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Unpacking and packing ZIP/RAR archives are file operations that Android OS users cannot avoid. Even on a phone, there is a need to archive a folder or extract the contents of a downloaded file. There are quite a lot of archivers on Google Play. However, a small part pleases with its functionality and list of supported formats - unpacking and packaging.

If you are tired of using random software to unzip files onto an SD card, pay attention to the utilities presented. We have selected the best archivers for Android in terms of speed and functionality. They are comfortable and practical. With the help of unpacking programs, you can quickly archive/extract packed files. And without the headaches of wasting disk space and RAM on your mobile device.

Mobile zip and rar archivers for Android. Review participants

So, here is a list of popular archivers for Android OS that can be considered optimal for everyday use on smartphones and tablets:

What are mobile unpackers for Android capable of, and what advantages do they offer mobile device users? Carefully read the review of archivers below.

RAR for Android from RARLAB - a full-fledged WinRar for Android

To date RAR for Android is perhaps the most functional and popular rar archiver for Android, and it’s completely free. The functionality of the application is kept at a high level, as evidenced by reviews on Google Play, as well as the personal experience of the review author.

Using the RAR application, you can create and unpack not only ZIP and RAR archives, but also open files with the following extensions: TAR, GZ, 7z, XZ, BZ2, ARJ. Of course, these formats are much less common on Android, however, sometimes you have to work with them.

WinRAR archiver interface on Android

However, this is not a complete list of the capabilities of the RAR for Android unpacker: for example, Winrar allows you to quickly restore damaged ZIP and RAR files and measure unpacking performance in the Android OS. In general, all the familiar WinRAR functions are at a discount for the fact that we are still dealing with a mobile archiver.

Now let's move directly to the settings of the Winrar archiver, which relate to working with archives. There are certain conveniences when managing archives - for example, you can set archives as priority files in the file manager list - and they will be visible. You can also enable the display of hidden archive files and add archive names to the history, which will undoubtedly speed up access to them in the future. Of particular note is the Path settings section. Here you can specify the default unpacking folder, change the default archive name, etc. For file lists, you can set a specific encoding and sort.

Despite its high popularity and good functionality, the RAR for Android application has both pros and cons.

Pros of RAR for Android

• [+] High performance, "Vinrar" quickly responds to commands;
• [+] Ability to restore damaged files from an archive;
• [+] At the moment, you can download the RAR for Android archiver for Android completely free of charge, which is good news;

Disadvantages of zip and rar unpacker

• [-] It is not possible to change the archiver interface: select the color, font;
• [-] If there is another archive in the archive, the application may complain when unpacking;
• [-] Temporary folders in RAR for Android are deleted an hour after the archive is closed, so you can forget about privacy

Summary. Overall, the RAR for Android archiver left a positive impression. Working with archives is convenient - there are all the usual options of the popular WinRAR archiver. In addition, a nice dark interface and Russian-language localization increase the convenience of this archiver. You can download the rar archiver for Android using the link below.

AndroZip archiver - create a zip archive in two clicks!

Program AndroZip is not just a zip archiver for Android OS, but also a full-fledged file manager for the phone. Using the application, you can move, copy, delete, compress and unpack encrypted ZIP and RAR archives. In addition, the program allows you to quickly find and organize files in the Android OS, music, audiobooks, videos and photos of your smartphone.

AndroZip functionality is available in the archiver settings

The AndroZip application is perfectly optimized for unpacking zip and rar archives on phones and tablets running Android OS. It works quickly, no errors occur while unpacking archives. In addition to working with encrypted files, the rar archiver for Android allows you to send packed archive files to your friends and acquaintances, for example, via Skype or email.

This zip archiver includes additional tools that are often useful for Android - a task manager and an application manager. However, this has minimal, if not any, relation to the functions of the archiver.

In the settings of the AndroZip application, the user can change the display mode of folders or archives - a simple or detailed list, icons, line size and other visual settings of the built-in file manager. Similar to the above-mentioned RAR for Android application, you can change the sorting mode and enable the display of hidden content on your smartphone. Regarding the archiver settings, there are practically none. The only option is the compression size of the ZIP archive.

