How to Zip and Unzip Files in iPhone?

It is common to compress files in desktop computers to save storage space and manage multiple files effectively. Though on smartphones, it does not help much on saving storage space you can still manage files effectively by compressing them into a single folder. In our earlier article, we have explained how to zip and unzip files in Android phones and in this article, we will explain how to zip and unzip files in iPhone.

Using Compressed Files in iPhone

Zip is one of the popular file formats for archives or compressed file. It is a container format that can hold multiple files in different formats. Here are some of the reasons you need to handle zip files in iPhone:

• You have a received an archive file in email that you want to view and edit.
• You want to send a project or album to your friends/colleagues containing multiple files. Sending or sharing each file separately will make the recipients crazy.
• There are multiple files in your iPhone or iCloud Drive that you want to compress and keep it as a single file.

Files app in iPhone, by default supports compressing and uncompressing files. Therefore, you do not need any third-party apps for this purpose. In addition, you can preview the zip file content (similar to Windows PC) in Mail and other apps without saving the file.

Preview ZIP File in Email App

Let’s say, you have received a zip file from your colleague in email.

• Open the email and tap on the zip file to open it.

• On the next screen, tap on “Preview Content” link.

• Now, you can view the content of the zip file without saving or extracting to your phone.

• You can read documents and view the pictures inside a zip file using this preview option. If the zip file contains multiple files, swipe to view each file when previewing. Alternatively, tap on the three lines icon showing on the lower right corner to view the details of zip file. It will show all files in the zip archive with name, type and size as shown below.

Unzip Archived Files in iPhone

The above method is useful for previewing the content. However, you can’t edit the content without unarchiving or unzipping the file.

• If you have received the zip file in email or any other app, tap on the share icon and select “Save to Files” to download the file. You can either save the file in “iCloud Drive” or “On My iPhone” location as per your preference.

• Now, go to your home screen and swipe the screen down to open the search box. Type “files” and open Files app.

• Under “Browse” section, choose the location where you saved your zip archive file.

• When you find the zip file, just tap on it.

• You will instantly see the file is unarchived and available in the same location.

• Tap on the uncompressed folder and view the files. You can open and edit the files if you want.

Instead of tapping and uncompressing, you can also tap and hold on the zip file to open the menu. Now, select “Uncompress” to unarchive the file.

Create Zip Archive File in iPhone

As mentioned, zip is the best option when you want to share multiple files or send multiple files in email.

• First, go to the location where your files are available.
• Tap on the circled three dots icon showing on top right corner.
• Select “New Folder” option and provided a name for your folder.

• Now, drag each file and drop inside the newly created folder.
• When your folder is ready, tap and hold to open the menu list.
• Select, “Compress” to create a zip archive file.

• Your iPhone will create an archive file under the same folder location with the same name of the folder.

If you want to share the zip file, tap and hold and then select “Share” option. Select the app like Messages, WhatsApp, Mail, or anything through which you want to share the file.

Note: As mentioned, there will not be much saving in the file size when you create a zip file. However, you can still get the benefit of sending a single file instead of multiple files. In addition, you can also compress restricted files like .exe and send in emails as a zip archive.