ZIP files make it easy to share multiple files in a single download. Whether you've received photos, documents, or work files by email, Messages, or cloud storage, you can open ZIP archives on your iPhone in just a few taps.
While Apple's Files app offers basic support for ZIP files, Documents by Readdle gives you more flexibility. You can quickly extract ZIP archives, open RAR files, organize your files, and move them between your device and cloud storage—all from one app.
Can iPhone open ZIP files?
Yes. iPhones include built-in support for ZIP archives through the Files app.
However, if you regularly work with compressed files, receive archives from different devices, or need support for formats beyond ZIP, a dedicated file manager like Documents makes the process much easier. It lets you manage, extract, organize, and share files without switching between multiple apps.
How to unzip files on iPhone
If you receive a ZIP archive by email, Messages, AirDrop, or another app, here's how to extract it with Documents:
- Download Documents by Readdle from the App Store and open the app.
- Open the ZIP file in Mail, Messages, Safari, or another app.
- Tap Share.
- Select Save to Documents.
- Open Documents if it doesn't launch automatically.
- Tap the ZIP archive.
Documents instantly extracts the archive into a folder with the same name, making all the files inside ready to use.
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Whether the archive contains photos, PDFs, Office documents, videos, or other files, Documents unpacks everything in seconds.
What can you do after extracting a ZIP file?
Once the archive has been extracted, you can:
- Preview PDFs, images, videos, and audio files.
- Open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.
- Move files into folders.
- Upload them to iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and other cloud services.
- Share files with colleagues, friends, or family.
- Compress files into a new ZIP archive whenever you need to send them again.
Everything stays organized in one place, alongside your other documents and downloads.
Why won't my ZIP file open?
If you're having trouble opening a ZIP archive, one of these common issues may be the cause.
The ZIP file is corrupted
If the download was interrupted or the archive was damaged before it was shared, it may not open correctly. Try downloading the file again or ask the sender to resend it.
The archive is password protected
Some ZIP files are encrypted for security. If prompted, enter the password provided by the sender to extract the contents.
Your iPhone doesn't have enough storage
Extracting a ZIP archive requires free storage space. If your device is almost full, free up some space or move files to cloud storage before trying again.
It's actually a RAR archive
Not every compressed file is a ZIP archive. Some downloads use the RAR format instead, which isn't supported by Apple's built-in Files app.
Documents lets you open both ZIP and RAR archives from one place, so you don't need a separate app.
The filename contains unsupported characters
Occasionally, ZIP files created on another operating system may contain special characters that cause issues when opening them. Renaming the file before extracting it often solves the problem.
Why use Documents to manage ZIP files?
Documents is more than an unzip tool. It helps you manage all your files from one place, including documents, photos, videos, music, PDFs, archives, and downloads.
With Documents, you can:
- Open ZIP and RAR archives.
- Organize files into folders.
- Connect cloud storage services.
- Share files quickly.
- Compress files into new ZIP archives.
- Keep all your files together in one powerful file manager.
Download Documents by Readdle for free and make opening, organizing, and sharing ZIP files on your iPhone easier than ever.