Guide
How to create and open ZIP files on iPhone and iPad
Since iOS 13 the Files app has been able to both pack and unpack archives, without you having to download anything from the App Store. The button simply is not where most people look first.
How to create a ZIP file
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Open the Files app and find the folder. Tap «Select» in the top right, then tap each file you want to include.
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Tap the three dots in the bottom right, and choose «Compress» in the menu that pops up.
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The archive lands in the same folder. If you chose one file, the archive inherits its name. If you chose several, it is called «Archive.zip» — hold your finger on it and choose «Rename».
How to open a ZIP file
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Find the ZIP file in the Files app and tap it once. That is all it takes — there is no separate «extract» button.
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The contents are unpacked into a new folder right next to the archive, with the same name. You are not asked where it should go.
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To just see what is inside, hold your finger on the archive and choose «Quick Look». You then get a list of the contents without extracting anything.
Email attachments must be saved first
If you tap a ZIP file directly in Mail, you get a preview — not a file you can do anything with. That is the most common reason people think an iPhone cannot open archives.
The solution is to save it down first: tap the share button, choose «Save to Files», and point out a folder. Then you open it in the Files app in the usual way. The same goes for attachments in messages and in most other apps.
No password protection
The Files app can neither create password-protected archives nor open them. If you are sent a locked archive, that is where it stops — you need an app from the App Store to get any further.
If someone is going to send you a protected archive, it is worth agreeing in advance what they use. An archive locked with the modern AES method cannot be opened by every app.
Mind where you extract
The Files app distinguishes between «On My iPhone» and «iCloud Drive». If you extract a large archive in the iCloud folder, the phone starts uploading all of it — and that eats into your iCloud storage, not just the phone’s.
If you are only going to use the files locally, move the archive to «On My iPhone» before you open it.
Or do it in Safari
The tools here on Zipfile work in Safari on iPhone and iPad. Everything happens on your phone — no files are sent to a server, and you avoid installing anything.
Questions and answers
I cannot find «Compress» in the menu
Then you have probably not selected anything. The menu behind the three dots changes according to what is selected — tap «Select» in the top right first, then tap at least one file. If you are inside an app showing files from a cloud service, the option can also be missing because the service does not support it.
Can an iPhone open RAR files?
No, not with the Files app. It handles ZIP, and from iOS 17 a few more formats, but RAR is not among them. You need an app from the App Store — or ask the sender for a ZIP instead, which everyone can open.
Where did the archive go after I made it?
It is in the same folder as the files you packed. If you are unsure, search for «Archive» at the top of the Files app. Remember that the Files app shows several places at once: «On My iPhone», «iCloud Drive» and any cloud services you have connected.
Can I extract an archive that is in Dropbox or Google Drive?
Usually you have to download it to the phone first. The Files app can show the contents of cloud services, but extraction requires the file to actually be local. Hold your finger on the archive, choose «Copy», and paste it under «On My iPhone».
Is there a size limit?
Not a fixed one, but the phone needs free space for both the archive and the extracted contents at the same time. An archive of 2 GB can therefore require 4 GB free. If space is tight, extract in several rounds.