The format zip and the format rare These are file compression formats most famous that exist. That means that many of the things that we can download over the Internet and even files that we can receive by email or other means may be in these formats. We explain you how manage these files from your Android phone And what options do you have for opening, extracting, and also creating your own compressed files?
There are several ways to do it, and each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. and advantages Depending on the file type, size, and the apps you have installed, we'll tell you about different possibilities so that Choose the one that suits you best To you. Let's begin!
Android file manager
To begin with, Android already It has a sufficiently powerful file manager This can get you out of a bind in many situations. For example, if you need to open a ZIP or RAR file. that contains few filesYou can manage it correctly without installing anything else, using the native app of Archives or the administrator that includes your mobile.
On most recent mobile phones you will find an app called Archives, Google Files o File ManagerFrom there you can browse the internal memory, SD card and download folders to locate your compressed file.
The only problem is that, on many mobile phones, the native manager It doesn't let us open the files located inside the RAR directly And, depending on the customization layer, it might not even have full support for this format. In the case of ZIP files, it's usually possible. preview and extract without installing anything else.
When you tap on a ZIP file from the file manager, you'll usually see a list of the elements it containsFrom there you can select a photo or document, open the options menu (the three dots in the upper right corner) and select Extract toThen you choose a destination folder and that's it, you'll have - in our case, the photo - exported outside the compressed file.
On phones with interfaces like MIUI, One UI, EMUI, or ColorOS, the process is very similar: locate the file, tap or hold it, and use the option Extract, Decompress or a similar name. The content is usually saved in the same folder or in a subfolder with the same name as the ZIP file.
What is the problem with these files if they can be extracted and already? In the previous example we only have three photos inside the ZIP file, but in other cases there may be dozens or hundreds of filesAnd if your native manager only allows extracting item by item, You would have to do it one by one.Additionally, some file managers only work with ZIP and not with RAR or other formats like 7Z or TAR.
That's why we propose more complete alternatives for when you need to manage a compressed file with more information inside, or in less common formats.
Google Files: Extract ZIP files without complications
One of the most convenient tools for Android users is Google filesIt's an official Google app, lightweight and very easy to use, which comes pre-installed on many phones. With it you can Unzip ZIP files In a very simple way, although it is important to keep in mind that It only supports ZIP files., not RAR or other formats.
Its behavior is very intuitive: you locate the ZIP file in the section of Downloads Or in the folder where you saved it, you select it and the app shows you a pop-up window with the content from the file. From there you can press the blue button of Extract to decompress all the elements at once.
After the extraction you will see a preview of extracted filesIf you wish, you can tick the checkbox. “Delete ZIP file” so that Google Files automatically deletes the compressed file once the process is complete, helping you save space.
The extracted files are usually saved in the same folder as the original ZIP file, although from Files you can move them to any other location from your device or even share them with other apps.
RAR
RAR is an application for Android created by WinRARThe famous developers of the well-known desktop software. It's one of the most complete solutions if you want work with RAR, ZIP and many other formats compression directly from the mobile device.
When downloading and opening it, the first thing we will see is a file manager of its ownWe'll need to know how to navigate it to access the folder we want, but it's easy to use: you'll see the main folders of your storage and you can go into each one until you find the compressed file you want to open.
RAR he is able to create RAR and ZIP files y decompress a wide variety of formats such as RAR, ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, 7z, ISO, or ARJ, among others. It also supports password-protected files, multi-party files and the latest RAR5 formats, as well as being able to repair damaged ZIP and RAR files or perform compression speed tests.
Once you have done the file manager and you have reached your destination folder, select the file you want, hold down and click on Extract hereAnd you'll have all the contents of the ZIP or RAR file exported in no time. You can also press the extract button (to the left of the delete button at the top) and choose the exact destination you want to better organize your documents.
In addition to decompressing, RAR also allows you to compress And you can create the RAR or ZIP archive yourself, containing multiple files at once. You can choose the compression level, enable password encryption, include a recovery record, or use multiple CPU cores to speed up the process for very large files.
As an extra, the app includes basic functions of file management: copy, delete, move and rename files and folders, create new folders and even install applications from APK packages that you have stored on your device.
ZArchiver
Another option to do it is ZArchiver, an app that does the same as RAR but without ads In its basic version, it's also very easy to use; just like RAR, it has its own file manager. You go to the folder you want and extract the files, with the advantage that the interface is usually user-friendly. very light and fluid.
ZArchiver is compatible with over 30 types of compressed filesincluding RAR, ZIP, 7z, TAR, and many others. This makes it one of the best options if you frequently work with less common formats or if you want a single app for almost any compressed file you encounter.
When you tap on a compressed file, you can choose between different actions: "Extract here", “Extract…” o "Watch"This is very useful if you only want to check the contents without unzipping everything. This way you can open specific files without filling up your phone's memory with unnecessary ones.
ZArchiver also allows you to create RAR, ZIP, or 7ZIP files by clicking the button "+" From the bottom left corner, select the files. You can adjust parameters such as the compression method, filename encoding, or set a password to protect what you save inside the archive.
Another important advantage is that no internet connection required to function, something interesting if you often work with confidential files or if you don't want any app to upload anything to the cloud during the process.
Well, with these three options we believe you have plenty to work with to organize your compressed files: the Android file manager for simple cases, Google files to quickly unzip ZIP files and, when you need something more advanced, powerful tools like RAR y ZArchiver to cover virtually any format, create your own compressed files and protect them with a password. If you know of any alternatives or use something different, you can share it in the comments to help other users who want to open ZIP or RAR files on Android without any hassle.
