Why doesn't my phone open RAR and 7z on its own?

Because only ZIP has built-in support. On both Android and iPhone the file manager unpacks ZIP out of the box, but RAR and 7z are separate formats that need an archiver app installed. It isn't a fault — there's simply no built-in extractor for those formats.

Which app opens RAR and 7z on Android?

The easiest is ZArchiver — free, opens ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, GZIP and dozens of other formats, and handles password-protected and split archives. There's also the official RAR app from the makers of WinRAR. Both install from Google Play; after installing, just tap the archive in your file manager and choose 'Extract'.

How do I open RAR or 7z on an iPhone?

The built-in Files app unpacks ZIP but not RAR or 7z. For those, install a free app from the App Store — for example iZip or Documents: they open RAR, 7z, ZIP and other formats straight from Files and the cloud. Open the archive, select it in the app, and unpack.

Can I unpack an archive on my phone without installing apps?

Yes, if it's a ZIP — the built-in Files app opens it on both Android and iPhone. For RAR and 7z without installing anything, an online extractor in your phone's browser helps: you upload the archive, it's unpacked on a server, and you download the contents. The downside is you need internet, and you shouldn't upload confidential data.

How to Open RAR and 7z on Your Phone

Q: The app is asking for a password — what do I do?

It means the archive is encrypted and can't be unpacked without the password: that's protection, not an error. Enter the password the sender gave you. ZArchiver, RAR, iZip and Documents all handle protected archives. If you don't have the password, there's no way to open the archive with standard tools — you have to request it from whoever created it.

Someone sent you an archive, you tap it on your phone — and nothing happens. Or an empty folder opens. Sound familiar? It isn't a fault: your phone simply doesn't know the RAR and 7z formats out of the box. Here's how to open them on Android and iPhone — free, in a minute, even if the archive has a password.

Why your phone won't open RAR and 7z on its own

The reason is simple and has nothing to do with a fault. Both Android and iPhone can natively handle only one archive format — ZIP. Tap a ZIP in the file manager and it unpacks, all logical. But RAR and 7z are different formats with their own algorithms, and there's no built-in extractor for them on the phone. So when you tap, either nothing happens or the system offers "open with" and waits for you to install the right app.

The good news: an archiver app installs in a minute for free, and after that unpacking any format is literally a couple of taps. Let's cover Android and iPhone separately, because the path differs a little.

In short

Your phone opens ZIP by itself. For RAR and 7z you need one free app: on Android — ZArchiver or RAR; on iPhone — iZip or Documents. Everything else is a couple of taps.

Android: ZArchiver and RAR

On Android the most convenient choice is ZArchiver. It's free, opens and creates ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, GZIP and dozens more formats, and handles password-protected and split archives. The alternative is the official RAR app from the makers of WinRAR: also free, with the same working logic.

Install ZArchiver

Find it in Google Play by name and install — it's a light app with no mandatory sign-up.

Locate the archive

Open ZArchiver (or the built-in Files) and go to the folder where the archive was downloaded — usually "Downloads".

Tap it and choose "Extract"

Tap the archive, then pick "Extract Here" or "Extract to…". Within seconds a folder with the files appears next to it.

A woman with a tablet beside a glass server room — working with files on a mobile device — On a modern phone, unpacking an archive is as easy as on a computer — you just need the right app. Photo: Pexels

iPhone: Files, iZip and Documents

On iPhone and iPad the situation is split. The built-in Files app unpacks ZIP by itself: just tap the archive and a folder with the contents appears next to it. You don't need any app for ZIP. But RAR and 7z are not opened by Files — and that's where a helper comes in.

From the App Store, install a free app — for example iZip (one of the most popular for ZIP and RAR on iPhone) or Documents. Both open RAR, 7z, ZIP and other formats straight from Files and cloud storage.

Install iZip or Documents

Find the app in the App Store and install it. It integrates with the system Files app.

Open the archive "via" the app

In Files, tap the RAR/7z → "Share" → choose iZip or Documents. Or open the archive directly inside the app.

Unpack and save

Confirm the extraction — the contents appear in the app, from where you can save them back to Files or the cloud.

No install: an online extractor

Sometimes you'd rather not install anything — say you need to open the archive just once. Then an online extractor in your phone's browser saves the day: you upload the archive to a site, it's unpacked on a server, and you download the contents. Works for both RAR and 7z, on both Android and iPhone — without installing anything.

Mind your privacy

Online extraction is convenient, but the files go to someone else's server. Don't upload confidential data there — passports, contracts, passwords. For personal and work files, unpack locally in an app: that way the files never leave your phone.

If the archive has a password or is split into volumes

Two common cases that look scary but are simple.

The archive asks for a password. That means it's encrypted — and won't unpack without the password, no matter what. Enter the password the sender gave you: ZArchiver, RAR, iZip and Documents all handle protected archives. If you don't have the password, the archive can't be opened — you have to request it from whoever created it. There's more on how this works in the article on the archive password.

The archive is split into volumes. Sometimes instead of one file you get a set: archive.part1.rar, archive.part2.rar and so on (or .7z.001, .7z.002). That's a single archive split into parts. To unpack, download all the parts into one folder and tap the first one — the app will reassemble them. If even one part is missing, the extraction fails.

A password and volumes aren't a broken archive — they're its properties. You only need to understand them once to stop worrying.

Unpacked it — now what

Often the archive turns out to contain files you also need to do something with on the phone: open an unfamiliar image format, shrink a photo before sending, convert a document. The phone can't always do this natively — and here an online converter that works right in the browser, with nothing to install, comes in handy.

An unfamiliar format inside the archive?

FormatZ converts images, documents and other files right in your phone's browser — no install, no sign-up. It opens on both Android and iPhone.

Open all converters

The bottom line: RAR and 7z open easily on a phone once you know the one secret — you need a free archiver app (ZIP the system handles on its own). Install it once, and any archive unpacks in a couple of taps. And if you want to understand how these formats even differ and when to pick which, take a look at the breakdown ZIP vs RAR vs 7z.

How to Open RAR and 7z on Your Phone

Why your phone won't open RAR and 7z on its own