Zip files are something we have to deal with from time to time in our work and daily lives. For example, you might need to send some zipped files to your team. Which can be so crucial and touch your company in so many ways. Apps that focus on better teamwork can even supercharge your company’s marketing campaigns.
Unzipping files could also be useful for your free time activities, like receiving photos after a wedding or any other event. More to it, zipping the files reduces their size, so it’s way easier to send it by email than as separate files.
From the dropdown list, choose unzip this zip file to your Mac, iCloud drive, Google Drive or Dropbox. How to unzip using Unarchiver in MacOS The Unarchiver is a great tool that supports dozens of archive formats, including some rather obscure ones. Winzip can zip or unzip on Mac, and open.7z file on Mac. This Winzip app on Mac support. Unzipping files on macOS. Just as the Archive Utility is used for making zip files, it is the same for unzipping in Mac OS. When you open a zip file, it will automatically decompress in the same folder or the location you set for it. How to Uncompress/Unzip a file on a macOS. Locate the zip file you want to unzip. Restraining myself having spent '£ooo's on mac gear, I would be eternally grateful if someone could advise how to complete such a stupefyingly simple operation as unzipping a file downloaded from the internet on a Macbook Pro, running Yosemite 10.10.02. I really hope there is enough software already on the mac somewhere to do this!!
We pretty much know how to unzip files on Windows, but how do you do it on Mac, and what is the easiest way to do it? There are a few great ways for you to choose from – this article will help you pick and decide which one is the best fit for you.
Archive Utility
Using Archive Utility is probably the most common and usual way to zip or unzip your files on Mac. In order to move on to more advanced tools with more possibilities, we’ll start simply by reviewing this one. The original Mac app Archive Utility can be located in Applications Utility folder. The truth is that it’s completely enough for occasional use, although it might seem quite limited if you tend to zip and unzip files pretty often, especially for professional use.
The good thing is that it’s really easy to use. All you need to do is move the files that you want to zip into one folder. Then, give it an informative name. After you’ve done all this, simply right click on the selected folder and click the “Compress” option. And you’re ready to go. This works both for single and multiple files. All you need to do is move them into one folder. But if you are planning to compress more than one file, you’ll see that the “Compress” option will have an additional number to it. This indicates how many items you have selected to zip.
When the process of compression is done, you’ll find your zipped files in the same folder as the original, uncompressed files. Unfortunately, this tool does not have an option to view the files before unzipping them.
BetterZip
If the options that the Archive Utility can offer you is just not enough, BetterZip is one of the tools that might really come in handy at this point. It is extremely easy to use and has way more features than the original MacOS app does.
By using the BetterZip tool, you can access all the same features as with the Archive Utility – zipping and unzipping numerous files. Additional features include adding comments to your archived files. Which is very useful for the teamwork. For example, if you are working on a project as a team, you don’t need to send a separate email with notes. You can just add those comments to your zipped files.
Unzipping Files For Mac High Sierra
More to it, with this app, you can also add or delete files without zipping or unzipping them. If adding and removing files is something you do quite often, this will save you tons of time and make your work more efficient. If you are really into productivity and time saving, you can try out other apps for smartphones productivity increase.
BetterZip is also a wonderful tool for those who care deeply about security. You can add passwords and encrypt your zipped files. This way you’ll protect it from being seen by unwanted people and save confidential information.
Setapp
In order to unzip files on a mac, you can also use SetApp.com – the first subscription service for Mac apps. It’s an absolutely new way to go if you need more than just zipping and unzipping your files or if you are constantly looking for a better choice of app to do it. Here you can find any app at any time you need – they are all categorized. Here you’ll find categories like lifestyle, productivity, maintenance, personal finance, and so much more.
More to it, it ensures you always have the best and most updated version of every app. It doesn’t even have ads inside of the app – so you can stay focused, work at peace and not be distracted by annoying ads. And it costs only $9.99 per month – you can have all the apps you could possibly need for this one price. You can even try it out for free because there is a seven-day free trial.
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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
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:
Mac Unzip Zip File
- Type the following command: (single space) zip -e ~/Desktop/Archive.zip
- 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
- Lastly, press Enter and create a password to use for the archive and the encrypted file will appear on your desktop.
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.
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