Apple is gradually bringing many file management features to both iOS and iPadOS. It can be seen as Apple’s renewed push to make its devices much more productive and useful. With iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 you can extract ZIP files natively to your device and that’s really cool. And that’s not all, you can also create ZIP files directly from the Files app. In this article, we provide you a simple guide on how to compress and extract ZIP files on iPhone and iPad. We also mentioned another method that lets you mess with other archive formats and use it in iOS 12. Having said that, let’s go ahead and learn the steps.
Compress and Extract Archive Files on iPhone and iPad
As mentioned above, you can manage archive files locally through the Files app in iOS 13 and iPadOS 13. However, it only supports two archive file formats (ZIP and RAR) and there are few limitations for compressing files. So, if you want to open other file formats like TAR or 7z without any restrictions, you can use the Shortcuts applet method that we have discussed below. Also, if you are using iOS 12, you can also use the Shortcuts app to zip and compress files without any hassle.
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For iOS 13 and iPadOS 13
iOS 13 native support for compression of both ZIP and RAR files. However, you can only compress a folder to the ZIP file format. It is sufficient for most purposes and works pretty well. If you want more options, you can skip to the next section. That said, here are the steps to follow.
1. To open a ZIP or RAR file, Open the Files app Open it on your iPhone or iPad and locate the file you want to decompress. Now, long tap on the compressed file and you will find several options. At the bottom, tap on “Compress” and a new folder will be created right there with all the content.
2. Similarly, to zip a folder on your iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the folder you want to compress and select “Compress” at the bottom. A ZIP file will be created there and there.
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For iOS 12 and Other Archive Formats
1. Open the Shortcuts app and tap the “+” button in the upper right corner. Later on, Search for “zip” and tap “Create Archive” to compress the files. Similarly, you can add “Extract Archive” as another shortcut to open files.
2. Next, tap on the edit icon in the upper right corner and Enable the “Show on Share Page” toggle. You can also give your Shortcut a name.
3. After that, change the format to “Ask While Running” so you can choose your preferred archive format. After doing that, tap on the “Done” button in the upper right corner to save the Shortcut.
4. Now, just share file with Shortcut app and select the specific Shortcut.
5. You will be greeted with a “Save” dialog. Here you can change the file format and then Finally tap on “Done” to compress the file. You can find the compressed file in the Files app.
SEE ALSO: 10 Tips to Improve Security and Privacy in iOS 13
Instantly Open Files on Your iPhone and iPad
So that was our quick guide on how to compress and extract ZIP files on iPhone and iPad. If you’ve updated to iOS 13 or iPadOS 13, the process is easy as the system now natively supports these features. However, if you want more flexibility you can use the second method. Anyway, that’s it for us. If you like this simple guide, comment below and let us know.
