How do I open a ZIP file on the iPhone?

If you receive a ZIP file on your iPhone, the question arises how you can open it directly on the device. Depending on which iOS version you use on your iPhone and which app you want to use to open the ZIP file, a different procedure is necessary for this.

iPhone: How to open a ZIP file

How to properly open a ZIP file on your iPhone depends on which iOS version your Apple smartphone is using. Since the update to iOS 8, ZIP files can be opened directly in the Messages or Email app. Simply tap on the ZIP file to open it in the preview. On devices with iOS 11, you can also open ZIP files that you have downloaded from Dropbox in this way.

1. On the other hand, if you are still using an older iOS version on your iPhone, it is necessary that you press and hold the ZIP file until the options appear. Then select the "Overview" entry from the options menu to open the ZIP file.
2. To open a ZIP file in a specific app of the iPhone, you need the preview app of the device. To do this, tap "Share" in the top right corner of the preview app and select the desired app to open the file.

How to extract ZIP files on the iPhone

While opening ZIP files is easily possible with the iPhone's on-board means, you need an additional app to extract the files. Apps like WinZip or iZip, which you can download for free from the App Store, are suitable for this purpose. Besides being able to use these apps to extract ZIP files, you can also use them to create your own ZIP files.