There are two ways to open a rar file on an iPhone. It’s either you use a 3rd-party app to extract your zipped file if you are using an iPhone or you create shortcuts on your iPhone to extract any zipped files on your iPhone.
So, in this article, we will discuss fully how to open a rar file on iPhone using the iPhone shortcuts and some other means that you can use to open any .rar file on your iPhone.
What is a Rar File?
A compressed file is called rar or zip file. The file is usually smaller in size when it’s compressed or zipped compared to when it’s not compressed. The rar file has a .rar file extension and contains one or more files or folders when extracted.
It’s also called an archived file which was named after Roshal Archive who created the .rar file extension. So, oftentimes, files or folders are turned into a .rar or .zip file when transferring a large file to compress it to a smaller one with the same quality and quantity.
While a .zip and .rar file are closely related they are still relatively different.
Recommended: How to Open RAR Files on Windows And Mac
How to Open a .rar File on iPhone Using an App
There are a few 3rd-party applications that can be used to open a .rar file on an iPhone. You will learn how to extract files from a .rar file on your iPhone here using an app.
- Launch your iPhone “Apple Apps” store.
- Tap on the “Search” icon at the “Bottom” right.
- Search for “iZip” and click on the “Get” button to download and install the iPhone WinRar app on your iPhone.
- Locate the .rar file you want to extract or open.
- Click on the “iOS Share” icon and select the option to open with “iZip.”
- Click “OK” when you are asked whether you want to unzip the selected file.
- Your rar file will be unarchived and saved to a new file with the same name but this time it won’t be archived.
How to Open a Rar File on iPhone
You can open a .rar file on your iPhone without using a 3rd-party app. Here, you will learn the steps to take to open a .rar file on your iPhone successfully.
- Go to your “iPhone” apps gallery and search for “Shortcuts.”
- Open the “Shortcuts” app.
- Tap on the “+” icon at the top right.
- Tap on the “Shortcuts” drop menu and tap on “Rename.”
- Rename the “Shortcuts” to something you can remember.
- Tap on “Add Action.”
- Search for “Files” and select it.
- Tap “Done” at the top right.
- On the “Shortcuts” page on the “3 dots” beside the name of the file.
- Search for “Extract Archive” and select it under “Documents.”
- Tap on the “Save File +” icon.
- Tap on the first “File” and select the .rar file.
- Tap “Open” at the top right.
- Click on the “Done” button at the top right.
- Tap on the “Rar File” you created and if you are asked to “Allow the file name to access .rar file” simply click on the “OK” button.
- Select where to “Exract” the “.rar” file or browse the location and tap “Open.”
- A “Checkmark” will appear on the .rar file extractor you created to confirm that the file has been unarchived successfully.
To see the unarchived .rar file simply go to the folder you selected to extract the files to and the unzipped files will be there. Meanwhile, if the file contains multiple files it’s advisable to create a folder for it.