• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Smart phone, gadget and computer tutorials

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
How to Zip Files in Android

How to Zip Files in Android

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Mona Leave a Comment

Have you ever do a hard disk junk cleaning, and after a few hours of painstakingly selecting files you wanted to remove, your poor old hard disk is still running out of space? Or maybe, it’s taking too much time to transfer that Blu-ray movie from your smartphone to your computer because the file is just too massive. Let’s talk about how to compress your data on an Android.

Understanding Data Compression

Data compression is a method where you compact your data by encrypting parts of it, reducing its total size. It generally works by reducing repeated data by arranging it differently or encoding it into shorter bits. Different types of files have different methods to go about compressing files.

Compression Types

There are two kinds of compression. There is lossless compression, which arranges and encodes the data and reduces the total size without eliminating any sum data, keeping the quality of the data the same. This is crucial for software files because if you lose some of the data, the software will not work at all.

Then there’s the lossy compression, which reduces the sum of the data and the quality while retaining key information. This way, the data can still be identified and used. It puts heavy emphasis on reducing the size (bytes). It’s useful for images, audio, and video compression because we can still recognize its key features even if there are some missing pixels.

What’s a ZIP?

A ZIP file is a format for lossless compressed data. It’s developed by PKWARE.Inc, released on 14 February 1989. ZIP enables you to keep files on a ZIP archive for better storage or to transfer them to another system. However, you can’t use or execute a certain file when it is archived or zipped. It’s a versatile file format to use across various platforms, which is why it’s still used now, 31 years later.

To explain how ZIP works, all of the information on your computer is basically just 8 strings of 1’s and 0’s, or as the tech guys called it, a ‘byte’. The ZIP system figures out what is the most common byte are in your file, ranking it from the most common to least common. The most common byte is replaced with a variable that is a bit (like number 1 or 0). Then the second most common byte is replaced by 2 bits (two numbers, like 10,11 or 00).

Then the third most common byte is replaced by 3 bits and so on until the bytes reached a redundancy. This way the sum file size is much smaller than the uncompressed version.

How Do I ZIP a File?

We are going to do this with two of the most popular data compression apps, WinZip and Zarchiver.

WinZip

First, we’ll use the WinZip app.

1. Download the app from google play. It’s one of the most popular data compression app on the play store.

​

2. Open the app. You will be greeted with the interface.

​

3. Locate and select files you want to zip and tap the ZIP button on the bottom tab.

​

4. Select the zipped file directory, then tap ‘zip here’ on the bottom tab. And it’s done! your files are now zipped and ready for further action.

Zarchiver

Now we are going to do the same zipping process with Zarchiver.

1. Download the app from google play.

​

2. Open the app.

​

Step 3. Select and locate files you wanted to zip. Hold tap, and tap the compress button.

​

4. Select the zip archive format. You can also adjust the compression level to determine how much you want the files to be compressed. You can also give the archive a different name, determine the archived file’s directory, give the archive a password, and split the file into few parts.

​

5. After all the adjusting is done, press OK.

And it’s done! Your files should now be safely zipped.

You Might Also Like

  • How to Install APK Files on Android
    How to Install APK Files on Android
  • How to Compress and Decompress Files on Android
    How to Compress and Decompress Files on Android
  • 4 Android Apps to Compress Files
    4 Android Apps to Compress Files
  • Transfer Files Between Android & Windows 10 Via Bluetooth
    Transfer Files Between Android & Windows 10 Via Bluetooth
  • How to Free up Space on Android Using Google Files
    How to Free up Space on Android Using Google Files
  • Android: Safe Websites to Download APK Files
    Android: Safe Websites to Download APK Files
  • Google Files: How to Save Files in a Private Folder
    Google Files: How to Save Files in a Private Folder
  • What Are LRV Files?
    What Are LRV Files?
  • What Are MHT Files?
    What Are MHT Files?

Filed Under: Android

Reader Interactions

Did this help? Let us know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Fix Skype Error: Exchange Needs Your Credentials
  • Fix Skype Notifications Not Working on Windows 10
  • Teams in Outlook: We Couldn’t Schedule the Meeting
  • VR Oculus Quest 2: How to Configure a New Room-Scale Boundary
  • VR Oculus Quest 2: How to Adjust Boundary Sensitivity
  • Dropbox: How To Change the Date Format
  • Microsoft Teams: There Was a Problem Saving the Photo
  • VR Oculus Quest 2: How to Set up Oculus Link

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.

You May Also Like

  • 9 Best Android TV box
  • 10 Best Android Phone Cleaner Apps in 2019

© Copyright 2021 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy