped file were in the documents folder, you would enter 'cd documents' into Terminal – without the quotations. Keep in mind if your zipped file is buried in another folder, you will have to change directory until you reach the file's location.)
3. Enter the following command: unzip [filename]. (If your file were named zipped-stuff.zip, you would enter 'unzip zipped-stuff.zip' – again, no quotations.)

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Image credit: Mia Baker

From time to time, we have to deal with zip files in our day-to-day work. Maybe your friend sends you a zipped archive of photos of the party you were in last week or maybe your colleague sends you a file of documents. It’s not that often, but it happens. Moreover, zip files are very useful, when sending emails using Google Mail, because there’s a limited amount of space that is allowed to be sent. If you’re running windows, there’s no big of a deal, unzipping the files. But what about Mac?

Have you ever opened a zip file on Mac? Do you know the best way to do that? There are three main methods for it. You can use built-in utilities, Terminal or third-party apps. In this article, we’ll cover best zipping and unzipping options available for your Mac.

The Common Way

Unzip Files Mac App Windows 10

Image credit: Domenico Loia

The common way to zip and unzip files is by using your Mac’s Archive Utility, which can be accessed through Applications > Utilities folder. Archive Utility has the basic file compression functionality. You can quickly zip and unzip files and folders, to send to your friend or upload to Dropbox.

Archive Utility can easily zip single files and folders, by right-clicking it and choosing Compress function. When compressing multiple items, the process is about the same, with only a few minor differences. Instead of showing a name of file or folder that is being compressed, in the pop-up menu, the word Compress will be followed by the number of items that are being selected. Moreover, the zip file will be automatically called Archive.zip and will be stored in the same folder as the files you were compressing.

If you want to unzip your files, the process is, all the same, just reversed. You simply right-click the zip archive, choose “Open with” and then select Archive Utility. Moments later, the archive will be unzipped. The only downside is that Archive Utility has only these two functions – compressing and decompressing. If you would want to preview the content of your archive, protect it with a password, merge the archives or use the extended range of file types like RAR, you’d need special tools. Luckily for you, there’s a vast selection of those tools. You can check “Setapp” guide called The Easiest Way to Archive Files on a Mac to learn more.

Compressions Tips Using Terminal

Archive Utility’s lack of functionality can be fixed by using the Terminal. Have you ever used the Terminal on your Mac? If you’re not a programmer, chances are you haven’t. The reason is that it’s not that user-friendly. Instead, you can search third-party apps, that covers all the functionality of the Archive Utility, but at the same times packs high-end features.

These features can be adding comments to the archives and deleting files from archives without unzipping it. Moreover, most of the apps are fully integrated with the macOS workflow so they will work without problems. You can also find applications for zipping and unzipping files that suggest passwords for you to use to encrypt archives.

Creating an Encrypted Archive

Image credit: Max Nelson

Computer security is a very valuable thing in today’s digital world. Unfortunately, Apple’s Archive Utility doesn’t offer ZIP archives’ encryption with a password. The good thing is that there’s a way to do it if needed. The bad thing is that to do that, you’ll need to use the Terminal. To do so, you’ll need to open the Terminal, which can be easily accessed by pressing command + spacebar and typing “Terminal” into the search bar. In the opened window follow these actions:

1. Type the following command: (single space) zip -e ~/Desktop/Archive.zip
2. Drag the folder containing the files you wish to archive to the Terminal window and the command will look like this: zip -e ~/Desktop/Archive.zip /path-to-folder
3. Lastly, press Enter and create a password to use for the archive and the encrypted file will appear on your desktop.

Unzip Files Mac Apple

This process might look and feel a bit complicated and inconvenient, but if you need to use encryption only once or twice there’s no need to look for other alternatives. For those people who are encrypting files regularly, a third-party app is a must. It will make the process of encrypting archives effortless and much faster.

Unzip Mac Files