How To Open ZIP Files on Your iPhone in Just a Few Taps

A ZIP file is a compressed file format that can contain multiple files combined into one file. You may need to open ZIP files on your iPhone to extract the files inside, which can be useful for downloading large files, sharing files with others, or backing up your data. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to open ZIP files on iPhones running iOS 16 & below versions.

ZIP files are a handy way to store and share multiple files in a compressed format. Previously, I had to rely on third-party apps to open ZIP files on my iOS device. But with the introduction of iOS 16, Apple made a significant change. They added native support for ZIP files, making it much simpler for users to access the files. Now, here comes the question: How can I quickly open ZIP files on my iPhone?

THE SHORT ANSWER Well, the quickest way to unzip files on iPhone is to open the Files app > Find & Tap on the ZIP file you want to open > The extracted files or folders will appear in the same folder as the ZIP file. For example, if you have a ZIP file called “photos.zip”, the extracted files will be named “photos”.

The best part? You can even preview the contents of a ZIP file before unzipping it, unzipping multiple ZIP files simultaneously, and choosing a specific location for unzipping. Additionally, you can even unzip ZIP files directly to cloud storage services like iCloud Drive or Dropbox.

Besides this, there are more than a couple of methods you can try to open ZIP files on iOS devices. Let’s explore them as well.

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To access ZIP files on the latest iOS 16, you can use any of the workarounds shared below.

Note: Most of the methods work effectively on previous versions of iOS 16 as well.

METHOD 1 = How To Unzip Files On iPhone Using A Third-party App

If you prefer to use a third-party app to open ZIP files, there are many options available. Some popular options include iZip, Unarchiver, and Zip Extractor. These apps offer a variety of features, such as the ability to preview ZIP files, extract multiple ZIP files at once, and unzip ZIP files to a specific location. To open a ZIP file using a third-party app, simply follow the instructions that are provided by the app developer.

For demonstration purposes, we’ll discuss the step-by-step method to open ZIP on iPhone using iZip app:

STEP 1: Install iZip from the App Store.

STEP 2: Open the iZip app.

STEP 3: Locate the ZIP file.

STEP 4: Tap to select the ZIP file.

STEP 5: Tap “Extract” button.

STEP 6: Choose the extraction location.

STEP 7: Tap “Extract” option again, followed by hitting the “OK” button to start the extracting process.

The extracted files will appear in the selected folder.

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METHOD 2 = How To Open ZIP Files Stored On Cloud

You can open ZIP files stored in cloud storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive in the Files app. However, this feature was not available in previous versions of iOS 16.

So, if you want to open ZIP files stored in cloud storage services on previous versions of iOS 16, you will need to use a third-party app. If you have a ZIP file stored in a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive, you can open it directly from the Files app. To do this, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Open the Files app.

STEP 2: Tap on the cloud storage service that contains the ZIP file.

STEP 3: Locate the ZIP file you want to open.

STEP 4: Tap on the ZIP file.

The extracted files or folders will appear in the same folder as the ZIP file.

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METHOD 3 = How To Open ZIP Files Stored On iCloud Drive

If you have a ZIP file stored in iCloud Drive, you can open it directly from the Files app. This feature was also available in previous iOS versions, but it has been improved in iOS 16. If you have a ZIP file stored in iCloud Drive, you can open it directly from the Files app. To do this, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Open the Files app.

STEP 2: Tap on the iCloud Drive tab.

STEP 3: Locate the ZIP file you want to open.

STEP 4: Tap on the ZIP file.

STEP 5: Hit the “Uncompress” button and all the extracted files or folders will appear in the same folder as the ZIP file.

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ZIP files are a great way to compress and share large files. However, opening ZIP files on an iPhone can be tricky. These are a few different methods you can use. The best way for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. If you only need to open occasional ZIP files, the simplest method may be the using Files App. However, if you need to open ZIP files frequently or need more features to create ZIP files from scratch, open other formats like RAR, etc, taking the help of a third-party app may be a better choice.

So next time you receive a ZIP file, don’t be afraid to open it. Just follow the instructions above and you’ll be up and running quickly!

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