How to Open RAR Files on Windows 11 and Mac

Have you ever come across a RAR file and confused about how to open it? Don’t worry, in this guide, we will explain step by step how to open RAR files on Windows and Mac operating systems.

There are many programs you can use to open RAR files in Windows 11, but we will recommend two of the most popular and easy-to-use programs: WinRAR and 7-Zip. Here are the steps to open a RAR file by using both programs:

Using WinRAR

WinRAR is a file compression and decompression program that supports many file formats, including RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZIP, and others. WinRAR also has advanced features such as encryption, data recovery, large file splitting, and more. Here is how to use WinRAR to open RAR files in Windows 11:

1. Visit the official website of WinRAR and download the latest version of the program according to your operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).
2. Run the downloaded installation file and follow the prompts to install WinRAR on your computer.
3. Once WinRAR is installed, locate the RAR file you want to open in File Explorer.
4. Right-click on the RAR file and select Extract Here to extract the file’s contents to the same folder, or select Extract to [folder name]  to extract the file’s contents to a new folder with the same name as the file.
5. Wait for the extraction process to complete, and then open the destination folder to view the contents of the RAR file.

Using 7-Zip

7-Zip is a free and open-source file compression and decompression program that supports many file formats, including RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZIP, and more. 7-Zip also has advanced features such as encryption, splitting large files, integration with File Explorer, and more. Here is how to use 7-Zip to open RAR files in Windows 11:

1. Visit the official website of 7-Zip and download the latest version of the program according to your operating system (32-bit or 64-bit).
2. Run the downloaded installation file and follow the prompts to install 7-Zip on your computer.
3. Once 7-Zip is installed, locate the RAR file you want to open in File Explorer.
4. Right-click on the RAR file and select 7-Zip > Extract Here to extract the contents of the file to the same folder, or select 7-Zip > Extract to[folder name] to extract the contents of the file to a new folder with the same name as the file.
5. Wait for the extraction process to complete, and then open the destination folder to view the contents of the RAR file.

How to Open RAR Files on Mac

Just like Windows 11, Mac also doesn’t have a built-in program to open RAR files, so you’ll need to download and install third-party programs. There are several programs you can use to open RAR files on Mac, but we will recommend two of the most popular and easy-to-use programs: The Unarchiver and Keka. Here are the steps to open a RAR file by using both programs:

Using The Unarchiver

The Unarchiver is a free and simple file decompression program that supports many file formats, including RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZIP, and others. The Unarchiver also has advanced features like detecting character encoding, extracting corrupted files, and more. Here’s how to use The Unarchiver to open RAR files on Mac:

1. Visit The Unarchiver’s official website and download the latest version of the program, or download it from the App Store.
2. Run the downloaded installation file and follow the instructions to install The Unarchiver on your Mac.
3. Once The Unarchiver is installed, open the program and select the file format you want to open with the program. Make sure you check the RAR Archive box.
4. Close the program and locate the RAR file you want to open in the Finder.
5. Double-click on the RAR file and wait for the extraction process to complete. The RAR file will be extracted to the same folder with the same name as the file.
6. Open the destination folder to view the contents of the RAR file.

Using Keka

Keka is a free and open-source file compression and decompression program that supports many file formats, including RAR, ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZIP, and more. Keka also has advanced features such as encryption, splitting large files, integration with Finder, and more. Here’s how to use Keka to open RAR files on Mac:

1. Visit the official website of Keka and download the latest version of the program, or download it from the App Store.
2. Run the installation file you downloaded and follow the prompts to install Keka on your Mac.
3. Once Keka is installed, locate the RAR file you want to open in the Finder.
4. Drag and drop the RAR file onto the Keka icon in the Dock or in the Finder. The RAR file will be extracted to the same folder with the same name as the file.
5. Open the destination folder to view the contents of the RAR file.

Conclusion

RAR files are a compressed file format that can store multiple files and folders in smaller sizes. To open RAR files, you need a special program that can extract the contents of the file. We have shown you several ways to open RAR files on Windows 11 and Mac by using popular programs such as WinRAR, 7-Zip, The Unarchiver, and Keka.

Hope you find this article useful. Thanks for reading!