How to Zip a File (and Unzip It) on Windows and Mac

Zipping bundles one or more files into a single compressed file that's smaller and far easier to email or upload. Windows and Mac both do it without extra software. The steps are short, but there are two catches most people don't know: zipping photos barely shrinks them, and zipping encrypted files quietly removes the encryption. Here's how to do it right.

Zip a file or folder on Windows 11

1. Find the file or folder in File Explorer. To zip several, hold Ctrl and click each one.
2. Right-click the selection.
3. Choose Show more options, then Send to, then Compressed (zipped) folder. Recent versions of Windows 11 also show Compress to ZIP file directly in the right-click menu.
4. A zip with the same name appears in the same folder. Type a new name if you want one and press Enter.

On Windows 10 the steps are the same, without the Show more options step: right-click, Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder.

Unzip a file on Windows

What you want	How
Everything in the zip	Right-click it, choose Extract All, pick a folder, click Extract
One or two files	Double-click the zip to open it, then drag the files out

A zip opens like a normal folder when you double-click it, which fools people into editing files inside it. Changes may not save that way, so extract first, then edit.

Zip and unzip on a Mac

Control-click (right-click) a file or folder and choose Compress. One item keeps its name with .zip added; several items become Archive.zip. To unzip, just double-click the .zip file and the contents appear beside it.

Why your zip file is barely smaller

Microsoft points out that some files, like JPEG photos, are already highly compressed. Zip ten holiday photos and the zip is about the same size as the photos. The same is true of most videos, MP3s and PDFs full of images. Zipping still helps by bundling them into one file to send, but it won't get a big batch under an email size limit. Documents, spreadsheets and plain text shrink much more.

If your zip is still too big to attach, adding Google Drive to File Explorer, as in my guide to adding Google Drive to File Explorer, makes sharing a big folder by link much easier than attaching it.

The encryption catch

Here's the one Microsoft warns about. If you zip files that were encrypted on your PC, they come out unencrypted when someone unzips them. That could expose private information without you realising. Windows can't put a password on a zip by itself either. For anything sensitive, use a tool that makes a password-protected archive.

RAR, 7z and other formats

Newer Windows 11 versions can open more than zip: Microsoft lists support for RAR, 7z and TAR archives. What Windows can't handle is encrypted archives. For those, or to create a password-protected file, Microsoft suggests apps such as 7-Zip or WinRAR. Download them only from the official sites; my reviews of whether 7-Zip is safe and whether WinRAR is safe explain the fake download pages to avoid.

Name your zip so it makes sense

A zip called Archive or New folder tells the person receiving it nothing. Give it a name that says what's inside and when, such as the client or project and the date. It also makes the file easy to find in your own Downloads folder months later.

Add files to a zip you've already made

Drag more files onto the zipped folder in File Explorer and Windows adds them. To remove one, open the zip and delete it from there.

When a zip file won't open

• The download didn't finish. Delete it and download it again.
• There isn't enough free space for the extracted files.
• The file name path is too long. Extract to a short location such as a folder on the desktop.
• It's a format Windows doesn't read, or it's encrypted. Use a dedicated archive app.

Be careful with zips you didn't expect

Zip attachments are a common way to hide malware. Only open zips you were expecting from people you know, and be suspicious of any zip that contains a program to run. If in doubt, ask the sender.

Zipping a whole folder for backup

Zipping is a simple way to keep a snapshot of a project before you make big changes: right-click the folder, compress it and add the date to the name. If anything goes wrong, you can extract the copy and start again from there. It isn't a replacement for a real backup, because the zip sits on the same drive as the original, so copy it to an external drive or cloud storage too.

Zip files on a phone

On an iPhone or iPad, the Files app can make and open zips: touch and hold a file and choose Compress, or tap a zip to expand it. Android phones vary by brand, but the Files by Google app can extract zips. That's handy when someone emails you a zip and you're away from your computer.

My verdict

Right-click, Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder on Windows, or Control-click, Compress on a Mac: that's all most people need. Remember that photos and videos barely shrink, that zipping strips encryption, and that a password-protected archive needs a separate app.

Frequently asked questions

How do I zip a file on Windows 11?

Right-click it, choose Show more options, Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder.

How do I unzip a file?

Right-click the zip and choose Extract All on Windows, or double-click it on a Mac.

Why is my zip file not much smaller?

Photos and videos are already compressed, so zipping them barely reduces the size.

Can I password protect a zip file in Windows?

Not with Windows alone. Use an app such as 7-Zip or WinRAR.

Can Windows open RAR files?

Newer Windows 11 versions can open RAR, 7z and TAR archives, but not encrypted ones.