How To Unzip Files On Android Devices – All Apps And Features

ZIP files are a way of sending more than one file. It could be considered as a compact digital package. However, to send or receive it and look at it, you will require special software or app. You would first have to unzip the file on your Android device and only then would you be able to look at the content. In most cases, the apps are third-party so it should work on your Android device, regardless of its manufacturer.

What Are ZIP Files Used For?

Before looking at how you could efficiently unzip files on Android devices, you first should know what ZIP is used for and how is it useful. ZIP files basically bunch many files together under one folder, making it easier to share, send, or receive it. Manually downloading or sending files could be tiresome and end up messing up your careful organization. ZIP files are a far better solution. RAR files are a similar format. It might help to know that software or apps that can extract files from ZIP folders can also unzip RAR files. Usually, these apps send an alert or a notification when they are done, but if you do not want them, you can turn off the notifications.

How to Unzip Files on Android

Let’s take a closer look at the process. ZIP files generally need to be unzipped before it can be used. This refers to the extraction of all the files from the compressed folder. Did you know that thanks to a recent update, unzipping can be now done by Files by Google app? If this doesn’t work for you, you can always use the other equally efficient apps. For more, check out the apps here. We will also be discussing some popular ones in detail in the next section.

To unzip using Files by Google, you will first have to install the same by visiting the Play Store. Previously, it was known as Files Go. If you have an old Android device which has not undergone any updates, you might still have it under the same name. It is advised that you update before following the process.

The Process

Open ‘Files by Google’ and search for the ZIP file that you want to unzip. A hint: if the ZIP file you want to unzip was downloaded from your Gmail or another website, it could be there within the Downloads folder. It is quite easy to identify a ZIP folder since they always come with the .zip extension.

Click on the file and you will see the various files present within the compressed folder. Tap ‘Extract’ to unzip these files. Once the process is done, you will see the list of unzipped files. Click on Done. You will find these files on the same location as the original ZIP file.

Apps to Unzip Files on Android

Let’s take a look at some of the popular Android apps. Some of these are file managers having built-in unzipping function, making it easier for you to do multiple tasks with just one app. They work in a manner similar to Files by Google.

WinZip

WinZip is a popular software and known by most of us. It is now available for Android as well. The WinZip app supports all the commonly used types of archive files. The best thing about it is that there is support for Dropbox and Google Drive. Once WinZip added this support, many others started duplicating it as well. The design is neat and clean with the user interface being pretty friendly. While it offers the basic functionality and does its job quite well, the others on this list seem to have more to offer.

B1 Archiver

B1 Archiver is a popular software used for unzipping or zipping up different archive files. While it offers support for ZIP and RAR, the most common types, the app also offers support for other 37 formats! If you work with uncommon archive formats, this is an excellent platform to use. Besides this, it also has support for multi-part RAR. With reliable functionality and a user-friendly design, this is a good option to consider. While it is free to use, if you want access to some of the more advanced features, you will have to pay a small fee for it. This will also stop the adverts.

RAR

RAR is a product from RARLAB. This was designed by the same people who created WinRAR. Considering their expertise, it only stands to reason that the app will offer support to different file types and contain more features. As guessed correctly, RAR for Android offers support for ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, and many more. You can also secure your files using the many options available, such as encryption or password. With RAR for Android, you can also repair damaged archives. In addition to this, you would also be able to compare the archives against benchmarks.

ZArchiver

This is a completely free tool and has been an Android staple for many years now. With easy user interface and controls, it is quite popular with its users. Since it supports many file types, it offers a good enough experience as well. There are also options for password protection, encryption, split archives, and more. While it does not have any fancy features or a stunning interface, it does its job efficiently and that is what we are concerned with.

MiXplorer Silver

Coming to the last app on our list – MiXplorer Silver. This file manager app offers basic archiving functions. If you are working only with basic file types, such as ZIP or RAR, this should suit your purpose quite well. Besides ZIP and RAR, it supports over two dozen file types. The major benefit here is that it also offers its services as a file manager in addition to its archival abilities. With all it offers, it doesn’t come for free. The price is slightly on the higher side, however, for the quality and the number of features it has, it is well worth it. MiXplorer Silver is also reliable and efficient, making it a good investment.