How To Extract RAR Files On iPhone Without Apps (2026)

You downloaded a RAR file on your iPhone, and tapping it does nothing useful.

The Files app opens ZIP archives on its own, but it does not do the same for RAR, so you need a small workaround.

The Shortcuts app that comes with iOS can do it with a three-action shortcut that takes about five minutes to build.

What can your iPhone open without an extra app?

Apple documents ZIP support in Files, and the Shortcuts app includes an Extract Archive action that covers more formats.

Format	Tap to open in Files?	Extract Archive in Shortcuts?
ZIP	Yes, per Apple	Yes
RAR	Not documented by Apple	Yes
tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2, gzip	Not documented by Apple	Yes
cpio, cab, ISO	Not documented by Apple	Yes

Why does tapping a RAR file do nothing?

Apple’s own instructions for opening archives in Files describe ZIP files only.

A tapped ZIP turns into a folder with the same contents, and there is no matching step for RAR.

That gap is why a shortcut is the usual built-in answer.

What you need before you start

• The RAR file: saved in the Files app, in iCloud Drive or On My iPhone.
• The Shortcuts app: it is built into iOS, so there is nothing to install.
• Free space: extracted files take room, so check your storage first.

If storage is tight, our guide to freeing iPhone storage can help.

Where can the RAR file be stored?

The Get File action can pick a file from any folder that iOS exposes through its document provider system.

• On the iPhone: the On My iPhone and iCloud Drive locations in Files.
• Cloud apps: folders from services such as Dropbox and Google Drive, if their apps are installed.

Make sure the RAR has finished downloading before you run the shortcut.

Step 1: create a new shortcut

1. Open the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap the plus (+) button to start a new shortcut.
3. Tap Add Action.

Step 2: add the Get File action

This action lets you choose which RAR file to open each time.

1. Search for Get File and add it.
2. Turn on Show Document Picker if the option is listed, so the shortcut asks you to pick the file.

Step 3: add Extract Archive

Extract Archive takes an archive file as input and returns the files inside it.

1. Tap Add Action again.
2. Search for Extract Archive and add it below Get File.

A Shortcuts reference site lists RAR among the supported formats, alongside zip, tar, gzip, cpio, cab and ISO.

Step 4: add Save File

Without this step the extracted files stay inside the shortcut and you cannot see them.

1. Tap Add Action once more.
2. Search for Save File and add it below Extract Archive.
3. Name the shortcut, for example Extract RAR.

Order	Action	Job
1	Get File	Picks the RAR file
2	Extract Archive	Unpacks the files inside it
3	Save File	Stores them where Files can see them

Step 5: run the shortcut and find the files

1. Tap the Play button.
2. Choose your RAR file when asked.
3. Pick a folder to save the contents, ideally a new one.
4. Open the Files app and go to that folder.

A new folder keeps the unpacked files separate from the original RAR, so they are easy to find and easy to delete.

The Extract Archive documentation suggests the same approach, saving into a new location rather than extracting in place.

Large archives take longer to unpack, so give the shortcut time to finish before you stop it.

If you cannot find the result, see how to find downloaded files on iPhone.

Can you run it straight from the share sheet?

Apple lets a shortcut appear in the share sheet through its Details settings.

1. Open the shortcut in the editor and tap the Details icon.
2. Turn on Show in Share Sheet, then tap Done.
3. Share the file from another app and tap the shortcut in the list.

Apple’s input-type guide says the default is Any, which shows the shortcut in every app, and that choosing specific types hides it from apps that do not share them.

Files is one of the input types Apple lists, so limit the shortcut to Files if the share sheet feels crowded.

A shortcut will not appear if the app does not pass content it accepts, so sharing may not work from every app.

If the shortcut fails or the files look wrong

Problem	What to check
Nothing to pick	Confirm the RAR file is saved in Files, not still in a browser download prompt
Shortcut stops at Extract Archive	The archive may be damaged, password-protected or split across parts; Apple does not document those cases
Cannot find the output	Open the folder you chose in Save File
Not enough space	Free storage, then run it again

How to turn the extracted files into a ZIP

Once the files are unpacked, you can share them as a ZIP, which Files handles without any shortcut.

1. Open Files and go to the folder where you saved the extracted files.
2. Tap the More (ellipsis) button, then tap Select.
3. Pick one or more files.
4. Tap More in the lower right, then tap Compress.

Apple says a single file becomes a ZIP with the same name, while several files become one archive named Archive.zip.

To rename the archive, touch and hold it and choose Rename.

Can extracted files install a game or app?

Extracting a RAR does not install anything, because an app has to come through a route iOS accepts.

Extracted resource packs, music and documents are fine to open, but treat any app files from unofficial sources as unsafe.

If you would rather not build a shortcut

Ask the sender for a ZIP file, which Files opens with one tap, or extract the RAR on a computer first.

Apple’s guide to creating or opening ZIP files on iPhone shows the steps for ZIP.