Pros of the AndroZip application:

• [+] Zip archiver for Android works quickly,
• [+] does not consume a lot of system resources
• [+] functionality and multitasking when working with zip archives, packaging and unpacking;
• [+] AndroZip supports almost all known and popular archive resolutions (see table);

Of the minuses:

• [-] The interface of this archiver on Android is not the most intuitive; it’s not easy to get used to the application;
• [-] Sometimes an error appears that does not allow you to copy files to the memory card (this can be solved by restarting the AndroZip application);

Summary. This simple zip packer for Android, on the one hand, impresses with its simplicity: you can compress the archive with two clicks through the context menu. On the other hand, AndroZip's poor toolkit and lack of options allows you to give preference to other archivers, which all work with ZIP and are more flexible in compression settings.

WinZip - a convenient zip archiver for Android

WinZip is primarily a zip archiver, although there are more decompression formats available. Using this utility, it is convenient to create archives on your phone and send them by mail to other users over the Internet. Similarly, you can save and open packaged files received via the Internet - for example, by email or from an SD card.

Important functions of the WinZip archiver include serious protection and convenient access to files stored in the Google Drive and Dropbox cloud. This way you can package data directly in the cloud.

Key features of the free version of the zip archiver:

• Creation of Zip/Zipx archives
• Unpacking in Zip(x), 7z, RAR and CBZ
• Sending packaged files by mail
• View image files and text documents using the built-in file manager
• Unpacking protected Zip/7z archives using AES 128- or 256-bit encryption
• Automatic unpacking and installation of applications in apk format downloaded from the Application Store (Google Play, etc.)

The premium version of WinZip for Android also offers:

• Archive protection with encryption - 128- and 256-bit AES
• Cloud integration with Google Drive and Dropbox cloud for quick access to files on your computer or phone.

B1 Archiver - another zip archiver for Android

B1 Archiver is a free cross-platform file unpacker for Windows/Linux/Mac and, of course, for Android. By the way, the same developers (Catalina Group Ltd.) released B1 File Manager. By the way, this file manager for Android OS is convenient to use in conjunction with an archiver.

So, what is interesting about the B1 Archiver file unpacker and archiver for Android? Here are its main functions:

• unpacking zip archives, rar, b1 and about 40 formats for Android
• creating password-protected archives in b1 or zip format (in the paid version the list additionally includes rar and 7z archives)
• packing files on your phone into multi-volume separated rar and b1 archives with sequential file numbering
• Convenient navigation through file archives on Android using a special file manager
• selective unpacking of files on the phone – individual files and folders at the user’s discretion

Summary. Thus, the B1 Archiver zip unpacker can be safely recommended to all Android users who are satisfied with two packaging formats (zip and b1). Don't forget about four dozen possible unpacking formats - this is more than enough, so the archiver for Android B1 Archiver will help you unpack any archive on Android downloaded from the Internet.

ZArchiver - another zip unpacker for Android

This is a lightweight but quite functional archiver for devices running Android OS. It skillfully handles files of any resolution: ZIP, RAR, 7z, Tar, XZ, bzip2 and others. Having this application on board, you can easily compress and decompress archives, view their contents, change and delete them, if necessary.

Immediately when you launch ZArchiver, a user dialog with archiver settings appears: you can specify a design theme, select an icon style and interface language. If Android conflicts with the encoding of archive files, you can change the initial encoding CP866 - Russian DOS is used by the default archiver in Android.

ZIP and RAR archiver ZArchiver

Note that the application supports multi-threaded operation, which significantly reduces the load on the processor. In addition, it perfectly supports UTF-8 encoding, allowing you to quickly and conveniently display all information about files. Of particular note is the built-in explorer, which even implements multi-selection.

Although ZArchiver is a fairly compact archiver, it has many settings, which also relate to archiving itself. You can select your home folder, which will be opened in the ZArchiver archiver first. The behavior of the unpacker is flexibly configured: confirmation of operations, saving, working with ZIP and RAR archives (copy, paste, select) and other subtle aspects of archiving. Regarding the interface, it has already been said - it is configured when ZArchiver is launched.

Most of the useful parameters of this utility for working with archives relate to file compression parameters. Thus, the user has access to such options as the 7Z and ZIP compression level, the number of processor cores, various methods and compression levels.

Among the advantages of the ZArchiver archiver:

• [+] The application is not resource-intensive when packing and unpacking rar and zip archives; it quickly “manages” archives of any size;
• [+] ZArchiver developers often update the program: they make it better, add new functions and features;
• [+] If errors occur, they are quickly corrected, it is possible to customize the application to your liking (change the color scheme, etc.);

Of the minuses:

• [-] The ZArchiver archiver loads RAM, so other applications may freeze when compressing or decompressing archives

Summary. Still don't know which applications to use to extract ZIP or RAR archives? In this case, you need to quickly download ZArchiver - a zip archiver for Android that will help solve this problem! Please note that each of the presented applications is distributed completely free of charge. There is no need to buy “Pro” or any keys to unlock the full functionality of the archiver. You can download this archiver for Android using the link.

