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!
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.
-【Update 2022】The current version does not support the Unarchiver function temporarily, but a special software that supports the following function will be released in the future. You can try our latest version of the PowerMyMac for free.
PowerMyMac keeps your Mac running at its best. It cleans and optimizes your Mac by removing tons of junk files, scanning duplicate files, and uninstalling unnecessary applications to free up more disk space and run your Mac faster.
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.