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Can Android extract zip files? If so, could you please explain the process of downloading and extracting a zip file?

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2 Answers

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Yes, provided you've got an application to deal with zip files, you should be just fine:

WinZip for Android

By default there's already apps within your OS to deal with zip files:

Best is access a zip file thru your browser, download an open one. A window should pop-up, with some recommended apps already on your system.

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Is there any way to do it without installing any other apps? – Hope4You Aug 1 '12 at 19:29
@Hope4You Yes, check my edited answer. I don't use winZip nor I did install any app for this, and I've already got 3 on my OS that came with it. – Zuul Aug 1 '12 at 19:34
This helps, as I do not have an Android to test with. One other question: Which browser are you referring to in your answer? Is it the default Android browser? – Hope4You Aug 7 '12 at 16:16
@Hope4You Yes, my tests were performed using the default browser. – Zuul Aug 7 '12 at 16:24
"By default there's already apps within your OS to deal with zip files" Which are you referring to? I now have Android 4.0 and I can't find a way to open .zip file with any pre-installed app. – Hope4You Apr 18 at 18:35
up vote 3 down vote

Android allows downloading of any file type irregardless of size (FAT32 formatted SD cards however allow only up to 4GB per file).

Many file explorers come with built-in ZIP support -- and again, many also offer access to network ressources via FTP, SFTP, FTPS, Samba (Windows Network), and more. Some good examples for these include:

  • ES File Explorer File Manager: Compress and Decompress ZIP files, Unpack RAR files, can create encrypted (AES 256 bit) ZIP files [...]; Samba, FTP, Bluetooth, Dropbox, Box.net, Sugarsync, Google Drive...
  • ASTRO File Manager / Browser: Zip/ Tar; Bluetooth & Samba (via AddOn), SFTP, and (explicitly mentioned) a downloader
  • Total Commander: Zip and unzip, unrar; Bluetooth; FTP & WebDAV (via AddOn)

Of course they offer a wide range of additional features.

Downloading then either takes place using the file managers network capabilities to browse the resources and copy the file (as you are probably used to with file managers on your computer; on Windows, Total Commander is already widely known and used) -- or, alternatively, using the web-browser, which then stores the file on disk. Once on the local file system, the mentioned file managers offer you to open/extract the archives (a zip file is an archive) either when directly tapping on the file, or via its context menu (usually opened on tap-and-hold the file entry).

Should be pretty easy and self-explaining -- though some of the file managers also offer tutorials / online help / inline help to guide you:

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