RAR is a format for compressed files just like ZIP. You need special types of tools to open RAR files on Mac. If you want to learn about that, this post is written specifically for you. After going through it, you will be able to open any RAR file on your Mac PC and access the files within it.
Here, I will guide you on how to open RAR files on Mac. I will present multiple methods to do that. So, if you have trouble with a single method, you can simply switch to the other. However, all of them are super-easy and you won’t have any problem with them.
@Johannes Bols: Thanks for the feedback. Rar file = a file with “.rar” as it’s file extension = a file with a “.rar” file name ending = a file that has been compressed using the RAR method of file compression, and should be decompressed before revealing the original file (which could be a.jpg-picture or a.doc-Word-document or any other file type).
- Download RAR Extractor Free for Mac. RAR Extractor Free is a specialized application program which aims at Rar,Zip,Tar,7-zip,Gzip,Bzip2 files, you can use it to extract archive files conveniently.
- You can open RAR files on your Mac computer with free apps like The Unarchiver.; RAR is a compressed file format – similar to ZIP – that can hold many files in one place, and is especially.
- RAR means Roshal Archive Compressed file which is a very common file format on Mac. It is a collection of bundled up files compressed into one file because it makes the file smaller and easier to send. If you download.rar files from the web, you need to unzip the bundle to extract the files.
- RAR, on the other hand, is a proprietary archiving format that requires a RAR opener for Mac to operate. So how do you open.rar on Mac? Quickly Open RAR Files On Mac. Unfortunately, you can’t open a RAR archive with Mac’s default tools due to the format’s closed proprietary nature.
What is a RAR File?
RAR is basically a compressed (archived) file format. If you know about ZIP files, you’d easily understand RAR files also. Both of them are very similar. The full name of RAR files is Roshal Archive files, which is named after the Russian developer who invented them These files compress large amounts of data or files into a single .rar format file. This single file is very convenient to transfer or move around.
You can find RAR files at a lot of places, especially on the web when you download any software or other files. The reason is that RAR files reduce the file size and bundles all the essential documents into a single folder. So, you can easily download them. There are even useful features like error recovery and password protection.
Can I Open RAR Files on Mac?
![Mac Mac](https://www.macobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/iphone-x-wallpapers-ad-2.jpg)
YES, you can easily open RAR files on Mac. But, you will need to use a special method to do that. RAR files function just like the ZIP files but have the file extension as .rar. So, you can’t unpack them with the default tools available in Mac. You have to use a third-party extractor software to decompress the RAR file.
Doing that will unarchive the contents of the RAR file into a folder of the same name. There are many such tools available on the App Store, the most prominent one being The UnArchiver. I’ll explain how you can use it to decompress .rar files on your Mac.
How to Open RAR Files on Mac?
The best method to open RAR files on Mac is to use The UnArchiver. It is a free, easy to use, and highly compatible tool to decompress RAR, ZIP, and many other file formats on Mac. If you want to learn how to use it, follow the simple steps mentioned below.
Step-1: Visit the Mac App Store and download The UnArchiver.
Step-2: Once it is installed, it will prompt you to run it. When you do that, a screen will open where you can choose the file types that you want The UnArchiver to open for you. The common ones, including RAR, will be selected by default.
Step-3: Next, switch to the Extraction tab, and set how the app handles the archives and the folders created after opening them.
Step-4: After that, go to the .rar file that you want to open. You will see that it is showing The Unarchiver icon by default. You can double-click on it to decompress the file. Or, if it isn’t showing the icon, right-click on the file, click on ‘Open With,’ and choose ‘The UnArchiver.’
Step-5: The UnArchiver will then allow you to choose the location where you want to unarchive the file. You can also create a new folder to unarchive the files into it.
Step-6: After choosing a destination, click on the ‘Extract’ button and wait for the files to be extracted. When done, all the files will be placed in the folder that you opted for. You can access them by going to the folder.
That’s it.
Alternate Methods to Open RAR Files on Mac
Apart from using The UnArchiver to open RAR files on Mac, there are several other methods available that you can use. I’m listing some of the most reliable ones here. You can use them to extract any .rar file on your Mac PC.
You can open RAR files on your Mac online, but the method is not much efficient as you will risk your privacy and will have to download bigger files after extraction. Still, if you want to try it. Follow these simple steps:- Open a browser, Safari or Chrome, and visit Extract.me.
- Click on the ‘Choose File’ button and upload the .rar file.
- Once it is uploaded, click on ‘Extract.’
- Wait for the extraction to complete and then click on ‘Download’ to download the extracted files.
That’s it.
Method-2: Use Terminal
You can also open RAR files on Mac with Terminal. But, you will need a special package manager called Homebrew. Only use this method if you are comfortable with the Terminal in macOS. Follow these steps to learn more.
