How to unzip files on a Mac (ZIP, RAR, 7z)
Unzip a file on a Mac by double-clicking it. What to do with RAR and 7z files, password-protected ZIPs, errors, and the archives left behind in Downloads.
Double-click the ZIP file. macOS opens it with Archive Utility, which extracts everything into a folder with the same name, next to the ZIP. No app to install. For RAR and 7z files, install a free extractor such as The Unarchiver, then double-click as usual.
Unzip with Finder
- Find the
.zipfile, usually in Downloads (⌥⌘L). - Double-click it.
- A folder with the same name appears next to it. Open it.
If you select several ZIPs and press ⌘↓ (Command-Down Arrow), they all extract at once.
Unzip in Terminal
unzip ~/Downloads/archive.zip -d ~/Downloads/archive extracts into the folder you name. Add -l to list the content without extracting. Terminal also shows a precise error when Archive Utility only says “Unable to expand”.
Password-protected ZIPs
Archive Utility asks for the password when you double-click. If it fails with an “Error 1” or “Operation not permitted”, use Terminal: unzip file.zip prompts for the password and handles more encryption types.
RAR, 7z, TAR and GZ
| Format | Built into macOS? | How to open |
|---|---|---|
.zip |
yes | double-click |
.tar, .gz, .tgz |
yes | double-click |
.rar |
no | The Unarchiver, Keka |
.7z |
no | The Unarchiver, Keka |
.dmg |
yes (disk image) | double-click, then drag the app to Applications |
A .dmg is not an archive but a disk image: double-click it, drag the app into Applications, then eject it in the Finder sidebar.
What’s left behind
Every unzip leaves two copies: the ZIP and the folder. After a few months, Downloads holds dozens of both, plus the .dmg installers. That is where a lot of wasted space hides: see how to free up disk space on a Mac.
Keep archives in one place
DeclutrDeclutr sorts Downloads, the Desktop or any folder into category folders by file type. Every .zip, .rar, .7z, .tar, .gz, .dmg and .pkg goes into Archives, the PDFs into Documents, the images into Images. One Undo button puts every file back.
The sort is free. Pro, a one-time $8.99 purchase in the US, adds rules such as “archives older than 30 days go to a folder to review” and runs them on its own. It needs macOS 13 Ventura or later.
Related: how to zip a folder on a Mac and how to delete downloads on a Mac.
Questions people ask
How do I unzip a file on a Mac?
Double-click the .zip file in Finder. Archive Utility, built into macOS, extracts it into a folder with the same name, next to the ZIP. The original ZIP stays where it was.
How do I open a RAR or 7z file on a Mac?
Archive Utility can't open RAR or 7z files on most macOS versions. Install a free extractor such as The Unarchiver from the Mac App Store, then double-click the file, or Control-click it and choose Open With > The Unarchiver.
Why won't my ZIP file open on Mac?
The download is incomplete, the file is damaged, or it uses a format Archive Utility doesn't support. Download it again; if it still fails, try The Unarchiver, or in Terminal run unzip followed by the file path to see the exact error.
Can I delete the ZIP file after unzipping?
Yes. Once the folder is extracted and you've checked its content, the ZIP is a duplicate and can go to the Trash.