How to zip and unzip files on a Mac
2 min read · 4 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
To zip, select the files in Finder, right-click and choose Compress. To unzip, double-click the .zip file. The contents appear in the same folder.
A zip file packs several files into one and usually makes them smaller, which helps with email attachments and uploads. macOS handles zip files itself.
Step by step
Select the files or folders
Click one, or hold Command and click several.
Right-click and choose Compress
One item becomes a file with the same name ending in .zip. Several items become Archive.zip. The originals stay where they are.
Rename the zip file
Click it once, press Return, type the new name and press Return again.
Unzip by double-clicking
The contents are unpacked next to the zip file. The zip itself stays and can be deleted.
Good to know
Photos and videos hardly shrink when zipped, because they are already compressed.
For .rar and .7z files, which macOS does not open, a free app such as The Unarchiver from the App Store works.
To protect a zip with a password, macOS needs the Terminal command zip -e. For sensitive documents, many people find it easier to share through a service with password-protected links.
Sending large PDFs? Shrink them first with our free Compress PDF tool.
In short: Right-click, Compress to zip. Double-click to unzip.
- Apple Support: Zip and unzip files and folders on Mac
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