Step-1: Go to the ‘Utilities’ folder and open ‘Terminal.’
Step-2: Now use the following command to install Homebrew:
Step-3: Next, use the following command to install the BrewRAR extractor:
brew install unrar
Step-4: If the Unrar tool has to be built from source, use this command as well:
xcode-select –install
Hspice software free windows 8.Step-5: After that, go to your .rar file in Terminal and use this command to extract it:
unrar x [file name].rar
That’s it. The RAR file contents will be extracted to the same location where the file was located. You can easily access it.
Method-3: Use The UnArchiver Alternatives
If the only reason why you are looking for the alternate methods is that you aren’t too fond of The UnArchiver. Then, you can simply use the best UnArchive alternatives on your Mac PC to open RAR files. Here are the apps that you can use instead of The UnArchiver:
These are some of the best The UnArchiver alternatives that you can use on Mac to open RAR files.
Final Take
RAR is a common archived file format. It works in a similar manner to ZIP files. You can compress big amounts of data into .rar files and transfer them conveniently. This is how you open RAR files on Mac. I’d recommend using the UnArchiver to do that. But, if you want, you can try other methods that I have mentioned also.
Remember that decompressing RAR files online puts your privacy in a risk. That’s all for this post. I hope you find it helpful. If you have any queries or suggestions about anything written here, feel free to use the comment box.
/PowerMyMac /How to Open RAR Files on Mac (Free+Online+Offline Ways)
Are you wondering how to open RAR files on Mac? You can extract the RAR files by using an Unarchiver Mac app. Learn how you can open and extract these files in this new post!
Article GuidePart 1. Why Can't I Open RAR Files on Mac?Part 2. Which RAR Extractor Is the Best?Part 3. How Do I Extract a RAR File on Mac via Terminal?Part 4. How Do I Open A RAR File on Mac Online?Part 5. What Is The Difference between RAR and Zip Files?Part 6. Summary
Part 1. Why Can't I Open RAR Files on Mac?
What Is A RAR File?
A RAR file or also known as Roshal Archive Compressed file is a file container with compressed files or data inside. RAR file was developed by Eugene Roshal, a Russian software engineer. It became popular in sharing and download different kinds of files because it compresses the folder contents to achieve a smaller file size.
Compressing files makes downloading faster and file sharing easier. Some RAR files have passwords or are encrypted to secure the files inside. Usually, you can compress almost any types of files including images, documents, videos, and software. Upon opening a RAR file, you need to extract the data inside before you can use the files normally. But, how to open RAR files on Mac?
However, RAR is a proprietary archive format, macOS cannot open them locally, so you need a third-party app to open and extract RAR files and this is what we will be discussing in the next parts of this article.
Part 2. Which RAR Extractor Is the Best?
Unfortunately, Mac does not support RAR file format. The macOS and OS X do not support a built-in archive utility that opens or extracts RAR files. Mac, however, supports several file formats: ZIP, GZIP, and TAR.
TIP: If you want to use a password to protect your zip files, just check the provided link.
PowerMyMac- Unarchiver
Luckily, there is best RAR extractor Mac that you can install on Mac to support RAR files. Such a program is the PowerMyMac - Unarchiver which easily extracts RAR files into your Mac.
Here are the easy steps on how to open RAR files on Mac with PowerMyMac:
- Simply download and launch the program
- Go to the Toolkit menu and select Unarchiver
- Select the RAR file you which to open and extract. You can also use the drag and drop method.
- Click Decompress
- Wait until the process is completed. You will see a notification once the decompression is finished
- Choose the decompression path on your Mac
With PowerMyMac- Unarchiver, you can directly open and extract .RAR and .7z files on your Mac by double-clicking the clue Picon (similar to the app logo). There are tons of unarchiver app in the Mac App Store but a few only performs as expected.
What makes PowerMyMac – Unarchiver extra special? It offers other modules exclusively for your Mac. It can clean, optimize and troubleshoot your device. All these features are found inside one program.
Other Freeware Unarchiver
There are free third-party apps in the Apple Store you can download and use to open RAR files. One of the popular choices is The Unarchiver. This is a free and easy to use program that extracts different kinds of archive files including RAR.
However, The Unarchiver supports Mac OS X 10.7 or the most recent. If you own an older Mac, you can use the old version of The Unarchiver from its website. Follow the steps on how to open RAR files on Mac with The Unarchiver:
- Download and The Unarchiver on Mac
- Find the RAR file you wish to extract
- Right-click on the file and choose Open With – and select The Unarchiver
- If you wish to extract the files, simply double-click it.
Enable Firewall Settings to Run Unarchiver
In case you are having a hard time running the two kinds of unarchiver we recommended, troubleshoot it by enabling the firewall settings.
