Someone sent you a password-protected ZIP and your iPhone won't open it? The Files app can't handle most encrypted archives, especially those using AES-256. iZip for iPhone and iPad opens encrypted ZIP, 7z and RAR files. You just need the password.
What you need: an iPhone or iPad with iZip from the App Store, the encrypted archive, and its password.
Open an encrypted ZIP on iPhone
- Open the archive with iZip. In Files, Mail, Messages or Safari, tap the file, tap Share, and choose iZip.
- Enter the password. iZip asks for the password when it needs it. Depending on how the archive was made, that's either when you open it or when you extract or preview a file.
- Extract or preview your files. Once the password is accepted, tap files to preview them or extract them to a folder in Files.
Tip: if the password was sent to you in a message, touch and hold it to copy, then paste it into iZip. This avoids typos with long, complex passwords.
Which encrypted archives does iZip support?
- ZIP and ZIPX with AES-256 encryption (as created by iZip, WinZip, 7-Zip and others) and older "ZipCrypto" encryption
- 7z with AES-256, including archives with encrypted file names
- RAR and RAR5, including fully encrypted archives with hidden file names
Archives encrypted with iZip on Mac or Windows open on iPhone and iPad too, so you can send files securely between all your devices.
If the password doesn't work
- Check upper and lower case. Passwords are case-sensitive, and the iPhone keyboard capitalises the first letter automatically.
- Watch for extra spaces when pasting a password, especially at the start or end.
- Look-alike characters such as
0/Oandl/Iare easy to mix up. Ask the sender to confirm. - Make sure the file downloaded completely. A partly downloaded or damaged archive can look like a wrong password. Try downloading it again.
Strong AES-256 encryption can't be bypassed. If you lose or forget your password we are unable to help you open the encrypted ZIP file. Only the person who created the archive can help.
Sending encrypted files yourself
When you share an encrypted archive, use a long password and send it separately from the file. See our secure password guide for our recommendations.
Get iZip for iPhone & iPad
Free download on the App Store. Open ZIP, RAR, 7z and encrypted archives anywhere.