This is useful if you need to create multiple zip files or to make it easier for the recipient to know what’s in the archive. Step 3: To rename the default Archive.zip file name, simply right-click or press Control + Tap on the archive and select Rename. As before, the original files remain intact. Step 2: Right-click or press Control + Tap and select Compress on the pop-up menu.Ī new, single archive will appear in the folder. Alternatively, press the Command button while tapping the trackpad or while clicking the mouse button to select specific files. Step 1: Hold down the mouse button or trackpad to draw a box around all the files you want to compress. Right-click or press Control + Tap on a file you want to compress and select Compress on the pop-up menu.Īs shown below, a new zip file appears in the same folder, while the original file remains. How to create a zip file on a MacĬreating a zip file on a Mac is quick and easy, as MacOS includes a built-in tool called Archive Utility for compressing and unzipping files.

When you download a compressed file, you will need to extract the contents - or “unzip” them - in order to access them.

Another popular form of compressed, or archived, data is RAR. Compression can also permanently remove unnecessary bits, albeit at the cost of a perfect replica (lossy). Compression can temporarily remove redundancies in the files, which can then be re-created (lossless). Zip files are a way to compress your data to make it more compact and quicker to transfer. If you want to secure your zip files with a password, we have a guide for that too.

Thanks to this guide, you’ll become a pro at zipping and unzipping files between your Mac, iPad, and iPhone in no time.

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