How To Extract Zip Files On Mac

How to unzip a file on a Mac? ZIP is one of the most commonly used formats for file compressing. You can put a lot of files in a single zip archive and the file size is dramatically smaller than origin. That is why it is so popluar nowadays. But how do you extract a .zip file on a Mac? Since Mac doesn't natively support the .zip format, which means zip file can't be opened on Mac by default.

1. Zip For Mac
2. How To Create A Zip File

Actually, you will need a special archiving tool to extract the content of zip files. In this article, we show you three different ways to unzip a file on a Mac computer.

Part 1. How to Unzip a File in Mac Terminal

How to Zip Files Using Mac Terminal. You can Zip your files in Mac's Terminal in different ways, but the simplest method will be outlined here for you. Open up a Finder window. Open up Terminal by typing in 'Terminal' at the search bar located on the top right part of your screen. It is fairly easy to compress a single file or multiple files and folders into a ZIP file archive on your Mac. You can also decomp. Find the.zip file in the Finder; At the command line type 'unzip ' followed by a space; Drag and drop the.cpgz or.zip file into the terminal window and hit enter. The command line method generally works the majority of the time to fix the issue and unzip a cpgz file on Mac OS Sierra.

This method utilizes Apple's Terminal application, which is the non-GUI interface for Mac OS X and macOS systems. This text-based interface allows you to input both simple and complex commands for the OS to process. While most people are intimidated by command line work, it's actually not that hard once you get the hang of it. Unfortunately, a lot of things can go wrong if you enter incorrect commands, hence the apprehension for novice users. But if you'd like to give it a go, follow the steps shown below:

Step 1. Save your .zip file to a convenient location such as your desktop or documents folder.

Step 2. Open an instance of Terminal by going to Applications >>Utilities >>Terminal.

Step 3. Change the directory to where the .zip file is stored. This is an important step. To do this, type in the following and then hit Enter:
cd ~/users/username/desktop

Step 4. Make sure the file path is correct. Terminal needs to be in the right directory for the next command to work.

Step 5. Now use the following command to extract the .zip file and save the contents in a folder of the same name, and in the same location.
unzip samplefile.zip

A new folder of the same name will be created in your desktop or documents, and will contain all the extracted files from the original .zip file. If this method looks too risky, then how about trying a robust software utility that can do the same thing, but without all the command line input?

Cons:

• Risky if inputting wrong commands.
• Take much more time.
• The unzipped folder would be a mess with wrong parameter.

Part 2 : How to Extract a ZIP File on Mac with CleanGeeker

TunesBro CleanGeeker is a comprehensive utility to optimize the performance of your Mac by managing memory resources. However, it also has several other utilities built in, and one of those is a highly functional unarchiver tool that is perfect for unzipping .zip files and also unpacking archives such as RAR, Tar, GZ and several more.

CleanGeeker allows you to extract, save and even email the contents of .zip and other archive files to someone else. The intuitive interface just requires a drag and drop action, or you can import it using the 'Open Archive' option. Follow the instructions below to extract files from .zip.

• Extract content from varios archive files.
• Find and removal junk and cache on Mac.
• Obtain more space and running memory in one click.
• Uninstall apps that would be deleted in normal ways.

Step 1Install and Run TunesBro CleanGeeker

Download and install CleanGeeker on your Mac, and launch the application.

Step 2Import ZIP File and Unzip it

Click on Unarchiver in the left-side menu panel. Either drag and drop the .zip file into the window from Finder, or click 'Open Archive' and select the .zip file. The contents will automatically be visible within a folder with the same name as the archive file. You can now view the contents of the .zip file, extract and save them to another location or even email them to someone from the interface.

If you want simplicity, then this is the application for you. No command line work, no complex settings to confuse you, and literally no effort on your part except a couple of clicks.

Part 3. How to Open ZIP File by WinZip on Macbook Pro ($$$)

WinZip is a well-known archive/unarchive utility for Windows, and the Mac Edition is ideal for extracting .zip and other archive files on a Mac computer. It also provides data encryption options and can connect directly to cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox. To use WinZip to unpack a .zip file, reproduce the steps below on your Mac:

Step 1. Download and install WinZip Mac Edition, and open the application.

