How to Unzip a .Zip File on a Mac

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: December 3, 2020 Tested

If you’ve ever downloaded a large amount of data onto your computer, you’ve probably come across a .zip file or two. .Zip files are compressed files, so they're quicker to download and easier to access. However, you do have to unzip them to get to the actual information on your computer. There are 3 main ways to do this on a Mac: double clicking, using your terminal, and using an extension. If one method doesn’t work, move onto the next one until you find the one that does.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Double Clicking

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Open up your Finder and locate the .zip archive file that you’ve downloaded. It should be named something like “Archive.zip.”^{[1]
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Double click the .zip archive. This will start the unzipping process.^{[2]
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Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}^{[3]
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- If you want to unzip multiple folders, shift-click to highlight all of the folders.
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The unzipped folder should be in the same spot that you found the Archive.zip folder.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Unzipping .Zip Files on Mac Terminal

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Click on the magnifying glass on the top right corner.^{[5]
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^{[7]
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Type in "unzip file name" and click enter again. Where the template say file name, type the full file name including the .zip.^{[8]
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- For example, if the file is titled "file.zip", type in cd desktop, click enter, type in unzip file.zip and click enter again.
You can double click on it to open up the contents.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Third Party Extraction Tools

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Download a third-party extension. You can do a quick Google search to find free downloads of third-party extensions to use. On Mac, there are a few to choose from, including:^{[10]
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- The Unarchiver
- WinZip (Mac Edition)^{[11]
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  Luigi Oppido
  Computer & Tech Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 31 July 2019.}
- Keka
- Better Zip 4
It should be in your Mac Finder where you downloaded it.^{[12]
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This will open up a drop down box where you can choose from a few different options.^{[13]
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Scroll to Open, then select your third-party extension. If you’ve downloaded it onto your computer, you should be able to use it right away.^{[14]
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- If the third-party extension isn’t showing up, try restarting your computer.
This will start the process of unzipping your files. Your unzipped content will show up in the same spot as your Archive.zip folder.^{[15]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

Why can't I open my zip file?

Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist
Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

Luigi Oppido

Computer & Tech Specialist

Expert Answer

You may need to download a third-party app on older computers that allows you to open zip files, such as WinZip.

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Question

When I do this exercise, I get the response: Either this file is not a zipfile, or it constitutes one disk of a multi-part archive. What can I do?

Community Answer

Use Archive utility. If that fails, continue to try with either ZipEx for Mac or Winrar for Mac.

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Tips

If you can’t unzip your file by double clicking, try using the Mac Terminal. If that doesn’t work, move on to a third-party extension.

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