How to Zip and Unzip Files in iOS Files App

Managing files on iOS has always been a hassle, owing to the tight security of Apple’s mobile ecosystem. The introduction of the Files app with iOS 11 made things easier, with the option to browse and access files you have saved to your device (locally) or to iCloud Drive. Alongside this, you have the option to integrate Google Drive or Dropbox, which is also an added benefit. You can also choose to create zip archives of any files or folders through the Files app. The benefit of creating an archive is that it compresses the file size and makes it easier to send to someone.

To create or un-compress a Zip file on your device, it needs to be running iOS / iPadOS 13 or later. You can make a zip file through the Files app for any data saved locally on your iPhone, on a remote server, external device or network, or on iCloud Drive, as long as it can be accessed through the Files app.

How to Zip Files on iOS

1. Open up the Files app on your iPhone or iPad.

2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to compress and create an archive of.

3. Long tap (force Tap) on the file(s) you want to zip and choose “Compress” from the pop-up menu.

4. The compressed zip file will be available in the same location after a few seconds.

5. You can now share the zip archive, just like any normal file, by using the Share button.

Tip: if you’d like to compress multiple files into a single zip archive, create a new folder and add all the files into it. Then compress the folder into a single zip archive using the steps described above.