This wikiHow teaches you how to open and extract ZIP folders on computers, smartphones, and tablets. ZIP folders are used to compress files into smaller versions so that they are easier to store and send. In order to view and use the files in a ZIP folder in the proper format, you will need to unzip ("unzip") the folder into a regular folder.
Step
Method 1 of 4: On Windows Computer
Step 1. Make sure Windows uses the File Explorer program to open the ZIP folder
If you have another program installed such as 7zip or WinRAR on your computer, the ZIP folder will open in that program instead of File Explorer. Actually, these programs are not necessary because Windows can open and extract the contents of the ZIP folder. You can reset the program used to execute the ZIP folder through the following steps:
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Open the "Start" menu
Windowsstart - Type in choose a default app.
- Click " Choose a default app for each type of file ”.
- Scroll to the ".zip" heading at the bottom of the page.
- Click the program to the right of the ".zip" heading, then select “ Windows Explorer ”.
Step 2. Visit the ZIP folder
Open the desired ZIP folder storage directory.
Step 3. Double-click the ZIP folder
After that, the ZIP folder will be opened. You can view the contents in the folder in the window that opens.
- If you only want to see the compressed content in the ZIP folder, you can stop at this step.
- The contents in the ZIP folder may look different after it is compressed compared to what was extracted.
Step 4. Click the Extract tab
It's at the top of the window. After that, a toolbar will appear at the top of the File Explorer window.
Step 5. Click Extract all
It's in the toolbar at the top of the window. Once clicked, a pop-up window will open.
Step 6. Select the extraction location if necessary
By default, the contents of the ZIP folder will be extracted to the same folder as the ZIP folder itself (eg if the ZIP folder is stored on the desktop, the extracted folder will also be displayed on the desktop). If you want to extract the contents of a folder to a different directory, follow these steps:
- Click " Browse… ” to the right of the text field in the middle of the window.
- Select a folder.
- Click " Select Folder ” in the lower right corner of the window.
Step 7. Check the "Show extracted files when complete" box
It's in the middle of the window. With this option, all the contents of the ZIP folder will be displayed immediately after the extraction process is complete.
Step 8. Click Extract
It's at the bottom of the window. The files from the ZIP folder will immediately be extracted to a regular folder. After the process is complete, a normal folder will be opened and display the extracted files from the ZIP folder.
Method 2 of 4: On Mac Computer
Step 1. Visit the ZIP folder
Open the directory where the ZIP folder you want to open is stored.
Step 2. Move the ZIP folder if necessary
The contents of the folder will automatically be extracted to the ZIP folder's own storage directory. To copy the ZIP folder to another directory, follow these steps:
- Click the ZIP folder once to select it.
- Click " Edit ” at the top of the screen.
- Choose " Copy ” from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the directory where you want to extract the ZIP folder.
- Click " Edit, then select " Paste ” in the drop-down menu.
Step 3. Double-click the ZIP folder
After that, the contents of the ZIP folder will be extracted to a regular folder in the currently opened directory.
Step 4. Wait for the extracted folder to open
After the ZIP folder has been extracted, the normal extracted folder will open and display the saved files.
Method 3 of 4: On iPhone
Step 1. Download the Unzip app
This app allows you to extract and view compressed files inside a ZIP folder and is available for free from the App Store:
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open
Iphoneappstoreicon App Store on your phone.
- Touch " Search ”.
- Touch the search bar at the top of the screen.
- Type unzip, then touch “ Search ”.
- Touch the button “ GET ” to the right of the "Unzip - zip file opener" heading.
- Enter your Touch ID, Face ID, or Apple ID password when prompted.
Step 2. Locate the ZIP folder
Open the application or the ZIP folder's storage directory. The steps to follow vary, but common directories where ZIP folders are stored on iPhones include:
- Email - Open an email application (eg Gmail or Mail), select the email that contains the ZIP folder, and swipe if necessary to see the folder name.
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File - Touch the app icon
Iphonefilesapp01 Files, choose Browse ”, then touch where the ZIP folder is saved (you may need to enter several different folders).
Step 3. Touch the ZIP folder
A ZIP folder preview window will open.
Step 4. Touch the “Share” icon
This icon is usually in the lower-right or upper-right corner of the screen. The menu will appear at the bottom of the screen afterwards.
Step 5. Swipe the screen from right to left, then tap Copy to Unzip
You can see this option in the application row at the top of the menu. After that, the ZIP folder will be opened in the Unzip app.
Step 6. Touch the name of the ZIP folder
You can see it in the middle of the application window. Automatically, the contents of the ZIP folder will be extracted to a regular folder with the same name.
Unfortunately, Unzip doesn't allow you to view the contents of a ZIP folder without extracting it first
Step 7. Touch the extracted folder
This folder has a yellow icon and the same name as the ZIP folder name. The folder will be opened and the previously compressed files in the ZIP folder will be displayed.
Method 4 of 4: On Android Device
Step 1. Download the ZIP folder if necessary
If the folder is not already saved on your device, you will need to download it by visiting the location where it is saved and touching the download link. After that, the ZIP folder will be saved to the "Download" folder on the device.
- If the ZIP folder is stored in your Google Drive account, press and hold the folder, then touch “ Download ” in the displayed menu.
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If the ZIP folder is loaded in the email in Gmail, tap the " Download " icon
Android7download next to the folder name.
Step 2. Download the WinZip app
You can download the free WinZip app to find and extract ZIP folders:
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Open the app
Androidgoogleplay Google Play Store.
- Touch the search bar.
- Type winzip.
- Touch " WinZip - Zip UnZip Tool ” results drop-down list of search results.
- Choose " INSTALL ”.
Step 3. Open WinZip
Touch OPEN ” on the WinZip page, or select the WinZip icon on the device's page/app drawer.
Step 4. Touch ALLOW when prompted
With this option, WinZip can access the files on the device.
Step 5. Swipe the screen from right to left, then touch START
You need to go through four pages until you find the button “ START ”.
Step 6. Select the primary storage space
You can touch the option Internal ” to select the device's internal storage space or “ SD card ” (or similar option) to access the device's SD card if available, depending on where the ZIP folder is saved.
Step 7. Open the ZIP folder storage directory
Visit the folder containing the ZIP folder.
You may need to scroll through the screen to find the right folder
Step 8. Select the ZIP folder
Locate the ZIP folder in the opened directory, then tap the checkbox next to the folder name once to select it.
Step 9. Touch the “Unzip” icon
This zipped box icon is at the top of the screen, just to the left of an empty check box. A pop-up menu will appear after that.
Step 10. Select the storage directory for the extracted contents of the ZIP folder
Touch Storage ”, select the desired storage option (e.g. “ Internal ”), then touch the directory you want to use to save the extracted ZIP folder.
Step 11. Touch UNZIP HERE
It's at the bottom of the screen. The files from the ZIP folder will be extracted to the selected directory. After that, you can open the files.
