How to Zip and Unzip Files and Folders on MacOS

Facing trouble in sending large files via mail? Well, "File Compression" is the answer to that. File compression reduces the size of files and folders and is effective for memory management, organizing files and much more. In this tutorial, we are going to discuss the best and easiest methods of compressing or zipping files or folders in macOS.

Steps to Compress Files and Folders on MacOS

File compression can reduce the original size of the file by up to 10% making it efficient to send a message between sender and recipient. Here's how you can do it:

Method 1: Using Compress Feature (built-in)

macOS allows users to compress files or folders in .ZIP format using an in-built function. Here's how to perform this action:

Step 1: Go to File Location

Open Finder using "Command + N"

Step 2: Select Files to Compress

Make a right-click on any particular item or multiple items (by selecting all at once) and click on Compress "Files to Zip"

Step 3: Choose Directory and Access Files

Once you click on Compress now, the .ZIP format file will get created automatically. You can rename or move it another directory as per your need.

Method 2: Using Terminal

This is an unusual way to zip files and folders on Mac OS using Terminal. Terminal is the command line of Mac that deals with no visual interaction and follows only commands.

Step 1: Open Terminal

Open the Terminal app using the command + space key and search for Terminal or simply type Terminal in the Finder.

Step 2: Type and Execute "zip -r" command

After opening the terminal app, type the following commands and press Enter to execute the command as shown below in the image.

zip -r <zip file name and directory> <file name and directory that has to be converted into .zip format>

Instead of typing the file directories, you can simply drag and drop the file you want to convert into zip format.

Step 3: Navigate to Location & access ZIP file

This would compress the file into zip format on the desired location as shown below:

How to Unzip files/folders using Terminal

One can unzip the compressed files and folders using Terminal in simple steps. To start with, navigate to the Terminal App and Enter the following command in the terminal. Press enter to execute the commands.

unzip <file name and directory that has to extracted>

This would extract all the files into one single folder.

Alternate Methods:

1. Using Online Platforms

You may also try using any online platforms to zip or unzip files or folders easily. Here's how to perform:

• Visit the official online zip converter or unzipper websites (such as SmallPDF, Compress2Go, etc.)
• Navigate to Upload files option
• Select your files or folder and click to proceed
• Once the files are uploaded, click to compress into ZIP format
• Click the "Download" button and select the file destination in your system.

Note: The steps may vary from platform to platform. So, ensure to navigate through options properly.

2. Using Third-party tools

This method is for those users who wish to compress their files or folders either in multiple formats or require some additional encryption. Here's how you can do it:

• Open your browser and search for "Third-party tool" to zip or unzip files in batch (such as keka, WinZip etc.)
• Navigate to Upload files option

Note: The steps may vary from one to another.

• Select your files or folder and click to proceed
• Click to compress or decompress into ZIP or any other format
• Select the file destination in your system and click to start.

Conclusion

File compression is a good practice and one you should incorporate in a bid to enhance your storage space and improve your practice. Always remember that there is a similar ease in unzipping files when you wish to use the compressed material again. Try these methods to zip and unzip files or folders and the most out of it in your MacBook.

Also Read

• How to Remove the Password from a Zip File?
• Create Password Protected Zip File in Java
• How to Unzip Files on Android?

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• MacOS Tricks