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Opening and Unzipping Downloaded Photos on Any Device

Once your photographer has delivered your photos or videos (media), and you've downloaded them, your media will arrive as a ZIP file — a single compressed file that bundles all of your downloaded media together. You'll need to unzip it to access your photos and videos.

This guide walks you through the entire process step by step, no matter what device you're using.

This article will walk you through:

Note: ZIP files are standard compressed folders. When you "unzip" a file, you're simply extracting the files inside it into a regular folder you can browse, save, and share from. No special software is required on most modern devices.

 

Opening and Unzipping Your Downloads on a Mac Computers

Mac computers handle ZIP files natively, no additional software needed.

Step 1: Locate Your ZIP File

  1. Open Finder from your Dock (the smiley face icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen).
  2. In the left-hand sidebar, click Downloads. Your ZIP file will be here unless you saved it to a different location during download.
  3. The file will have a name like YourPhotos.zip and appear with a zipper icon.

Step 2: Unzip Your File

  1. Double-click the ZIP file. Your Mac will automatically unzip it and create a new folder in the same location with the same name — just without the .zip at the end.
  2. Double-click that new folder to open it and view your downloaded media.
Note: If double-clicking doesn't seem to work, try right-clicking the file and selecting Open from the menu that appears.

Step 3: Save or Organize Your Downloaded Media

From the unzipped folder, you can:

  • Drag and drop media files to your Desktop or any other folder on your Mac.
  • Import to the Photos app: Open Photos, then go to File > Import and select the unzipped folder to add all of your downloaded media to your photo library in one step.
Pro Tip: Once you've confirmed your media is all there, you can delete the original .zip file to free up storage space on your Mac.

 

Opening and Unzipping Your Downloads on Windows Computers

Windows 10 and Windows 11 both include built-in ZIP support — no extra software needed.

Step 1: Locate Your ZIP File

  1. Open File Explorer by clicking the folder icon in your taskbar, or by pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
  2. In the left-hand panel, click Downloads. Your ZIP file will be here unless you saved it to a different location during download.
  3. The file will have a name like YourPhotos.zip and appear with a zipper icon.

Step 2: Unzip Your File

  1. Right-click on the ZIP file.
  2. From the menu that appears, select Extract All…
  3. A window will appear asking where you'd like to save the extracted files. You can leave the default location, or click Browse to choose somewhere else — such as your Desktop or Pictures folder.
  4. Click Extract. Windows will unzip the file and open the resulting folder automatically.
Pro Tip: On Windows 11, Extract All may appear directly in the right-click menu. On Windows 10, if you don't see it right away, look for Show more options to find it.

Step 3: Save or Organize Your Downloaded Media

From the extracted folder, you can:

  • Copy and paste media files to wherever you'd like to store them — your Pictures folder, an external hard drive, or your Desktop.
  • Import to the Photos app: Open the Photos app from the Start menu, click Import in the top-right corner, then select From a folder and point it to your unzipped folder.
Note: Once you've confirmed all your media has been extracted successfully, feel free to delete the original .zip file to recover storage space.

 

Opening and Unzipping Your Downloads on iPhone or iPad (iOS) Devices

On iPhone and iPad, downloaded ZIP files are saved to the Files app. Once unzipped, you can save your media directly to your Photos app (Camera Roll) with just a few taps.

Step 1: Locate Your ZIP File

  1. Open the Files app on your device. If you can't find it, swipe down on your Home Screen and search for "Files."
  2. Tap Browse at the bottom of the screen, then select On My iPhone (or On My iPad).
  3. Open the Downloads folder. Your ZIP file will be here.

Step 2: Unzip Your File

  1. Tap the ZIP file once. iOS will automatically extract the contents and create a new folder with the same name right next to the ZIP file — no extra steps needed.
  2. Tap the new folder to open it and see your photos inside.
Pro Tip: If you downloaded multiple ZIP files, tap each one individually to unzip them all. Each extracted folder will appear in the same Downloads location.

Step 3: Save Your Downloaded Media to Your Camera Roll

Viewing your photos inside the Files app is not the same as saving them to your Camera Roll. Follow these steps to make sure your photos are fully accessible in your Photos app and backed up with iCloud (if enabled).

  1. Inside the unzipped folder in the Files app, tap the Select button in the top-right corner.
  2. Tap Select All to choose every photo in the folder, or tap individual photos to select specific ones.
  3. Tap the Share icon (the box with an arrow pointing upward) in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  4. From the Share Sheet that appears, tap Save Image (if you selected one photo) or Save [X] Images (if you selected multiple).
  5. Your photos will be saved to your Camera Roll inside the Photos app and will be available immediately.
Important Note: You must complete Step 3 to have your photos in your Camera Roll. Simply viewing them in the Files app does not save them to your Photos app or include them in your iCloud backup.

Example: If your photographer delivered 50 photos, after tapping Select All and then Save 50 Images, all 50 will appear in your Camera Roll sorted by the date they were saved.

 

Opening and Unzipping Your Downloads on Android Devices

Android devices handle ZIP files through the built-in Files app — sometimes called My Files, depending on your device manufacturer.

Note: Android devices vary by manufacturer (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, etc.), so some menu names or icons may look slightly different on your device. If anything looks unfamiliar, searching your device name plus "extract ZIP" will bring up manufacturer-specific guidance.

Step 1: Locate Your ZIP File

  1. Open the Files app on your device.
    • On Samsung devices, this is called My Files.
    • On Google Pixel devices, it's called Files by Google.
    • If you're not sure, search "Files" in your app drawer.
  2. Tap Downloads (or Internal Storage > Downloads) to find your ZIP file.

Step 2: Unzip Your File

  1. Tap the ZIP file once. Your device will prompt you to extract it.
    • On most devices, a pop-up will appear — tap Extract or Unzip to confirm.
    • On Samsung devices, you may be asked to choose a save location. The default (same folder as the ZIP) works fine.
    • On Files by Google, you can tap Extract directly from the file preview screen.
  2. Once extracted, a new folder with the same name will appear in your Downloads. Tap it to open it and see your photos.

Step 3: Save Your Downloaded Media to Your Gallery

  1. Inside the extracted folder in your Files app, tap and hold on one photo until it becomes selected.
  2. Tap Select All to select every photo in the folder.
  3. Tap the More menu (three dots) or the Share icon, then select Copy to or Move to.
  4. Navigate to your Pictures folder (or DCIM > Camera if you'd like them alongside your other camera photos) and tap Copy Here or Move Here.
  5. Open your Gallery app — your photos will now appear there.
Note: If your Gallery app doesn't show the new photos right away, open the app and pull down to refresh, or give it a moment to scan the new files automatically.

 

Still having trouble? Our helpful Zenfolio Pros are here to help. Reach out to our support team and we'll be happy to help.