How To

How to Use WinRAR on Mac in 4 Simple Steps

May 17, 2021
Updated: July 2, 2025 at 4:06 AM

How to Use WinRAR on Mac in 4 Simple Steps

When it comes to extracting compressed RAR files, WinRAR is a giant in the industry. WinRAR is a lightweight program that is available cross-platform and makes it easy to manipulate and create zipped and compressed files.

Unfortunately, WinRAR on Mac has no GUI (graphic user interface), which might make you uncomfortable as you will need to use the command line to use the program. We know that sounds technical, but before you get stressed, we will help you step by step to extract your files through the program quickly.

Access the Command Line
First, you will need to access the command line on your Mac. Here are the steps you need to take to open it:

– Click on ‘Applications.’
– Then click on ‘Utilities.’
– Finally, click on ‘Terminal’.
Change the Directory
Now you will need to change the directory to the location of the files you want to archive or extract.
Compress a File
If you want to compress a file, type ‘rar a your_directory_name your_rar_name.rar’ into the command line to add the contents of your file referred to in Step 2 to a RAR file. Remember to change your directory name and RAR file name to match your folder name. This will allow you to find it in the future easily.
Extract a File
If you want to extract a file, type ‘unrar your_rar_filename.rar’ into the command line to extract a RAR file.

Compress, Extract and Get Things Done

Using WinRAR on your Mac is simple enough when using the command line. It may seem technical at first glance, but if you follow our steps, you will soon be able to compress and extract files with ease.