Total Commander (built-in file unpacker)

For those users who do not want to burden themselves with installing a separate unpacker on Android, there is this recipe: use the capabilities of your file manager. Check if it supports archiving and unpacking archives. As a rule, this function is present in file managers initially.

In particular, the mobile version of Total Commander for Android works great with winrar and zip archives, since it has a fairly functional archiver integrated into it. To work with the unpacker, you do not need to install additional modules. Here are just some of the features of the unpacker:

• Support for ZIP archives larger than 4GB
• Unpacking ZIP/RAR files to an external SD card
• Opening and unzipping files placed on an external memory card
• Custom compression when packing zip and rar archives

Thus, Total Commander, similar to its desktop version, can be used as an unpacker for Android. This is really convenient: all operations with archives are as convenient as when working with regular files and folders.

If you need more fine-tuning of certain types of archives, then use other, more specialized archivers - the same Winrar for Android. However, most users prefer to use file managers - why install separate archivers for Android if Total Commander takes everything into account?

Built-in ES Explorer unpacker

Another venerable file manager, ES Explorer, handles unpacking archives perfectly out of the box. The built-in archiver is convenient because it is a built-in feature of ES Explorer. That is, to work with archives you do not need to install additional applications. For many users this is the best option.

So, what features can an archiver for Android integrated into ES Explorer offer? Two types of archives are supported - ZIP and RAR, both compression and decompression. In addition, the archiver can restore damaged archives and encrypt ZIP archives with a 256-bit AES key.

In addition to this, ES Explorer supports other archive types, such as 7Z. However, to pack/unpack this format, you need to download a separate add-on from the developer’s page on Google PLay.

Addition. Table of supported packaging and unpacking formats

Table 1. File packaging

Table 2. Unpacking files

One of the most necessary programs installed on every PC. WinRAR can save a lot of space on your computer. For example, you can archive your photo collection, which will significantly reduce its size. Archives are easy to transfer over the Internet. The recipient to whom you are sending the archive can also download WinRAR for free and unpack the archives on their PC. Depending on your system, you can download Winrar for free in both the 64-bit and 32-bit latest versions of the program.

For those who use previous versions, it would be a good idea to download the Winrar archiver for free, since older versions do not support the new RAR5 archive format. The developers have provided free access to the trial (trial) version of the program, which expires after forty days. After this period, the program will still work, but a “slightly” annoying window will appear. To try out the capabilities of the updated archiver, we decided to download the Russian version of WinRAR for Windows 7 and describe our impressions. Well, WinRAR has a noticeable advantage in terms of compression, speed and functionality compared to its direct competitors - 7-Zip, IZArc, HaoZip. It is worth noting that Windows 7 has a built-in special compression algorithm for multimedia materials, which are extremely poorly subject to statistical compression.

Program features:

• When unpacking an archive, several CPU cores are used, which increases the speed of unpacking and archiving;
• information for archive recovery is very stable, which significantly increases the chance of successful recovery if the archive is damaged;
• creates self-extracting archives in SFX format;
• setting a password for the archive;
• the ability to add comments to archives;
• archives can be split into parts, which is very useful for transferring a large file;
• there is a built-in function for checking for viruses and searching for a file;
• The program is multilingual, so you can download WinRAR for free in rus and not worry.

Principle of operation:

There is nothing complicated in installing the archiver; it only takes a few clicks. After installation, select any file or group of files you are interested in (you can even use the entire folder with attached files), then right-click to open the context menu. The functions available here are: Auto packaging, Add to archive and Send by e-mail, as well as Manual packaging. In Manual mode, you can change the file name, set a password, save the archive path, add comments and much more.

Pros:

• works with a large number of formats;
• ability to download WinRAR free Russian version.

Minuses:

• The trial version is valid for only forty days, although after the period expires this will not affect its operation in any way.

The program is simple and multifunctional, suitable for both beginners and advanced users. After reviewing it, we recommend downloading the Winrar archiver for free without SMS and registration from our website.

The most common problem that prevents users from opening this file is an incorrectly assigned program.