Step 2. Click on the Files pane, navigate to the .zip file and double-click it.

Step 3. In the Actions pane, click on the down arrow and select the destination folder. You can also create a new folder to save the extracted contents. Finally, click on 'Unzip' to extract the content.

Cons:

• Very expensive ($29.95).
• Poor user interface.
• No additional feature.

Conclusion:

WinZip Mac Edition is a great tool, but it might look expensive if you're only going to be using it occasionally. On the other hand, something like CleanGeeker gives you a whole lot of other functions such as removing junk, duplicates and large files, uninstalling apps, erasing data permanently, optimizing your login items, cleaning up your memory and so on. Price-wise, it's not a hard decision to make considering the robust suite of tools you're getting in addition to the Unarchiver utility. If you're not comfortable with Terminal inputs, then either of these two applications will be the ideal alternative.

Related Articles & Tips

The allure of zipped files is simple: they allow you to directly send and receive files, or batches of files, without encroaching on file size limits. Often, email providers have limits on how large attachments can be. Zip files make it easy to bypass that limitation without sending multiple emails.

Zipping files can also be useful for compressing files for storage on your Mac, or an external hard drive.

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How do you open a zip file on a Mac? Or what's the best way to do that? There are, of course, several methods for creating archives, such as built-in utilities, Terminal, and third-party apps. Below, we are going to explore how to unzip files on Mac, how to create zip archives, and showcase some archivers that make it really easy to zip and manage zipped files.

What is a Zip file?

A zip file is a lossless way to compress and archive files and folders. You often encounter zip files in emails, as mentioned, but also when downloading from the internet. If you've ever downloaded an app or extension directly from a developer website, chances are it was a zipped file.

It uses the '.zip' filename, and its icon is typically a folder with a zipper running up the middle. Zipping files is a time-tested method, and is largely unchanged. Its use-cases have expanded, though. We use zip files for sending large files and bundles of PDF or text files, but it's now used as a method to send large folders of images as well as for downloading applications or games from the internet.

How to zip files on a Mac

Before we talk about some special apps and tools, we need to mention built-in macOS's utility that allows you to compress and decompress files and folders. Your Mac's simple Archive Utility, stored in the Applications > Utilities folder, is a simple, direct way to zip files. Its functionality is limited, but it's a decent option for quick zipping and unzipping of files and folders when you need to open zip files someone has sent you.

Here's how to zip a file on Mac with the Archive Utility:

1. Find the file or files you want to zip.
   Note: if you'd like to zip multiple files, it's best to put those files in the same folder. Then you can proceed to step two.
2. Right-click on the file or folder.
3. Select 'compress'

That's all it takes. Note the zipped file or folder will be created in the same location as the file or folder you zipped. You can move it manually if you like.

If you want to zip multiple files without first adding them to a folder, that's also possible with Archive Utility. Here's how:

1. Open the folder with files or folders you want to zip up
2. Select the items you want to include in the zip file and right-click on any one of the items.
3. Select 'Compress (x) Items' from the pop-up menu.

Once again, a progress bar will display. When the compression is finished, zipped items will be stored in a file called Archive.zip, which will be located in the same folder as the original items.

How to create an encrypted zip archive

Now that you know how to create a zip file on Mac, you may be wondering how to encrypt that zipped file. Archive Utility doesn't allow for this, but you can use the Terminal to accomplish this feat. Here's how:

1. Open 'Terminal' from your Applications
2. Enter the following command: cd desktop
3. Press enter on your Mac's keyboard
4. Enter the following command: zip -e [zipped filename]
   Note: Do not use brackets. If your filename were 'test.zip', you would enter: zip -e test.zip
5. Press enter
6. Terminal will ask for you to assign and verify a password.

The encrypted file will then appear on your desktop. Opening it will require a password.

We should note this method is clunky, a bit confusing for many – and dealing with Terminal is always a bit nerve-wracking. There's a much better way!

Get BetterZip for all ZIP tasks

Create encrypted ZIP archives and handle compression effortlessly. BetterZip is part of Setapp, so it's free to try for 7 days.

