Then you just downloaded a file on your Mac and it arrived every bit a RAR archive. You've never seen such a format before and, endeavour every bit y'all might, you only can't seem to crack it open to access the goodies waiting for you inside.

In this quick overview, y'all'll learn everything y'all need to know nearly what RAR files are, why they exist, and how to open and extract RAR files on a Mac.

What Is a RAR File?

If y'all already know this, or if you just don't care, feel free to skip down to the side by side department for the actual instructions.

A RAR file is similar to a ZIP file. Both are "archive" file formats meant for compressing many private files into i single file. That style, you merely have to put one file upward for download (or attach one file to an email), and receivers only need to download ane file, instead of many dissever ones.

RAR stands for Roshal ARchive, named later Eugene Roshal, the Russian software engineer who created the format. The RAR format was created to address some flaws in the ZIP format and comes with several benefits: smaller file sizes, the ability to carve up a RAR into multiple chunks, and error recovery.

That said, we've come a long style since the days of ZIP and RAR, and we now have better means to compress, encrypt, and transfer files. The 7-Zip format is one pop option, but it'southward far from the standard. As such, information technology's still important to know how to handle RAR files.

How to Open and Excerpt RAR Files on Mac

The RAR format is proprietary, so it'due south no surprise that Mac systems don't come with a built-in utility for handling information technology. However, the solution is every bit like shooting fish in a barrel as installing a free third-political party tool that can open RAR files on Mac.

Here are five RAR extraction options you can option from.

one. Open RAR Files With Keka

Opening RAR file using Keka for Mac

Keka is a compression and extraction tool that's available both in the Mac App Shop and as a standalone installation. Once installed, all you accept to do is double-click on a RAR file to extract it, or Control-click one and select Open up.

The downside to using Keka, at to the lowest degree for some users, is that you lot can't explore the contents of a RAR file without first extracting it. Yous might never need this functionality, in which example this is a keen tool for the job. Just if you like having the ability to peek at an archive'south contents and but pull out the files you need, Keka isn't the right app for you.

Note that Keka can create its own compressed archives, merely information technology does not support the RAR format. You lot'll be limited to ZIP, 7-Zip, TAR, GZIP, and BZIP2 formats.

Download: Keka (Costless)

2. Use unRAR in Concluding on Mac

To extract a RAR file using the Terminal, y'all'll demand to install something chosen Homebrew, which is an all-in-one tool for installing other tools.

For example, using Homebrew you lot can install a RAR extraction tool with one control:

brew install unrar

You must type this into the Final, which you can access by opening Spotlight (using the Cmd + Space keyboard shortcut), typing "terminal," and launching the Terminal app.

You might get a message saying that unRAR needs to be built from source, as shown beneath.

Extracting a RAR file using Terminal on Mac

In that case, y'all'll accept to first install the Xcode command line tools using this command:

xcode-select --install

Once unRAR is installed, you can extract whatsoever RAR file by navigating to that file in Final and typing this command:

unrar x example_file.rar

Don't know how to navigate the command line? Have a wait at our beginner's guide to using the Mac Final starting time.

The Unarchiver for Mac RAR files

The Unarchiver is a free RAR extractor for macOS; y'all can apply it to open up any of your RAR athenaeum in a single click. Like Keka, this tool doesn't permit y'all to view what's within your RAR files before you extract them.

Still, the tool has many customizable options to extract your archives the manner you lot want.

I of its handy features is that it supports non-Latin characters for your archive file names. This way, you tin can excerpt RAR files that have foreign characters in their names.

The Unarchiver supports many other archive formats as well, which include ZIP, 7Z, GZIP, CAB, and others.

Download: The Unarchiver (Free)

four. Use The Unarchiver With Automator to Unzip RAR Files

If you extract RAR files on a regular basis, the above tools might feel inefficient for the task. Luckily, you lot tin can use Automator to automate the RAR extraction chore.

The Unarchiver will work in conjunction with Automator to create a folder activeness that decompresses all the files inside your RAR archives automatically.

Once yous've created this action in Automator, all you need to practise is put your RAR archives in the specified folder to extract them. Hither'due south how to create the action:

  1. Create a new binder on your desktop and proper name it Unrar.
  2. Open up The Unarchiver, click the Extraction tab, and select Same folder as the annal from the Extract archives to dropdown menu.
    Automating RAR extraction with The Unarchiver
  3. Enable Move the annal to the trash, so your archive is deleted afterward information technology's extracted.
  4. Launch Automator, click File > New, select Binder Activity, and click Cull.
  5. Click the dropdown bill of fare at the top, select Other, and choose your Unrar folder.
  6. Drag the Find Finder Items action over to the workflow on the correct.
  7. In the newly added activity, choose your Unrar folder from the Search dropdown, so select Whatsoever from the post-obit dropdown. Next, choose File extension followed by contains, and enter rar in the box.
    Adding RAR folder to Automator in Mac
  8. Drag the Open Finder Items activity over to the right pane.
  9. Select The Unarchiver from the Open with dropdown carte du jour.
    Set RAR files to open with Unarchiver in Automator
  10. Press Cmd + S, enter a name for your workflow, and click Salve. And then close Automator.
  11. Copy any RAR archives you want to unzip to the Unrar folder on your desktop. Your archive volition exist immediately extracted, with all its files placed in the same Unrar folder.

An online RAR extractor can come in handy when you're simply looking to extract a few archives. With an online tool, y'all don't demand to install anything on your figurer. These tools work through your web browser and let y'all excerpt your files just similar how your desktop programs exercise.

Extract Me is one such online tool that helps you excerpt RAR and many other archive formats using a spider web browser. You tin add archives from your estimator, from cloud storage services like Google Bulldoze and Dropbox, or even from direct web URLs.

ExtractMe online RAR extractor

Once you've uploaded an archive, expect a few seconds for the site to excerpt it. Y'all can so download individual files within your annal to your computer.

Opening RAR Files on Mac Made Easy

Now you don't take to sweat when you lot encounter a RAR file. These easy RAR extraction methods for Mac will make quick work of whatever you come across.

While your Mac tin can't handle RAR files with born tools, there are some great default apps that come installed on all Macs. A lot of the time, you don't actually need to download a third-party app because stock Mac apps are pretty good in most cases. It'due south worth checking them out before downloading whatsoever 3rd-party tools.

A Complete Guide to Default Mac Apps and What They Practise

Here's a complete guide to Mac default apps and so you know what'south on your system and which apps are worth using.

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Near The Author

Mahesh Makvana (307 Articles Published)

Mahesh is a tech writer at MakeUseOf. He's been writing tech how-to guides for nigh eight years at present and has covered many topics. He loves to teach people how they can become the most out of their devices.

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