To fix this in Windows OS, you need to right-click on the file, in the context menu, hover the mouse over the “Open with” item, and select “Select a program...” from the drop-down menu. As a result, you will see a list of installed programs on your computer, and you will be able to select the appropriate one. We also recommend checking the box next to “Use this application for all RAR files.”

• Another problem that our users also encounter quite often is that the RAR file is corrupted.
• This situation can arise in many cases. For example: the file was downloaded incompletely as a result of a server error, the file was damaged initially, etc. To resolve this problem, use one of the recommendations:

Try finding the file you need in another source on the Internet. You may have luck finding a more suitable version. Example Google search: "File filetype:RAR" . Just replace the word "file" with the name you want;

Ask them to send you the original file again, it may have been damaged during transmission;
Brief description of the program

The operating algorithm used in the WinRar program provides a high level of information compression density. This feature is very convenient, especially for those users who often have to work with files in large formats.

• The application can even archive data that has already been compressed previously. It effectively compresses multimedia files, executable software, and various object libraries. With its help, you can completely manage archived files, restore damaged information, encrypt data, and much more. etc.
• Key Features
• archiving files and then deleting them;
• the ability to create self-extracting archives;
• select the required type of archive data – ZIP or RAR;
• the ability to save the archive unpacking path;
• protecting archives by setting passwords;
• the ability to edit the archive;
• quick viewing of the contents of archived files;
• the ability to add data to a previously created archive.

Comparison of WinRar with similar applications

The most famous worthy competitor to the WinRAR program is 7-zip. Unlike WinRAR, 7-zip works using the LZMA algorithm, which compresses files a little more strongly. However, 7-zip works much slower, does not have such rich functionality, and is not as convenient for users to use.

Working with the program

Working with the program is quite simple. Every user can understand its mechanism. For example, in order to compress a file, you need to add it to the program and perform the necessary operation.
In the application you can view, delete, find archived files, etc.

WinRar interface

To carry out the work, you must first complete all the necessary settings.

WinRar Settings

Selection of formats

WinRar is a powerful multifunctional archiver that will help make data compact and optimize hard disk space.

Reading time: 8 minutes. Views 3.4k. Published 09/11/2017

Very often, users ask the question: “How to open a RAR file?” This file format is quite popular and is used in all versions of Windows, Linux, MacOS and even Android, but for some reason it causes difficulties for users to open.

RAR is a special file compression format; essentially it is an archive that has a high compression ratio; because of this, it has gained high popularity on the Internet.

To open RAR archives, the generally accepted WinRAR utility is most often used, which allows you to both create archives and extract files from them.

When working with the WinRAR application, the user can create compound and multi-volume archives, as well as set a password on them. At the moment, there are a huge number of different archivers that can work with the Rar compression format. I propose to consider the best programs for different operating systems.

How to open a RAR file in Windows

If you have already paid attention, you probably noticed that by default there is a standard ability to open only Zip archives. Therefore, users often simply cannot open a RAR archive until they download a special utility. If you don't know what exactly you need, then consider several options.

WinRaR

Probably the most popular archiver for the Windows operating system. WinRar can not only open and extract files from an archive, but also allows the user to create archives themselves.

As always, you can download the program from the developer’s official website - www.win-rar.ru/download/.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that the program is shareware. There is a 30 day trial version which allows the user to try out all the features.

With WinRar installed, in order to place a file in an archive, just right-click on it and select “Add to archive”.

In order to unpack a compressed file, just left-click on it and in the program window that opens, click on the “Extract” button, which is located in the toolbar.

Main functions of WinRAR:

• Ability to create archives of no more than 8GB;
• Yes, email attachment, archive blocking and more;
• Recovering damaged archives;
• Availability of a file manager;

7-zip

Another equally popular archiver, created in 1999. The main advantage of 7-zip is that it is completely free and open source. The program has two versions:

1. Version with graphical interface;
2. Command line version;

Like the previous archiver, 7-zip does an excellent job with Rar archives, and also supports working with file types such as: tar, gz, tb2, wim, 7z. By the way, the main compression format for this program is Zip.

The user, at his discretion, can install several archivers on his PC at once, but by default the archives will be opened in WinRar.

Main advantages of the program:

• Excellent speed of creating and unpacking archives;
• Support for native 7z format, which has more advantages over zip;
• A simple and intuitive interface that allows users to quickly understand the functions.

FreeArc

Another absolutely free open source archiver. If you have FreeArc installed in your arsenal, then you will not have any questions about how to open a RAR file, since the program can work with all popular archive formats.

