How to Open ZIP Files on Android

A ZIP file is a compressed folder containing one or more files. Before you can view or edit the files inside, you need to "unzip" or extract them.

Quick Answer

Open AnExplorer → navigate to your ZIP file → tap it to view inside without extracting, or long-press and select Extract to unpack everything into a folder.

Viewing Inside ZIPs Without Extracting

AnExplorer allows you to treat ZIP files like normal folders:

1. Locate your downloaded .zip file (usually in Internal Storage/Download).
2. Tap the ZIP file to open it immediately.
3. You can browse the contents, view photos, read PDFs, or even play media files directly from within the archive.
4. No need to clutter your storage by extracting everything if you only need to view one file.

How to Extract a ZIP File

If you want to edit the files or use them in other apps, you need to extract them:

Extract Everything (Unzip)

1. Open AnExplorer.
2. Go to the folder containing your ZIP file.
3. Long-press the .zip file to select it.
4. Tap the More (...) menu in the top right.
5. Select Extract.
6. Choose where you want to save the extracted files (current folder is default), and tap OK.

Extract a Single File

1. Tap the ZIP file to browse inside.
2. Find the specific file you want.
3. Long-press that file to select it.
4. Tap the Extract icon at the top of the screen.
5. Choose your destination folder.

How to Create Your Own ZIP File

Want to send 50 photos but don't want to send 50 individual messages? Zip them up!

1. Select all the files/folders you want to compress.
2. Tap the More (...) menu.
3. Select Compress.
4. Name your archive (e.g., VacationPhotos.zip).
5. Tap OK. Your new ZIP file will be created in the same folder.

Supported Archive Formats

AnExplorer handles more than just ZIP files. You can open and extract:

• ZIP (.zip)
• RAR (.rar) - including RAR5
• 7Z (.7z)
• TAR (.tar, .tar.gz)