.zip · ZIP archive
Open .ZIP files in your browser
Open a .zip in your browser — no upload, no signup, free. The archive stays on your device. Filelathe lists entries and opens a file inside, locally.
How it works
- Drop the .zip or use Choose file. Filelathe reads the ZIP directory in your browser.
- You get an entry list with sizes.
- Click an inner file — text, image, PDF, or a nested archive — to open it in its own window. The bytes are not uploaded to be converted.
Filelathe reads the ZIP directory in your browser, shows the entry list with sizes, and lets you open an inner file (text, image, PDF, or a nested archive) in its own window. Bytes are never uploaded.
How to open a .zip file without an archiver
Drop the archive or use Choose file. Filelathe reads the central directory locally and lists names and sizes. Click a member to view it. No unzip utility and no upload.
Office packages are ZIPs with a fixed layout. A file you already know is Word is better opened as .docx, Excel as .xlsx, or PowerPoint as .pptx.
Open ZIP on a Chromebook, Mac, or iPad
Use Choose file in the browser on a Chromebook, Mac, or iPad. Desktop browsers also accept a drop. The listing runs in the tab, so there is no app to install.
Does my .zip get uploaded?
The directory is read in your browser, and an inner file is extracted in the tab when you open it. Choosing the tool window may send the filename, the type, and samples to the API. That is not an upload-to-convert service. See private in-browser viewing.
View vs convert: what stays on your device
Filelathe does not rehost the archive or convert it to another container. You view the listing and open members locally. There is no download-all step.
What you can and can't do
You can
- List entries and sizes from the ZIP directory, up to 200 names in the preview.
- Open an inner file in its own viewer when Filelathe knows that type, including a nested archive.
You can't
- Create, rename, or recompress the archive.
- Unlock a password-protected ZIP.
- Inflate entries without a cap. Decompressed output is limited (32MB) so a zip bomb stops instead of filling the tab.
FAQ
Can I browse a ZIP without extracting it to disk?
Yes. Filelathe reads the directory in your browser and lists entries with sizes. Nothing is unpacked onto your drive.
Can I open a file inside the ZIP?
Yes. Choose an entry and it opens in its own window — for example text, an image, a PDF, or another archive. A .docx inside a ZIP is still a Word package; the DOCX viewer reads word/document.xml when you open that file on its own.
Is the archive uploaded?
No. Listing and extraction run in the tab. An API call may use the filename, type, and samples to choose a tool for an inner file.
What will not open?
Password-protected ZIPs are not unlocked. The preview lists at most 200 entries, and decompression stops at the 32MB guard.