BetterZip is an app that makes compression and encryption a breeze. In fact, you can set BetterZip up to encrypt all files by default! It uses strong AES-256 encryption, and has the same lossless compression you'll find with any zipping method.

Here's how to encrypt zip files using BetterZip:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac.
2. From the menu bar, select 'BetterZip,' and 'Preferences'
3. From the 'Presets' menu, select the 'Save' menu
4. Select 'Clean and Zip'
5. Under 'Encryption method,' select 'Strong (AES-256)'

If you'd like to use the same password for every file you encrypt, you can enter it in the filed just below 'encryption method'. If you don't supply a password, BetterZip will prompt you for one each time you zip and encrypt a file.

BetterZip is impressive for encrypting every zip file you create. If you're looking for a simpler approach, Archiver is the app you're looking for. It uses a drag-and-drop interface, and makes encryption as easy as checking a box and assigning a password. Here's how:

1. Open Archiver on your Mac
2. Drag the file you want to zip into the app
3. Select 'encrypt' if you want to secure the file with a password
4. Enter and verify your password
5. Select 'Archive'

How to add files to an existing zip file

BetterZip is your best path forward for adding files to an already zipped file. Here's how it's done:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac
2. Select the zipped file you want to add new files to
3. Select 'Add' from the top of the betterZip window
4. Select the file or files you'd like to add to your already zipped file
   Note: If you want to add multiple files, you can shift-click to add a list, or command-click to add them one at a time.
5. Select and hold 'Save' from the top left of the BetterZip window
6. In the menu that appears, select 'Clean and Zip'

This creates a new .zip folder with the already-zipped file, as well as the files you added, all of which are now zipped in the same folder.

Unzip files on a Mac

Unzipping files on your Mac is simple. The best method is using the built-in Archive Utility app. The process is simple, and essentially a reversal of the process for zipping a file. Here's how to unzip files:

1. Right-click the zipped folder or file you'd like to unzip
2. Select 'open with'
3. Select 'Archive Utility'

The zipped file or folder will be unzipped. If you'd like to re-zip the file, simple follow the steps we've outlined in this article to zip it again.

How to open zip files as a pro

To open zipped files and folders, both BetterZip and Archive are great options. We especially like BetterZip, here, because each zipped file or folder is previewed in the BetterZip window before you open it up. That way, you always know what you're about to open!

Here's how to unzip files using BetterZip.

1. Open BetterZip
2. Select the zipped file or folder you want to unzip
3. Select 'Extract' from the top of the BetterZip window

Your file or folder will be unzipped.

Here's the method if you choose Archive:

1. Open Archive on your Mac
2. Select the zipped file or folder you want to unzip
3. Drag it to the Archive window
4. Select it from the menu
5. Select 'Extract' from the bottom of the Archive window

That's all it takes!

Look inside the archive without extraction

Viewing a zipped file without actually unzipping it can be important if you have many zipped files on your computer, or have zipped folders and can't remember where you stuck a particular file.

For this, we like BetterZip. It automatically offers up a preview of zipped files and folders on the right side of its screen. There's no guessing, or fussy methodology. All you have to do is select the file in BetterZip, and the preview loads immediately.

Extract a separate file from a zip archive

Again, we really like BetterZip for this. Here's how to do it:

1. Open BetterZip on your Mac
2. Select the zipped folder with the file(s) you want to extract
3. Right click the file you want to extract
4. Select 'Extract Selected' from the drop-down menu

Unzip files and folders using Terminal

If you would rather unzip files using the Terminal, here's how to do it:

1. Open Terminal on your Mac
2. Change directory to where your zipped file or folder is located using the 'cd' command. (As an example, if your zipped file were in the documents folder, you would enter 'cd documents' into Terminal – without the quotations. Keep in mind if your zipped file is buried in another folder, you will have to change directory until you reach the file's location.)
3. Enter the following command: unzip [filename]. (If your file were named zipped-stuff.zip, you would enter 'unzip zipped-stuff.zip' – again, no quotations.)

Zip For Mac

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How To Create A Zip File