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Create Zip Files on iPhone and iPad

Edited by Jay

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Create Zip Files on iPhone and iPad Using the Files App

Zipping or compressing files and folders on your iPhone or iPad is an easy and efficient method of organization that minimizes storage usage. Often, when you have a folder housing several files (hundreds or even thousands), archiving them into a single zip file significantly reduces potential errors when transferring. Zip files are incredibly convenient for businesses that share a lot of data, both internally and externally.

Zip files can be easily extracted by various desktop compressions applications, such as WinRar and 7Zip, and typically reduce file size. Although there is no shortage of third-party mobile apps for creating and managing zip files, iOS users have the option of using the built-in compression/decompression tool via the Files app.

In the following Visi article, we're going to show how to compress and uncompress single or multiple files on an iPhone or iPad.

For this guide, we used an iPhone 7 running iOS 13.4.

Create Zip Files on iPhone and iPad Using the Files App

1
Tap the Files shortcut.

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2
Navigate to the file, then tap+hold it until you see the menu appear.
Use the search function near the top if you're unsure of the location of your files.

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3
Tap Compress.
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4
Once your file is archived, a Zip file will appear with the same name as the original file.
To rename your zip file, tap+hold it, then tap Rename.

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5
To extract your zip file, tap it once.
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6
You can also extract the contents of your archive file by long-pressing the zip file, then tapping Uncompress.

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7
To archive multiple files into one zip, you first have to add/copy the files to a specific folder
.
Once in the Files app, tap Select.
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8
Select each file you wish to archive, then tap the folder icon in the bottom center of your screen.

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9
Select either iCloud Drive or On My iPhone, then tap the new folder icon in the top right corner.
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10
Name your folder, then tap Done when you're ready.

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11
Tap the folder you just created, then tap Copy in the top right corner.
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12
Once your items are zipped, tap+hold the folder, then select Uncompress.
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13
Once uncompressed, your folder will appear.
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