Firewall: Allow specific applications
- Go to System Preferences and then Security or Security & Privacy. Select Firewall
- Select the bottom left lock icon and enter the administrator name and password
- Click Firewall Options and then the Add Application button
- Inside Applications, find the name of the program and click Add
- Click OK to close and click the lock icon again. This is to prevent any additional changes.
Part 3. How Do I Extract a RAR File on Mac via Terminal?
This guide on how to open RAR files on Mac will teach you how to do so using the Terminal. Below are the steps you should follow in order to extract a RAR file on your Mac computer through the Terminal:
- Install the unrar package from that of Homebrew by typing the command without the period in it: brew install unrar.
- Then, type the following command in your Terminal without the last period in it: unrar x file.rar. The “file.rar” part should be replaced with the path including the filename of the RAR File you wish to extract.
- An optional move would be to use another command if you wish to extract the RAR file to a specific location on your macOS computer. The command is (without the last un-italicized period): unrar e file.rar /pathToExtractTo. You should replace “file.rar” with the path (including the filename) of the RAR file you want to extract. Then, replace the command’s “/pathToExtractTo” with the location where you want to extract the files.
- Finally, press the Enter key.
That’s it, this guide on how to open RAR files on Mac has just taught you how to unrar Mac with Terminal. Easy, right? Now, let’s hop on to the next section.
Part 4. How Do I Open A RAR File on Mac Online?
There are different tools you can use in order to open RAR on Mac online. Below are some of them:
Tool 01. UNRAR Online
Here are the steps on how to open RAR files on Mac you should follow using the platform UNRAR online:
- Drag a file or click the upload button to place the RAR file on the platform’s servers.
- Wait for the extraction process to complete.
- Download the resulting files.
Tool 02. Archive Extractor Online
Archive Extractor allows you to extract different compressed files including RAR files online. To use it, you can do the following:
- Choose the file from your computer. Or, you can also upload by pasting a URL, by getting from Google Drive, or by grabbing from Dropbox. Drag and drop are also supported.
- Wait for the process to finish.
- Save the files to your computer.
Tool 03. ezyZip
ezyZip is another tool that can help you on how to open RAR files on Mac online. These are the steps to follow in order to use it:
- Choose the file you wish to extract and upload it to the platform.
- Click “Extract”.
- Then, save the different files you want on your computer by clicking “Save”.
Tool 04. Unzip-Online
This tool can help you in opening your RAR files on the Mac computer through a web-based platform. Up to 200MB can be uncompressed with the tool. Here are the steps on how to open RAR files on Mac online or unzip files Mac with Unzip-Online:
- Click “Uncompress Files”. And then choose the file to upload.
- Click the “Uncompress File” button.
- Download and save the files by clicking on its name on the list that appears.
Part 5. What Is The Difference between RAR and Zip Files?
There are actually plenty of file formats you can use for downloading files. I think by now you are aware that there are many types of data compression formats. Two popular types are the RAR files and the Zip file.
There is not much difference between the two file formats except for the extension. However, the Zip file is used frequently compared to RAR. I bet you can see this often when downloading apps or software and when sending large files.
This is because most computer operating system has built-in support from Zip files while some OS need to download programs that will support RAR files like the MacOS. But then, RAR is usually better when it comes to data compression.
Zip vs. RAR File
A ZIP file is a form of archive format that supports lossless data compression. It can contain one or more files compressed inside the main container. RAR files like we mentioned onset is denser when compared with the ZIP file format. It also supports multivolume archive which can handle more data compression.
Most of the archives seen on the internet are using the ZIP format. If you will try to send a RAR archive to your friend, he or she might not be able to view or open the contents unless they install an Unarchiver that supports RAR files.
Limitations
The most notable difference between a Zip file and a RAR is the file size limitations. Zip files can only support up to 2 GB of data while a RAR can go further than that. Apart from that, RAR files are way smaller compared to zipping which makes upload and downloads faster.
Security
The security provided by ZIP or RAR file usually depends on the program used to secure. RAR files feature stronger AES-128 encryption compared to the ZIP file. This is why most people and companies prefer to use RAR files over ZIP or other archive file formats.
Part 6. Summary
To summarize what we have discussed, a RAR file is another form of data compression and encryption which provides more security and less to no limitations.
However, RAR files do not default in Mac devices so we need to use third-party programs so that we can open, view, and extract the files. Good thing, PowerMyMac- Unarchiver has a built-in feature that supports compressing and decompressing RAR files. You can also use online tools or via Terminal.
I hope it cleared the confusion on how to open RAR files on Mac as well as its use and function.
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Combine Rar Files Mac
jack miller2020-10-09 09:26:18
File Format For Mac
RAR file is used to store other files inside,it is a compressed folder if you want to open RAR files then you have to UNRAR it
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