Want to know how to compress files and folders on your Android device without a Mac or a PC?. You can zip folders and files on your Android phone using an app. With the right Android app, you can compress files, and password protects them if you want.
Compressing files isn’t just done on computers. Android phones allow you to use a third-party app to zip multiple files.
You should know that when you compress different files together it reduces the total size of the file. But it doesn’t matter if the size shrinks. When you unzip the file, the normal file size will come back.
Zip files are a great way to save storage space and data usage when sending over a mobile network. Once you compress a file, the size will be reduced and you will be able to send it via your mobile network. If you save the file locally — you can zip the files on your phone to save storage space.
On an Android device, you cannot compress files without a third-party app. With all the Android apps available on the Google Play Store, they are different apps to choose from — ES File Explorer, ZArchiver, RAR, and others.
In this guide, we are going to be using ES File Explorer, RAR, and ZArchiver to compress files and folders on an Android device.
How to compress files with ES File Explorer
1. Open ES File Explorer app on your Android device and navigate to the folder or files you want to compress.
2. Tap and hold a folder to compress the whole folder. Or you can select multiple files. Tap and hold one of the files or folders to enable multiple selections, then select the other files.
3. After you’ve selected all the files, tap on “More” at the right bottom corner of your screen, and then select “Compress.”
4. Type a name you want for your ZIP file, set a password for the file if you want, and then tap “OK” to compress the file.
When the compression is completed, you’ll see the ZIP file listed in the folder of the original file.
How to compress files with RAR
1. Open RAR app on your Android phone, then find the files you want to compress.
2. Select the files you want to include in the ZIP, and tap the Archive button.
3. Select zip. You can change the file name, the path, and even set up a password. Click on “Browse” to select the destination path.
4. Once you have the name, and the path to where the zip will be located, tap “OK” to zip the file.
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Once you finished compressing the files, the zip format will be available where the original file is, or the path which you choose.
How to compress files with ZArchiver
1. Open ZArchiver app on your Android phone and locate the files you want to compress.
2. Tap and hold a folder to compress the whole folder, or tap the three-dot at the right top corner of your screen and tap on “Multi-select” to choose multiple files.
3. After you’ve selected all the files your want, click on the checkmark on the right bottom corner of your screen.
4. Tab the Square box icon at the right top corner of your screen, and then select “Compress.”
5. Type a name you want for your ZIP file, choose “zip” as your Archives format, choose a password If you want, and then tap “OK” to compress the file. You can choose the destination folder by clicking on the three-dot in the archive name line.
You can choose to delete the source files if you want after compression. The compressed files will be available in the location of the original file, or the path you choose when zipping the files.
