File Extension Database

Open ZIP File

ZIP is a format and at the same time it is the extension of the files that follow ZIP format.

The ZIP file format compresses large files or large numbers of files for easy sharing and manipulation. The ZIP compression format does lossless compression, that is, when you decompress, you get your original file again.

The ZIP format also supports very large file segmentation for easy download by users. Its most common use is for attachments via email or exchange of groups of files by instant messaging services such as WhatsApp or Telegram.

The ZIP compression format uses several compression methods ranging from the old 'Shrink' method to encrypted compression methods such as AE-x. Some of these methods are based on other no-less-known formats such as MP3 and JPEG.

Windows natively has a zip/unzip software, like Linux, however, the older versions of these operating systems do not have it and you need to download and install a suitable application for this purpose.

There are countless softwares to work with the ZIP format, below are the most popular ones:

7-ZIP
WinZIP
WinRAR

It is important to note that the compression process applies only to files that can be compressed, such as office files, plain text and some types of vectorized images, however, most multimedia files must have already gone through a compression algorithm and ZIP programs won't do much beyond original compression.

Typical ZIP application file locations:

%SystemRoot%\Explorer.exe /idlist
C:\Windows\Explorer.exe /idlist,%I,%L

Typical ZIP mime types:

%I

Frequently associated Windows objects:

CompressedFolder

How Can I Open ZIP File on Windows

We researched and learned that the best way to open ZIP file is to find a ZIP file in question in Windows OS File Explorer and double click on it to launch the corresponding application.
If a ZIP file is not opened in an application and you instead get a "Windows can't open a file" error message you should try looking for an application which can open the file in question.
If you know the application which can open ZIP file then run it and see if there is a File->Open main menu option in the application.
If you don't know the application which function as ZIP file opener then try to search online for "ZIP viewer", "application to open ZIP file" or "open ZIP file" queries in the search engine you like.
Install the application you found and check if it can open ZIP file

How Can I Open ZIP File on Mac OS

We recommend to find a ZIP file in question in Mac OS Finder and double click on it to launch the corresponding application.
If a ZIP file is not opened in a Mac OS application and you instead get a "There is no application set to open the file" error message you can click on "Search App Store" in the error dialog and Mac OS will show you applications compatible with ZIP file.
If you know the Mac OS application which can work as ZIP file opener you can choose the "Choose Application..." option in the error box to associate the file extension and open ZIP file in it.
If you don't know the application which can open ZIP file then try to search for "ZIP viewer", "application to open ZIP file" or "read ZIP file" queries in the online search engine you like.
Install the application you found and check if it can read ZIP file

How Can I Open ZIP File on Android

If you downloaded a ZIP file on Android device you can open it by following steps below:

In the Android apps list on your Android device find "My Files" or "File manager" app and tap to start it.
Tap on "Downloads" folder inside the app.
You should see your downloaded ZIP file in that folder.
Tap on the file. If Android device supports opening the file you downloaded it will open in the corresponding app.
If file does not open you can look for the corresponding app that can open the file by searching Android App Store for the "ZIP".
If you cannot open the file with the apps from Android App Store it is possible that the file could only be opened on desktop platforms such as Windows or Mac OS. Try searching for "ZIP viewer", "ZIP file reader" online and see if any desktop applications can open it.
It is also possible that the file you downloaded is outdated and is no longer supported.

How to Open ZIP File on iPhone or iPad

To open ZIP File on iOS device follow steps below:

We advies to open Files app on your iPhone or iPad device. You can find it by swiping down on the home screen and typing "Files" in the search bar.
Tap on the Downloads folder on the Files app home screen.
You will see all files that you recently downloaded. Tap on the ZIP file to view it.
If you have the right app that can open it it will automatically launch and open your file.
If you don't have the app which can open it you need to serch Apple app store for "ZIP". This way you can find apps which can open ZIP files.
If this doesn't help it is possible that your file could be opened only by the desktop application. To find an app which can open it on desktop look for "ZIP viewer" or "ZIP file" online in your favorite search engine.