By the way, those who have already worked with this archiver have probably noticed that it has an excellent speed of operations, so it is at least twice as fast as many of its competitors.

By the way, this archiver can be easily connected to such popular file managers as Total Commander and Far.

Distinctive aspects of FreeArc:

• High speed;
• Ability to restore damaged archives;
• Automatic sorting of archives by date, size, etc.;
• A huge number of settings;
• Clear interface.

TUGZip

A lesser-known free, open-source archiver that has proven itself not only when working with archives, but also with disk images.

If the standard functionality of the program does not suit you, you can easily supplement it with specially created plugins.

Main features of the program:

• Creation of self-extracting archives;
• Working with disk images: ISO, BIN, IMG and others;
• Support for installing third-party plugins;
• Restoring damaged archives;
• Integration into the Explorer context menu;

I won't list all the features that TUGZip has. As you can see, there are plenty of them here and, probably, even more than the most popular archivers have. By the way, the program is independently updated via the Internet and has support for the Russian language.

IZarc

A fairly universal archiver that can also work with disk images.

The program is completely free and supports all modern archive and disk image formats. The main advantages include the following:

• Ability to convert an archive into an image and vice versa;
• Automatic integration into the Windows context menu;
• Scanning archives for viruses using ;
• Russian language support;

Having this archiver on your computer, you will no longer have questions: “How to open a Rar file?”

Hamster Free ZIP Archiver

Quite an interesting and at the same time advanced archiver, which combines functions that are not typical for most archivers.

It has features like:

• Upload archives to popular cloud services: DropBox, Yandex Disc, Google Drive and others;
• Share links to created archives with friends and work colleagues;
• Supports all popular file compression methods;
• Has a high compression ratio.

Therefore, if you want to keep up with the times, I advise you to take a closer look at this archiver.

PeaZip

Our list of archivers for Windows ends with PeaZip. This is a freely available free archiver that does not require installation on the device. All you need to do is copy the program to disk.

PeaZip is also a graphical shell for other archivers. The program has support for creating archives in its own Pea format.

Main functions of the program:

• Working with multi-volume archives;
• Support for all modern archives;
• Checking the integrity of archives;
• Creation of encrypted archives;

In general, a standard set of functions that are found in many archivers.

How to open a RAR file on Android and iOS mobile devices

As a rule, many mobile devices already come pre-installed with various archivers and file managers that can work with RAR archives. Moreover, most file managers allow you to view archives as if the user had opened a regular folder.

If your device does not have a program to open the archive, then you can use the options suggested below.

Popular programs for opening RAR archives on Android

Total Commander is a popular file manager that has migrated from computers to mobile devices. With its help, you can easily open archives on your smartphone, although the program interface is somewhat complex, which is why many users are looking for alternative programs.

ES File Explorer is another very popular file manager that, in addition to its main tasks, has a number of additional features that work great on rooted devices.

FX File Manager is one of the few file managers that can work in two window mode. The truth will not always be convenient for owners of gadgets with a small display.

Amaze File Manager is a less popular, but quite fast file manager that works without freezing. It is loved by users because of its interface, which is similar to Google services.

The best programs for iOS that can work with archives.

File Manager is probably one of the advanced managers that cloud storage users will like. Because it can upload archives to the cloud.

USB Disk Pro - allows you to preview files, and also has a bunch of other functions that will appeal to both beginners and advanced users.

Documents 5 is the best file manager that allows you to search for files on your device, copy and move, and also add to the archive.

How to open a RAR file on Linux

If you use the Linux operating system on your computer, then I can please you. You don’t have to search for or download anything, since the distributions of this operating system already have built-in software packages for working with Rar archives. True, this set of programs does not have a familiar graphical interface.

To activate them, open the command line and enter:

Sudo apt-get install unrar p7zip-rar

After this, you can unpack any RAR archive by right-clicking on it and selecting “Unpack here”.

Note! Very often, if the archive was created in the Windows operating system, and you unpack it in Linux (Ubuntu), the encoding of file names will be lost. This happens when using unrar-free.

If you need a classic archiver for Linux with a graphical interface, then I recommend using p7Zip - an analogue of 7-Zip.

Let's summarize.

Today we looked in detail at how to open a RAR file on different devices. I hope that after reading this article you will no longer have questions about which program to use when working with archives. As you can see, there are quite a lot of free and more advanced solutions that are in many ways superior to the popular WinRAR archiver. Therefore, you must decide for yourself which program to choose.